In Connecticut, the Personal Care Assistance Waiver covers home care for adults with a physical disability and can sometimes pay a live-in adult child or other relative to give that care. The Connecticut PCA Waiver, a Medicaid program for ages 18 to 64, can't pay a "legally liable relative" and has a waiting list, so apply early through a Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) regional office.

In This Guide

Who Qualifies for the Connecticut PCA Waiver

Helping your relative bathe, dress or eat every day? Start here. Connecticut's PCA Waiver is a Medicaid 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver run by DSS; the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists it as waiver 0301.R06.00, for adults with physical disabilities who meet a nursing facility level of care. Beyond agency-based personal care assistants, it covers adult day health, care management, Adult Family Living and home-delivered meals, among other services. A DSS social worker's care plan sets services, so ask them about hours.

DSS says the PCA Waiver serves adults with chronic, severe and permanent disabilities who would otherwise need institutional care. An adult must:

  • be 18 to 64 when applying
  • need significant hands-on help with at least two activities of daily living (eating, bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting)
  • lack family and community supports to meet that need
  • meet the technical, procedural and financial rules of Medicaid, or of the Medicaid for Employed Disabled program
  • be able to direct their own care and supervise household employees, or have a Conservator to do it

That last test comes from an undated DSS page. If you already give the care unpaid, you may worry your help counts against your relative; ask the DSS social worker how the test applies. Eligible adults also get all Medicaid-covered services.

As of 2026, Connecticut Medicaid caps an individual applicant's countable assets at $1,600 and puts income over its limit into a spend-down rather than a denial (Medicaid for Employed Disabled has separate limits). PCA Waiver participants keep a personal needs allowance of 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Which Family Members the PCA Waiver Can Pay

Already doing this care unpaid? Here's whether it can be paid. The clearest path is Adult Family Living (AFL). The draft PCA Waiver renewal application DSS posted in April 2024 defines AFL as personal care and support (homemaker, chore, attendant services, meal preparation) given by a principal caregiver who lives in the home. That caregiver could be you. AFL allows no more than 4 participants in one home. It states, "The direct provider may be a relative of the client as long as they are not a legally liable relative." The waiver's AFL agency supervises the caregiver and provides orientation and continuing education.

Route Adult child, parent or sibling Spouse Must the caregiver live there?
Adult Family Living Only if not a "legally liable relative" Ask DSS Yes
Agency-based personal care assistant Ask DSS Ask DSS Not stated
Self-directed PCA through Community First Choice Certain relatives, per state legislative researchers; confirm with DSS No, per state legislative researchers Not stated

Agency-based PCA is a waiver service: an agency provides the assistant and your relative, as co-employer, directs the work. Self-directed PCA, where your relative hires the assistant, runs through Community First Choice (CFC), the waiver application's state plan 1915(k) option. The legislature's Office of Legislative Research says CFC participants "may hire certain relatives and friends," but spouses and legal guardians are excluded from receiving compensation; our CFC guide covers the rest.

Within the waiver, the application's relatives and legal guardians section is blank, it doesn't define "legally liable relative," and its default rule bars paying a legally responsible individual, typically including a spouse, for personal care except at the State's option in extraordinary circumstances; Connecticut's choice isn't shown. One Connecticut public-assistance law defines "liable relative," for its own purposes, as a husband or wife. For a spouse, that's hard news: ask DSS. If your spouse is a veteran who qualifies for VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (a 70% or higher disability rating is one test), it can pay you a monthly stipend.

What a Family Caregiver Is Paid

The honest answer is frustrating. The draft waiver sets four AFL levels, from daily supervision to hands-on help; MyPlaceCT says the stipend follows the level but gives no amount. Before you cut work hours, ask DSS or the AFL agency in writing which level your relative has, what it pays and how it's paid.

Typical pay is about $18.75 an hour, the May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics median for Connecticut home care aides, not a PCA Waiver rate.

The Waiting List, and What Happens Near 65

Waiting is hard when care is needed now. The draft waiver renewal caps participation, and an otherwise eligible adult turned down only because slots are full goes on the waiting list by application date, so apply early. We found no published wait time; ask the regional office where your relative stands. Meanwhile, ask the social worker whether CFC, a separate Medicaid state plan service, could help sooner.,

Participants who reach 64 and 6 months get at least 60 days' notice of the required program change, to choose between the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) and state plan services. DSS runs CHCPE for people 65 and older.

How to Apply for the Connecticut PCA Waiver

1
Step 1

Check Medicaid

Apply for Connecticut Medicaid through ConneCT, a local DSS office or 1-855-626-6632.

2
Step 2

Contact a DSS regional office

for a PCA Waiver Request Form and return it, as DSS's PCA Waiver page directs.

3
Step 3

Work with the DSS social worker

on the care plan, and ask about family pay and Adult Family Living.

4
Step 4

To self-direct

, apply for Community First Choice by dialing 2-1-1 (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, weekdays).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PCA Waiver pay tax-free for a family caregiver?

It can be. IRS Notice 2014-7 lets a care provider exclude qualified 1915(c) waiver payments (DSS identifies the PCA Waiver as one) for care in the provider's own home where the care recipient lives. Community First Choice is not a 1915(c) waiver, so its pay is less certain.

What if DSS says no?

A no isn't always final: you can ask for a fair hearing. For Connecticut Medicaid, an appeal of a denial, reduction or termination generally must be requested within 60 days of the DSS Notice of Action, using the Hearing Request Form attached to it.

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in ConnecticutConnecticut's Adult Family Living pays a live-in caregiver, often a relative, a stipend. What DSS publishes on who can be hired, the costs, and VA routes. CaregiverHow to Get Paid to Care for Your Spouse in ConnecticutConnecticut Medicaid rarely pays a spouse as a caregiver, but the VA does. How PCAFC pays a husband or wife, and where VDC and Aid and Attendance fit. CaregiverConnecticut Caregiver ProgramsConnecticut caregiver programs for 2026: Adult Family Living stipends, Community First Choice, respite, NFCSP grants, VA benefits, how to apply, and taxes.

Find personalized help with the Connecticut PCA Waiver and family caregiver pay at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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