FAQ Library

WA Cares is a trust fund administered by Washington State for the benefit of qualified individuals who need long-term services and supports.

Employees who perform work in Washington are generally required to contribute 0.58% of their wages to the program anytime they work, regardless of FT/PT status or whether they work the minimum hours to vest for WA Cares benefits that year (500hrs/yr). These workers don't participate in WA Cares: • Federal employees • Self-employed, unless they opt-in • Employees of tribal businesses, unless the tribe has opted-in • Employees on a non-immigrant work visa, unless they opt-in Members of these groups may choose to opt-out permanently: • Those who live outside WA • Active-duty service members with off-duty civilian jobs • Spouses/registered domestic partners of active-duty service members • Veterans with a 70 percent-or-higher service-connected disability rating

Eligible workers can access benefits once they’ve met any of various contribution requirements (also known as vesting), and have undergone an assessment to determine their need for assistance with at least 3 activities of daily living.

There is no daily or monthly cap, and registered providers must accept WA Cares as payment in full. In 2026, the first year that benefits under the program are payable, the initital statutory benefit is $36,500. Every Jan 1st, this benefit will grow by a percentage change in the CPI for Seattle, WA area (urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items, tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) for the twelve months preceding Sep 1st.

In the examples cited by WA Cares, these services did not exceed $36,500: • Part-time home health aide 20hrs/week over 6 months • Paying a family member 10hrs/week over 2 years • Home safety renovations plus Meals-on-Wheels for 3 years However, most beneficiaries-- two-thirds, according to WA Cares-- will incur costs beyond their fund balance.

WA Cares Triggers ​ You must be assessed as needing help with at least 3 of the following Activities of Daily Living for a period expected to last at least 90 days.   Help could include supervision, monitoring or cueing: ​ • Bathing • Bed mobility • Eating • Medication management • Mobility • Transferring • Toileting Qualified LTC Triggers   In 1997, Congress standardized these benefit triggers. Generally, you must be certified at least annually by a licensed healthcare practitioner as: ​ • Unable to perform at least 2 ADLs for at least 90 days, or • Requiring substantial assistance due to Cognitive Impairment ​ The ADLs are: • Eating • Toileting • Transferring • Bathing • Dressing • Continence