Caregiver Compensation: Can you get paid as a caregiver for a family member?  

You may have wondered if you can receive payments from the government to provide care for a family member who isn’t able to safely live alone. Many caregiver compensation options are managed at the state level, but you’ll want to check both federal programs and state-specific resources to see if there are options.

Here are the specific resources to research your caregiver compensation options:

  • National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)– The NFCSP provides grants to states and territories, based on their share of the population age 70 and over, to fund a range of supports that assist family and informal caregivers to care for their loved ones at home for as long as possible. 
  • Your State’s Medicaid Office – If someone with a disability already receives Medicaid, their state may allow a family member or friend to become a paid caregiver.
  • Your State’s Department of Labor – Some states require employers to offer family leave programs and some programs pay you to care for a family member.
  • Veteran’s Caregiver Support Programs – Various options are available for veteran’s on fixed incomes, receiving a pension and those in need of respite care.
  • Local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) – If your state does not offer a paid family leave program, an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) may be able to help with: day care programs, meal delivery or other assistance.
  • Long Term Care Insurance – If your parent applied for long term care (LTC) there may be provisions for caregiver compensation.

There’s no way around it, getting consistent payment as a caregiver is usually difficult and unlikely to replace the income a person would make outside of caregiving. However, in addition to state and federal resources there are often local community centers, religious organizations and smaller no-profits that can help take some of the financial load off of caregiving.

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