The National Down Syndrome Society and Voya Cares® Release Financial Wellness Guide to Address the Unique Planning Needs of the Disability Community

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), announced today that the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and Voya Cares^® have published Financial Wellness: A guide for individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. The financial wellness guide provides comprehensive information and solutions to address the unique, and oftentimes fluctuating, financial needs of the underserved disability and special needs community. This guide includes information, resources and recommendations to help individuals with disabilities and their families make more informed financial decisions, so they can better prepare for financial independence and a secure financial future.

This resource aims to provide people with disabilities and special needs, their families, caregivers and professionals with important financial information on personal assets, and both employee and government benefits and how they interact with each other.

“There is a gap in holistic financial planning resources available for the disabilities community. This new resource can help people with disabilities and their families make informed decisions,” noted NDSS President and CEO Kandi Pickard. “NDSS is grateful to work with Voya Cares to develop this critical resource, and we are especially pleased that it is designed to guide individuals with disabilities, as well as their families.”

The disability community has unique long-term planning needs that are not addressed by traditional financial wellness guidance. A misstep in the planning process could result in ineligibility for valuable government benefits that could jeopardize financial independence and a secure financial future.

“This financial wellness guide addresses the important role that government benefits play in the long-term planning process for people with disabilities and special needs — information that is missing in traditional financial wellness guidance,” said Jessica Tuman, Vice President of the Voya Cares Center of Excellence at Voya Financial. “Beneficiary planning that is not properly executed may jeopardize the eligibility of individuals with disabilities to collect valuable government benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid.”

The Financial Wellness guide is now available to read and download.

About Voya Financial^®

Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), helps Americans plan, invest and protect their savings — to get ready to retire better. Serving the financial needs of approximately 13.8 million individual and institutional customers in the United States, Voya is a Fortune 500 company that had $7.5 billion in revenue in 2019. The company had $657 billion in total assets under management and administration as of Sept. 30, 2020. With a clear mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time — Voya’s vision is to be America’s Retirement Company^®. Certified as a “Great Place to Work” by the Great Place to Work^® Institute, Voya is equally committed to conducting business in a way that is socially, environmentally, economically and ethically responsible. Voya has been recognized as a 2020 World’s Most Admired Company by Fortune magazine; one of the 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies^® by the Ethisphere Institute; as a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index; and as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” on the Disability Equality Index by Disability:IN. For more information, visit voya.com. Follow Voya Financial on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @Voya.

About Voya Cares^®

An extension of Voya's vision and mission to help all Americans have the quality of life they seek in retirement, the Voya Cares program is committed to being a leader in making a positive difference in the lives of individuals with special needs and disabilities — as well as their families, caregivers and other providers — by offering a depth of resources focused on education, planning and solutions. Go to voyacares.com to learn more.

About NDSS

The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome. NDSS envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations and become valued members of welcoming communities. Founded in 1979, NDSS supports and advocates for the Down syndrome community by focusing on three key areas of programming: Resources & Support, Policy & Advocacy and Community Engagement. Within these focus areas NDSS engages in various activities, events and programs such as the National Advocacy & Policy Center, which seeks to create systemic change through engaged advocacy; the National Buddy Walk^® Program, which honors and celebrates individuals with Down syndrome in local communities across the world, and other initiatives that provide support, informational resources and community engagement opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome and those who support them. Visit www.ndss.org for more information about NDSS.

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