Illinois caregiver pay and home care benefits
Last checked: May 18, 2026
Yes, some family caregivers in Illinois can be paid. It depends on the program, the age and needs of the person who needs care, Medicaid status, veteran status, and whether the caregiver can be hired under that program’s rules.
The main Illinois paths are the Community Care Program for many adults age 60 and older, the Home Services Program for many people under 60 with severe disabilities, some Medicaid waiver routes, and some VA programs for veterans. Approval is not automatic.
Quick answer
A family member may be paid in Illinois if the person who needs care qualifies for a program that allows family hiring. For older adults, start with the Illinois Department on Aging Community Care Program. For many people under 60 with severe disabilities, start with the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitation Services Home Services Program.
Illinois does not simply pay relatives because they already help at home. The care must usually be approved in a care plan, and the caregiver must be hired by an approved provider, enrolled as an individual provider, or approved through a VA route.
Start here
- If the person is 60 or older: Call the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine and ask for a Community Care Program screening and the local Care Coordination Unit.
- If the person is under 60 and has a severe disability: Ask DHS/DRS about the Home Services Program and a Determination of Need assessment.
- If the person is a veteran: Ask the VA care team about Aid and Attendance, PCAFC, and Veteran Directed Care.
Important Illinois warning: Rules can change. Counties, managed care plans, waiver contractors, care coordinators, and agencies may use different names. Confirm the current rule with the official Illinois agency, the Medicaid health plan, or the VA before you make work or money decisions.
Main programs and where to start
| Route | Who it may help | Can a family caregiver be paid? | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Care Program (CCP) | Illinois adults age 60 or older who need help to stay at home and may be at risk of nursing facility care. | Maybe. In-home service providers in CCP may choose to hire a family member, including a spouse, if the person meets the rules. Not all providers do this. | Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine or local Care Coordination Unit. |
| Persons Who Are Elderly HCBS Waiver | Medicaid-eligible adults age 60 or older who meet nursing facility level of care and other waiver rules. | Maybe through CCP in-home service provider hiring, not as an automatic direct payment to the family. | Senior HelpLine, local CCU, or Medicaid managed care coordinator if enrolled in a plan. |
| Home Services Program (HSP) | Many Illinois residents under 60 with severe disabilities. Some brain injury or HIV/AIDS waiver cases may have age exceptions. | Maybe. The customer may hire and manage an individual provider if that is in the service plan. A legally responsible person, such as a spouse, may not be allowed. | DHS/DRS Rehabilitation Services office, online referral, DRS Hotline, or Medicaid MCO care coordinator. |
| Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) | Some people with both Medicare and Medicaid who receive waiver services or live in a nursing facility. | Maybe, but the health plan and waiver route matter. Ask the plan care coordinator. | The Medicaid managed care plan care coordinator. |
| Developmental Disabilities waiver routes | Adults or children with developmental disabilities who meet the waiver’s rules. | Sometimes there may be personal support or self-directed supports, but the rules are different from CCP and HSP. | IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities or the local Independent Service Coordination agency. |
| VA Aid and Attendance | Qualified veterans or survivors who already qualify for VA pension and need help with daily activities or are housebound. | The added payment goes to the veteran or survivor, not directly to the caregiver. It may help pay for care. | VA.gov, a VA regional office, or an accredited VA representative. |
| VA PCAFC | Eligible veterans with a 70% or higher VA disability rating who need at least 6 months of in-person personal care services. | Yes, if VA approves the veteran and caregiver. A primary family caregiver may receive a monthly stipend. | VA Caregiver Support Program or VA Form 10-10CG. |
| Veteran Directed Care | Veterans who need help at home and whose VA medical center offers this route. | Often yes. The veteran or representative may use a spending plan to hire workers, which may include a family member or neighbor. | VA social worker or VA geriatrics and extended care team. |
Main ways a family caregiver may be paid in Illinois
1. Community Care Program for many adults age 60 and older
The Illinois Department on Aging runs the Community Care Program, often called CCP. It helps older adults stay at home instead of moving to a nursing facility when home care can meet the need.
CCP can include care coordination, in-home service, adult day service, emergency home response, and an automated medication dispenser. The in-home service can include help with cleaning, meals, laundry, shopping, errands, bathing, dressing, grooming, and special diets.
This is the route many Illinois families should check first when the person who needs care is age 60 or older.
Family caregiver pay: Illinois says CCP in-home service providers may choose to hire a family member or friend as the home care aide. This can include a spouse, power of attorney, representative payee, legal guardian, friend, or neighbor. The caregiver must meet qualifications, pass a background check, complete 24 hours of pre-service training, and be supervised by the provider.
Key limit: Not every in-home service provider hires family members. Ask the Care Coordination Unit which providers in your area will consider hiring a family member.
2. Persons Who Are Elderly Medicaid waiver
The Persons Who Are Elderly waiver is part of CCP. It is a Medicaid home and community-based services waiver for adults age 60 or older who meet the waiver rules. The person must be Medicaid eligible, need a nursing facility level of care, and be safe at home with the approved care plan.
This waiver does not mean every relative can be paid. It means Medicaid may help cover approved home and community services. If the family wants a relative to be the paid aide, ask about the CCP in-home service provider family-hiring option.
Learn more about waiver basics in our guide: Medicaid HCBS waivers explained.
3. Home Services Program for many people under 60 with severe disabilities
The Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitation Services runs the Home Services Program, often called HSP. It helps people with severe disabilities stay in their homes and live as independently as possible.
HSP may include a personal assistant or individual provider, homemaker services, home health, adult day care, home-delivered meals, respite, assistive equipment, home changes, and emergency response.
HSP is often the right first call when the person who needs care is under age 60 and has a severe disability. The person usually must have a disability expected to last at least 12 months or for life, be at risk of nursing facility placement, meet a Determination of Need score, meet financial rules, and cooperate with Medicaid eligibility steps unless already on Medicaid or spend-down.
Family caregiver pay: HSP can allow the customer to hire and manage an individual provider. That provider may be a person the customer chooses, but the provider must be in the service plan, pass required checks, complete the provider packet, and be approved before payment can start.
Key limit: The HSP handbook says some people may not be able to provide services, such as a legally responsible person. It gives the example of a spouse, or a parent and guardian if the customer is under age 18. Ask the HSP counselor for the rule that applies to your family.
4. Medicaid managed care and MLTSS
Some Illinois Medicaid members get services through a managed care plan. Managed care means a health plan helps coordinate covered care.
If the person has an Illinois Medicaid health plan and already receives waiver services, call the plan and ask for the care coordinator. If the person is in Managed Long Term Services and Supports, or MLTSS, the health plan may be part of how home care is arranged.
Do not assume the health plan can pay a relative directly. Ask which waiver the person is on, who approves in-home services, and whether a family member can be a paid provider under that exact route.
5. Developmental disability waiver routes
Illinois has waiver routes for adults and children with developmental disabilities. These routes are not the same as CCP or HSP. The adult developmental disability waiver may include personal support and self-direction help for people who meet its rules.
If your family member has an intellectual or developmental disability, ask the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities or the local Independent Service Coordination agency how to apply and whether family-provided paid support is allowed in the person’s plan.
6. Paid leave from your job is different from caregiver pay
Illinois has the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. This may give some employees paid time off that can be used for many reasons, including family needs.
This is not the same as being paid by Medicaid or the VA to provide care. It is paid time off from your own job. If you are missing work to care for someone, ask your employer how your paid leave works and check the Illinois Department of Labor page.
7. Respite and caregiver support may help even when pay is not approved
Some programs do not pay the family caregiver, but they may help with respite, adult day service, training, counseling, meals, or home safety items. That can still reduce pressure on the household.
See our guides to respite care for caregivers, care costs, and caregiver checklists.
Structured Family Caregiving note: I did not find a current official Illinois statewide Medicaid Structured Family Caregiving or adult foster care model for older adults that clearly pays relatives in the way some other states do. In Illinois, check CCP, HSP, DD waiver routes, and VA routes first.
Can a spouse be paid?
Sometimes, but not under every route.
Under CCP, Illinois says an in-home service provider may choose to hire a family member, including a spouse, if the spouse meets the provider’s rules and the provider allows family hiring. This is not automatic. The spouse would need to be hired by the provider, complete training, pass the background check, and be supervised.
Under HSP, the rule is more limited. The HSP handbook warns that a legally responsible person may not be able to provide services. It gives a spouse as an example. If you are a spouse caring for a person under 60 with a severe disability, ask DHS/DRS or the MCO care coordinator for the written rule before you count on being paid.
For veterans, a spouse may be eligible as a VA family caregiver under PCAFC if the veteran and caregiver meet VA rules. Aid and Attendance is different. It adds money to a qualified veteran’s or survivor’s pension, but it is not a direct wage paid to the spouse.
Can an adult child be paid?
Often this is more possible than spouse pay, but it still depends on the program.
For an older parent in CCP, an adult child may be able to work as the home care aide if an approved in-home service provider in that area hires family members and the adult child meets all job rules.
For an adult with a severe disability in HSP, an adult child may be able to serve as an individual provider if the customer chooses them, the service plan allows it, and the adult child completes the provider steps. The adult child cannot be paid for tasks that are not approved in the service plan.
A sibling, other relative, friend, neighbor, or live-in caregiver may also be possible under some routes. The key question is not just the family relationship. The key question is whether the program, care plan, provider rules, background check, and hiring paperwork allow that person to be paid.
For a broad overview, see Can I get paid to be a caregiver?
What if the person is a veteran?
Check VA routes even if Medicaid says no. VA programs have their own rules.
VA Aid and Attendance
Aid and Attendance can add money to a VA pension for a qualified veteran or survivor who needs help with daily activities, is in a nursing home because of disability, has very limited eyesight, or is housebound.
This payment goes to the veteran or survivor. It can help pay for care, but it is not the same as a caregiver paycheck. Start with our guide: VA Aid and Attendance.
VA PCAFC
PCAFC may provide a monthly stipend to an approved primary family caregiver. The caregiver must be at least 18. The veteran generally must have a 70% or higher VA disability rating, need at least 6 months of in-person personal care services, and be enrolled in VA health care.
The veteran and caregiver apply together. VA reviews the application and care needs.
Veteran Directed Care
Veteran Directed Care may let a veteran or representative make a spending plan and hire workers. VA says those workers might include a family member or neighbor.
This route is not the same in every area. Ask the VA social worker or geriatrics and extended care team whether Veteran Directed Care is offered through that VA medical center.
How to apply step by step
Step 1: Write down the care need
Before you call, write down the help needed each day. Include bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, walking, transfers, medication reminders, meals, laundry, shopping, errands, memory problems, falls, wandering, and unsafe times alone.
Step 2: Start with the right Illinois office
If the person is 60 or older, ask the Illinois Department on Aging for CCP screening and the local Care Coordination Unit.
If the person is under 60 with a severe disability, ask DHS/DRS for the Home Services Program. Ask how to submit a referral and schedule the Determination of Need assessment.
Step 3: Check Medicaid status
Many waiver routes require Medicaid eligibility. Illinois uses ABE, the Application for Benefits Eligibility site, for health care benefits. If the person is over income, ask about spend-down instead of giving up.
Helpful guides: Medicaid spend-down and Medicaid look-back period.
Step 4: Ask about family hiring early
Do not wait until after approval to ask. Say, “We want to know if a family member can be the paid caregiver under this program.” Ask what provider, training, background check, tax, timekeeping, and service-plan steps are required.
Step 5: If there is a Medicaid health plan, call the care coordinator
Ask the plan if the person is in MLTSS or another waiver route. Ask who approves in-home services. Ask whether the family caregiver can be hired as a provider.
Step 6: If the person is a veteran, call the VA
Ask about Aid and Attendance, PCAFC, and Veteran Directed Care. These are separate from Illinois Medicaid.
Step 7: Keep notes and copies
Write down the date, phone number, name of the person you spoke with, and what they said. Keep copies of applications, notices, forms, doctor letters, and appeal papers.
What to ask on the phone
Use direct words. You do not need to know every program name.
Phone script for an older adult age 60 or older
“I care for my [mother/father/spouse/relative]. They live in Illinois and need help at home with [bathing, dressing, meals, walking, memory, safety]. I want to request a Community Care Program screening and speak with the local Care Coordination Unit. Can you tell me if any in-home service provider in our area can hire a family member as the home care aide?”
Phone script for a person under 60 with a severe disability
“I am calling about the Home Services Program through DHS/DRS. The person I help is under 60, has a severe disability, and needs help at home. How do we submit a referral and schedule a Determination of Need assessment? If approved, can the customer hire a family member as an individual provider? What provider packet is needed?”
Phone script for a Medicaid health plan
“I am calling for the care coordinator. Does this member have long-term services and supports or a Medicaid waiver? Who approves in-home services? Can a family member be hired as the provider? If not, what other home care or respite options are in the care plan?”
Phone script for the VA
“I care for a veteran who needs help with daily activities at home. Can we be screened for Aid and Attendance, PCAFC, and Veteran Directed Care? Is Veteran Directed Care offered through this VA medical center?”
For more scripts, see caregiver phone scripts.
Documents to gather
You may not need every item. Start a folder now so you do not have to search later.
- Photo ID for the person who needs care.
- Social Security number and proof of Illinois address.
- Medicaid card, Medicare card, private insurance card, or ABE application information.
- Proof of income, bank accounts, and other assets if Medicaid or waiver eligibility is being checked.
- Doctor names, diagnoses, medicine list, hospital discharge papers, and therapy notes.
- A short list of daily care tasks and how often help is needed.
- Fall history, wandering history, memory concerns, or safety issues.
- Power of attorney, guardianship papers, representative payee papers, or approved representative forms if someone else will speak for the person.
- VA discharge papers, VA rating letters, VA pension letters, and VA health care information if the person is a veteran.
- Denial letters, reduction notices, missed-call letters, and appeal forms.
If you plan to become the paid caregiver, also ask about your own ID, Social Security number, work eligibility documents, background check, provider enrollment, tax forms, timesheets, and electronic visit rules.
Common reasons for delay or denial
- The family called the wrong office for the person’s age or disability route.
- The person did not meet the care-need score or level of care at the time of assessment.
- Medicaid eligibility, spend-down, income, or asset information was not complete.
- The family asked for caregiver pay before the in-home care was approved in a service plan.
- The local CCP provider does not hire family members.
- The proposed caregiver did not finish training, background check, or provider paperwork.
- The caregiver wanted pay for tasks that are not in the approved care plan.
- A spouse or parent of a minor child was treated as a legally responsible person under the route being used.
- The Medicaid health plan, state office, and provider gave different answers. Ask for the rule in writing.
- For VA PCAFC, the veteran did not meet the VA disability rating, VA health care, personal care, or application rules.
If you are told no
A no by phone is not always the final answer. Ask what was denied and why.
For HSP, ask for the HSP appeal fact sheet and the Request for Hearing form. For CCP, ask the Care Coordination Unit or Department on Aging about appeal rights. For Medicaid managed care, ask the plan how to file a grievance or appeal. For VA benefits, ask the VA or an accredited representative about review and appeal options.
You may also want to review caregiver tax deductions if you are paying costs out of pocket.
FAQ
Does Illinois pay all family caregivers?
No. Illinois may allow payment through certain programs, but the person must qualify and the caregiver must meet the program’s hiring rules.
What is the first call if my parent is 60 or older?
Start with the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine and ask for a Community Care Program screening and the local Care Coordination Unit.
What is the first call if my family member is under 60?
If the person has a severe disability and needs help at home, ask DHS/DRS about the Home Services Program.
Can my parent choose me as the caregiver?
Maybe. In CCP, an approved in-home service provider must be willing to hire you. In HSP, the customer may be able to choose an individual provider if the service plan and provider rules allow it.
Can I be paid for care I already gave?
Usually no. Most programs do not pay for past unpaid family care. Payment usually starts only after approval, hiring, provider paperwork, and service-plan steps are complete.
Does Medicare pay me to care for my family member?
Usually no. Medicare may cover limited home health services when ordered by a doctor and when Medicare rules are met. It does not usually pay a family member to be the caregiver.
What if my family member has too much income for Medicaid?
Ask about Medicaid spend-down and other rules before you give up. Illinois Medicaid rules can be hard to read, and the right answer may depend on income, assets, medical costs, and the type of long-term care.
Is there a quiz I can use?
Yes. Start with our caregiver pay quiz to sort the likely paths before you call.
Resumen en espanol
En Illinois, algunos familiares pueden recibir pago por cuidar a una persona en casa, pero no es automatico. Si la persona tiene 60 anos o mas, empiece con el Programa de Cuidado Comunitario del Illinois Department on Aging. Si la persona tiene menos de 60 anos y una discapacidad grave, pregunte por el Home Services Program de DHS/DRS. Si la persona es veterano, pregunte al VA por Aid and Attendance, PCAFC y Veteran Directed Care.
About this guide
This guide is written for family caregivers who need a clear first step. It focuses on Illinois benefit routes that may help pay for care or cover home services. It is not a list of every health service in Illinois.
Official sources used
- Illinois Department on Aging: Community Care Program
- Illinois Department on Aging: In-Home Service and family caregiver hiring
- Illinois HFS: Persons Who Are Elderly waiver
- Illinois HFS: Home and Community Based Services Waiver Programs
- Illinois DHS/DRS: Home Services Program
- Illinois DHS/DRS: Home Services eligibility and referral information
- Illinois DHS/DRS: HSP Customer Handbook
- Illinois DHS/DRS: HSP forms and appeal fact sheet listing
- Illinois HFS: Managed Care Programs
- Illinois HFS: Adults with Developmental Disabilities waiver
- Illinois ABE: Apply for benefits
- Illinois HFS: Applying for Medicaid
- Illinois Department of Labor: Paid Leave for All Workers Act
- VA: Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance
- VA: Family Caregiver Assistance Program (PCAFC)
- VA: Veteran Directed Care
Disclaimer
This is general information, not legal, tax, medical, or financial advice. Rules can change. For legal or tax questions, talk with a qualified professional in your state. For benefit decisions, confirm details with the official agency, Medicaid plan, VA office, or written notice.
