General Council, HCW & PSW Dependent Care Stipend Eligibility Guidelines

SEIU 503 Dependent Care Stipend Eligibility Guidance for Homecare and Personal Support Worker Union Members

Purpose 

This guidance is intended to help Homecare Workers (HCWs) and Personal Support Workers (PSWs) understand when they may be eligible for Dependent Care benefits while participating in authorized Union business, including General Council.

Because HCWs and PSWs are professional caregivers, this document uses the term “alternate support provider” to refer to the individual who provides care to a dependent while the member is participating in Union business. 

 

Members Bringing a Dependent to General Council 

Members who bring an eligible dependent to General Council may qualify for the Dependent Care Program when: 

• The dependent meets the AP&P eligibility definition;
• The dependent is accompanied by an alternate support provider who is age 18 or older;
• The alternate support provider is someone other than the Delegate/member attending General Council; and
• The member is not seeking a Dependent Care benefit for care they are personally providing while simultaneously receiving compensation from Medicaid or another source for providing that same care.* 

*PLEASE NOTE: Members are responsible for ensuring that any Medicaid-funded services billed during a Union event comply with all applicable Medicaid program requirements. Questions about whether services may be billed while attending a Union event should be directed to the consumer’s case manager, service coordinator, or other appropriate program representative before the event.

 

Dependent Eligibility 

Under SEIU 503’s AP&P, a dependent is: 

• A person who lives with the member and is under age 13; and/or
• A person of any age whose care is the responsibility of the member. 

The Union’s Dependent Care Program helps cover the cost of arranging care for a dependent while a member participates in authorized Union business.  Members cannot receive a Dependent Care stipend for any time they are already being paid by Medicaid or another funding source to provide care to the same dependent themselves.  

Special Considerations for HCW and PSW Members 

The Dependent Care Program is designed to help cover the costs of alternate support providers when the member is participating in Union business. It is not intended to provide an additional payment to a member for care they are personally providing while simultaneously being compensated by another funding source for that same care.  Some HCW and PSW members may attend Union events with a consumer who also qualifies as their dependent under the Union’s AP&Ps. 

You Are NOT ELIGIBLE for a Dependent Care Stipend if both statements below are true: 

☐ You are attending a Union event with your dependent; and 

☐ You are already being paid by Medicaid, the State, or another funding source to care for that dependent during the event.* 

When an Alternate Support Provider Is Arranged 

A member may be eligible for a Dependent Care stipend or reimbursement when: 

• The member is participating in authorized Union business;
• The dependent meets the AP&P definition of a dependent;
• The member arranges for, and compensates, an alternate support provider to care for the dependent during the event; and
• All AP&P requirements are satisfied. 

To qualify, the alternate support provider must be someone other than the member attending the event. 

The stipend or reimbursement is intended to help offset costs incurred by the member to secure alternate care arrangements. If the care is already being fully reimbursed by another source (such as Medicaid), reimbursement is not available under the AP&P. 

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Examples 

Eligible 

• A member attends General Council and pays an adult family friend to care for their 10-year-old child at home.
• A member responsible for an adult dependent arranges to pay an alternate support provider to care for that dependent while the member participates in General Council.
• A member brings a dependent to General Council and the dependent is supervised by a paid and approved alternate support provider who accompanies them to the event. 

Not Eligible 

• A member receives Medicaid-funded compensation to provide care to a dependent during General Council and seeks a Dependent Care stipend for providing that same care.
• A member seeks reimbursement for care that is already being reimbursed by another source (such as Medicaid).
• A member seeks reimbursement for care provided by the dependent’s parent when prohibited by the AP&P. 

Questions

Because Medicaid-funded service arrangements can vary, members with questions about eligibility, billing requirements, or dependent care arrangements are strongly encouraged to contact their consumer employer’s case manager or service coordinator before the event. Members may also contact the Union with questions regarding Dependent Care Program eligibility.