A family member in Utah who helps a working relative with a disability with the daily tasks that keep them employed can be paid for that help through a Medicaid program. Utah's Employment-related Personal Assistant Services (EPAS) lets a working Medicaid member hire their own personal assistant, and that EPAS assistant can be a parent of an adult participant, another relative, a friend or a co-worker. Your relative must already have Medicaid in Utah; once they do, the next step is the EPAS application on the state's EPAS page.

Who Can Be Paid as a Utah EPAS Personal Assistant

Utah EPAS is self-directed: the participant, not an agency, selects and hires the personal assistant. EPAS can pay a parent once their son or daughter is 18 or older and chooses Mom or Dad for the role. EPAS can't pay a spouse.

Family member Can Utah EPAS pay them?
Parent of a participant 18 or older Yes, unless they are the legal guardian
Adult child or other family member Yes
Friend, neighbor or co-worker Yes
Spouse No
Parent of a participant under 18 No
Legal guardian No
Relative who lives with the participant Not stated; ask the program

Utah EPAS's own page says a personal assistant "May NOT be a legal guardian (i.e. Parent to a minor child or Spouse)," and Utah's Medicaid State Plan says these services aren't covered "when provided by a legally responsible family member or guardian." For a parent who holds court-appointed guardianship of an adult son or daughter, that guardian bar is the line to raise with the Program Coordinator before you plan around the pay. A spouse can read our Utah spouse caregiver pay guide for the Utah programs that can pay a spouse in limited cases.

Every EPAS personal assistant, relative or not, must be at least 16, have a valid driver's license and carry automobile liability insurance.

What a Utah EPAS Personal Assistant Is Paid to Do

Utah EPAS pays only for help tied to keeping a job. The state's EPAS page says personal assistants "may only provide help with ADLs and IADLs in support of assisting the EPAS participant to maintain employment." ADLs and IADLs are activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. Utah's Medicaid State Plan also lists transportation to and from the worksite among covered EPAS services. Utah's examples of EPAS help include dressing, bathing, eating, meal preparation, medication reminders, laundry, managing finances and transportation for work.

EPAS won't pay for job coaching, job training or a reasonable accommodation an employer must provide under the Americans with Disabilities Act. EPAS also can't serve other people in the household, and it excludes medical transportation and tasks not authorized on the participant's care plan. If you help with those excluded tasks, EPAS doesn't pay for that time. Ask the Program Coordinator how many hours your relative's care plan can authorize.

When your relative employs you directly, EPAS pay runs through a fiscal intermediary. Utah's State Plan requires assistants the participant employs directly to use a Department-approved fiscal intermediary, which coordinates the Medicaid claims and payment and the employer taxes. Our guide to whether Medicaid caregiver pay is W-2 or 1099 explains what that means for your paycheck.

Who Qualifies for Utah EPAS

The person you'd care for, not you, has to qualify for Utah EPAS. The state's EPAS page says the program may be available to a person who:

  • has a disability determined by the Social Security Administration or the State Medical Review Board;
  • is currently receiving Medicaid in Utah, which may mean paying a spenddown or a Medicaid Work Incentive premium;
  • works in an integrated community setting earning at least minimum wage;
  • works at least 40 hours a month or is self-employed; and
  • needs personal assistance to keep that job.

Two groups can't use EPAS. People in a Utah 1915(c) home and community-based waiver can't receive EPAS when personal care is part of their covered waiver services, and the State Plan excludes people living in a hospital, nursing facility or intermediate care facility for people with intellectual disabilities (ICF/MR) who are employed by that facility.

How to Apply for Utah EPAS

1
Step 1

Make sure your relative has Medicaid in Utah

Utah's EPAS fact sheet says to apply for Medicaid through the Utah Department of Workforce Services; our guide to applying for Medicaid in Utah walks through it.

2
Step 2

Complete the Utah EPAS application

linked from the state's EPAS page.

3
Step 3

Call the EPAS Program Coordinator at (801) 538-6955

or email epas@utah.gov with questions.

4
Step 4

Name the person you want to hire

Under EPAS, your relative selects and hires their own personal assistant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Utah have CDPAP?

CDPAP is New York's Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, which can pay an adult relative but not a spouse. In Utah, EPAS works in a similar self-directed way for people with disabilities who work, with the participant hiring their own assistant.

My parent is older and doesn't work. Is there a Utah option?

Utah EPAS requires work of at least 40 hours a month or self-employment, so it fits only a parent who still works. Utah's Aging Waiver, for people 65 and older, can pay adult children and other relatives, though not a legal guardian, as personal attendants, according to the waiver documents Utah posts. Those documents allow a spouse to be paid only if the state approves it as extraordinary care. Those documents may not be the waiver's current approved edition, and the current waiver may add requirements, so confirm the rules with your parent's Area Agency on Aging case manager. Our Utah family caregiver pay guide compares the Utah routes.

Is Utah EPAS pay taxable?

Ask a tax preparer before treating Utah EPAS pay as tax-free. IRS Notice 2014-7 covers payments under a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, while Utah covers EPAS in its Medicaid State Plan.,

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in UtahHow to get paid to care for a family member in Utah in 2026: EPAS self-directed personal care, Utah Medicaid waivers, the spouse rule, and VA options. CaregiverGet Paid to Care for Your Spouse in UtahCan you get paid to care for your spouse in Utah? EPAS says no, but Utah waivers can pay a spouse for approved extraordinary care, and the VA can pay spouses. CaregiverUtah DSPD Caregiver Compensation: Who Can Be PaidDSPD caregiver compensation pays parents, step-parents, guardians and spouses for extraordinary care. Which waivers, how hours are set, and how to apply. CaregiverUtah Caregiver ProgramsUtah's Aging and New Choices waivers can pay an adult child or other relative as a caregiver, and EPAS lets a working adult hire family. Compare NFCSP and VA. MedicaidHow to Apply for Medicaid in UtahHow to apply for Utah Medicaid through myCase or a DWS office: the documents to gather, the 45-day decision cap, the spenddown path, and appealing a denial. MedicaidMedicaid HCBS Waivers in UtahUtah Medicaid HCBS waivers pay for home and community care for seniors through the Aging Waiver and New Choices Waiver. See who qualifies and how to apply.

Find personalized help getting paid as a Utah EPAS personal assistant 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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