Vaccine lottery winnings can be transferred to MO ABLE accounts

Missourians who have received COVID-19 vaccines can enter to win the Missouri Lottery Vaccine Incentive Program – 900 winners will receive $ 10,000 in cash, in an education savings account or Missouri ABLE account, by October.

Missouri CAPABLE provides people with disabilities with an account to save and invest money without losing their eligibility for public benefits, such as Medicaid or Social Security.

State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick said this was important because people were told they couldn’t have assets over $ 2,000 and keep benefits based on need.

“And so, it’s given to people who live with a disability but want to have a job and have assets,” Fitzpatrick said, “and not be forced to waste their money to stay under that asset limit.”

Fitzpatrick added that people are eligible for Missouri ABLE if they developed a disability before the age of 26 and have lived with their disability for a year or expect it to last longer than a year. The first lottery draw was held last week, but there are still four left.

Sara Hart Weir, special advisor for COVID-19 disability services with the Missouri Department of Health, said she was proud they were able to work with the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council to make the incentive program to vaccines as inclusive as possible for people with disabilities.

She stressed that not all states do this.

“We really wanted to make sure that Missourians with disabilities were included and had equal access to be chosen as a potential winner,” Weir said. “And so the Missouri ABLE program has provided a great platform to be able to achieve that equity.”

Since the announcement of the vaccine lottery on July 21, over 350,000 doses have been administered in Show-Me State.

To register for the second draw, vaccinated residents can go online at ‘covidvaccine.mo.gov/win‘by Friday August 25. This is also the day they will announce the first 180 winners.