Organizational Authorized Legal Representatives

ABLE accounts are a life-changing savings opportunity that create financial freedom and equity for people living with disabilities and allow for management by an Authorized Legal Representative (ALR), when necessary. Taking the step to become an Organizational ALR will allow your organization to offer a new level of support to your clients, providing resources and guidance to help them reach their financial goals.

Organizational ALRs can place funds in the ABLE account to assist in managing asset limits and prevent the suspension of Social Security, Medicaid, and other benefits. Even organizations that serve as Representative Payees as designated by the Social Security Administration, can enroll as Organizational ALRs to better help the people they support.

Creating accounts for your clients is easy, and you can set up multiple accounts at the same time. With the Hawai’i ABLE Savings Program, you can easily manage a client's account, make payments, load a free prepaid debit card, and more. Plus, Hawai’i ABLE Savings Program accounts can reach a balance of $100,000 before affecting SSI benefits, which means clients can save more money and your organization does not have to keep assets below the standard $2,000 limit.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Authorized Legal Representative?

An Authorized Legal Representative (ALR) is someone who is allowed under state and federal law to make decisions for the Hawai’i ABLE Savings Program account beneficiary. There can be only one ALR per account, but regardless of who opens the account, the beneficiary is the sole owner of all the funds.

Does the ALR own the account with the beneficiary?

No. Regardless of who opens the account, the beneficiary is the sole owner of all the funds.

Can there be more than one ALR?

No. There can be only one ALR per account, but you can change an ALR by filling out a Change of Authorized Legal Representative Form.

As an ALR, can I open and/or manage more than one Hawai’i ABLE Savings Program account?

Yes. As long as you meet the ALR qualifications, you can open and manage multiple Hawai’i ABLE Savings Program accounts for beneficiaries as their ALR. Remember that each Hawai’i ABLE Savings Program account can be connected to one or more bank accounts, and each beneficiary can have only one account at a time.

As an ALR, how do I add another Hawai’i ABLE Savings Program account?

Start by logging in to your existing account. In the upper right corner of your screen, or in the navigation on your mobile device, find the icon next to your name that looks like a profile picture. Click on the arrow to enable a drop-down menu. Find the link that says, “Add account.” Click and follow the steps to create a new Hawai’i ABLE Savings Program account.

Can an ALR and beneficiary both have an ABLE Visa® Card?

If you’re the ALR for someone, you can order a card for yourself to make purchases for the beneficiary, a card for the beneficiary, or both. Each card has its own balance and spending controls, so you decide how funds will be used. The beneficiary will not have access to all of the funds in the Hawai’i ABLE Savings Program account. Beneficiaries can access only what has been loaded onto their ABLE Visa® Card.