Mission

The CCD Financial Security and Poverty Task Force works to promote public policy aimed at increasing the financial security of all individuals with disabilities and their families. Because of the disproportionate number of people with disabilities living in poverty, our task force also advocates for public policy that impacts people living in poverty, including the disproportionate number of people of color with disabilities living in poverty.

Co-chairs

• David Goldfarb
  The Arc of the United States
  Goldfarb@TheArc.org

• Cyrus Huncharek
  NDSC
  cyrus@ndsccenter.org
  800-232-6372 phone

• Aaron Kaufman
  The Jewish Federations of North America
  Aaron.Kaufman@jewishfederations.org

• Michael Morris
  National Disability Institute
  (202) 296-2046 (office)
  MMorris@ndi-inc.org

CCD Ad Hoc Poverty Task Force Archives

ACTIVITIES

Financial Security and Poverty Task Force ABLE Age Adjustment Act (S.331/H.R.1219) Cost and Benefits In 2014, Congress passed the bipartisan Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. This legislation allows people with disabilities up to age 26 to open tax-advantaged savings accounts for qualified disability expenses, similar to a college savings account. ABLE accounts provide greater financial independence to people with disabilities because they can save money without having to jeopardize their life-saving public benefits. (August 17,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force CCD Financial Security and Poverty Student Loan Extension Letter September The Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Financial Security and Poverty Task Force write to urge you to extend the federal student loan payment pause and not require borrowers to resume payments in September. CCD’s mission is to engage in concerted advocacy for national public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration, and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society free from racism, ableism, sexism, and xenophobia, as well as LGBTQ+ based discrimination and religious intolerance; (August 11,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities Comments on ED Student Loan NPRM The undersigned members of the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Financial Security and Poverty and Social Security Task Forces write in response to the notice of proposed rulemaking mentioned above. Our Task Forces have written to you before about the Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) discharge program discussed in the proposed rule and our Task Forces were represented on the negotiated rulemaking sessions. (August 11,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force Statement for the Record Senate Finance Hearing EARN Act The Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Financial Security and Poverty Task Force applauds your leadership in convening the markup of The Enhancing American Retirement Now (EARN) Act. CCD works to engage in concerted advocacy for national public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society free from racism, ableism, sexism, and xenophobia, as well as LGBTQ+ based discrimination and religious intolerance; (July 11,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force Statement for the Record House Financial Services Hearing CCD works to engage in concerted advocacy for national public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society free from racism, ableism, sexism, and xenophobia, as well as LGBTQ+ based discrimination and religious intolerance; that enhances the civil rights and quality of life of all people with disabilities and their families; and that reflects the values of the Americans with Disabilities Act and all civil rights law. (June 23,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force CCD Financial Security and Poverty and SSA Taskforce Secure 2.0 Letter The Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Financial Security and Poverty Task Force and Social Security Taskforce urge you to include the ABLE Age Adjustment Act (S. 331/H.R. 1219) and the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act (S. 4102) in the final SECURE 2.0 legislation. (May 23,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force Student Loan Payment Pause Letter The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Financial Security and Poverty Task Force write to urge you to extend the federal student loan payment pause and not require borrowers to resume payments in May. CCD’s mission is to engage in concerted advocacy for national public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society free from racism, ableism, sexism, and xenophobia, as well as LGBTQ+ based discrimination and religious intolerance; that enhances the civil rights and quality of life of all people with disabilities and their families; and that reflects the values of the Americans with Disabilities Act and all civil rights law. (March 14,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force CCD Letter ABLE Public Education Campaign Letter On behalf of members of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Financial Security and Poverty Task Force, we urge you to work together to design and implement a public education campaign to increase awareness, understanding and enrollment in the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act program. There are over eight million eligible children and adults with disabilities nationwide who could benefit from opening and growing individual ABLE accounts with their preferred choice of state ABLE programs. (March 14,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force CCD EITC CTC Letter The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Financial Security and Poverty Task Force writes to urge Congress to take action and permanently adopt the changes to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) that were made in the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Changes such as increasing the EITC for workers without dependent children in the household, making younger workers eligible, and increasing the CTC and making it fully refundable and available on a monthly basis are essential changes for people with disabilities and must be made permanent. (February 4,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force The ABLE Age Adjustment Act (S.331/H.R.1219) What is ABLE? Passed with bipartisan support by Congress in 2014, the Stephen Beck, Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) Act allows eligible people with disabilities to establish “ABLE accounts'' where they can save for qualified disability expenses without jeopardizing their public benefits. Like college savings (“529”) accounts, earnings on an ABLE account and distributions from the account for qualified disability expenses do not count as taxable income of the contributor or the eligible beneficiary. (February 1,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force CCD SBA Provisions Letter Build Back Better The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Financial Security and Poverty Task Force writes to urge Congress to maintain the small business provisions in Build Back Better, which will benefit individuals with disabilities. CCD’s mission is to engage in concerted advocacy for national public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society free from racism, ableism, sexism, and xenophobia, as well as LGBTQ+ based discrimination and religious intolerance; that (January 26,  2022) - Download [ PDF ] Financial Security and Poverty Task Force Financial Security and Poverty Task Force 2021 Annual Report (January 10,  2022) - Download [ PDF ]