Why Disability Employment Is at a Record High but Wealth Gaps Remain
The employment-population ratio for people with disabilities hit a record high of 22.7% in 2024, the highest since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking it in 2008. That's great news. More employers are realizing what the disabled community has always known: talent is everywhere. From corporate boardrooms to small businesses, people with disabilities are contributing, innovating, and driving the economy forward.
But this rise in employment hasn't closed the wealth gap. Research from the Financial Health Network, in partnership with the National Disability Institute and the Harkin Institute, shows that working-age people with disabilities are only about one-third as likely to be financially healthy as their peers without disabilities. They earn less on average, face higher out-of-pocket costs for healthcare and accommodations, and run into rules that make it harder to save.
The SSI Asset Limit: A Barrier to Saving
The most visible rule is the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) asset limit. SSI provides modest monthly benefits to about 7.4 million Americans who are elderly or have disabilities. In 2026, the maximum benefit is just under $1,000 a month. To stay eligible, an individual cannot hold more than $2,000 in countable assets. For a married couple, the limit is $3,000. That cap hasn't changed since 1989. If it had kept up with inflation, it would be over $5,000 today.
This creates a savings ceiling that punishes work. A disabled worker who takes on extra shifts and starts saving can lose SSI eligibility—and often Medicaid too—by going just a few dollars over a limit set during the first Bush administration. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that the resource limit is the leading cause of erroneous payments in SSI, leading to overpayment notices that beneficiaries struggle to repay.
Proposed Solutions: SSI Reform and ABLE Accounts
Bipartisan Bills to Raise Asset Limits
Advocates are pushing for change on multiple fronts. The bipartisan SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, sponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Danny Davis (D-IL), would raise SSI asset limits to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for couples, and index them to inflation. The broader SSI Restoration Act would go further, updating income disregards and benefit levels frozen for decades. Both bills have endorsements from The Arc, the National Academy of Social Insurance, and corporate leaders at Microsoft and JPMorganChase.
How ABLE Accounts Help People Save
ABLE accounts offer a separate workaround. Created by Congress in 2014, they let people with disabilities save and invest up to $100,000 without losing eligibility for Medicaid, Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), or SSI. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act, which took effect on January 1, 2026, expanded eligibility to millions more people whose disabilities began before age 46.
The newest proposal is the bipartisan ABLE Employment Flexibility Act, introduced by Representatives Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). It would let employers contribute directly to an employee's ABLE account, similar to how they contribute to 401(k) plans. It also aims to modernize ABLE accounts for long-term savings and employment.
What Employers Can Do Right Now
Employers have a key role to play, no matter what Congress does. Awareness is a big part of the gap. Polling by Able Americans found that nearly 8 in 10 voters have never heard of ABLE accounts—including the same percentage of voters with disabilities. Only 4% know enough to explain how they work. Despite the eligibility expansion in 2026, enrollment growth has been modest. People can't use a program they don't know about.
If the goal is to increase labor force participation and financial independence for disabled workers, employers should introduce ABLE accounts the same way they introduce health insurance and 401(k) enrollment from day one. Other basics matter too:
- Disability-inclusive financial counseling that addresses unique needs.
- Accommodations that reduce the out-of-pocket cost of working.
- HR teams that understand how SSI, Medicaid, and HCBS interact with a paycheck.
Examples of Employers Leading the Way
Some employers are already setting the standard. The Golden Scoop in Overland Park, Kansas, a nonprofit social enterprise employing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, now makes quarterly contributions to ABLE accounts for eligible employees. Instead of relying on traditional retirement plans that may not work for workers on disability benefits, they chose a model designed for real-life needs.
Microsoft and JPMorganChase have publicly endorsed the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act as a workforce issue, citing the need to attract and retain talented disabled workers without forcing them into impossible benefits math. These practices should become the norm.
The Future of Disability Employment and Financial Health
Imagine every employer that promotes disability inclusion also offering ABLE contributions, disability-inclusive financial counseling, and benefits navigation alongside other programs. Workers could build emergency savings. Families could plan for the future. Individuals could take jobs without fear of losing essential supports.
The original ABLE Act changed millions of lives by proving that disabled people deserve the same chance to save and plan. The next chapter will be written across several fronts: ABLE expansion, SSI reform, and the daily practices of employers who want a workforce that reflects all American talent. A system that punishes disabled workers for getting ahead doesn't have to stay that way.
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