Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
02/05/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/05/2026 17:06
WA Cares Fund pilot offers early access to long-term care benefits
WA Cares Fund pilot offers early access to long-term care benefits
OLYMPIA - Applications are now open for the WA Cares Fund pilot program. A small group of residents in Lewis, Mason, Thurston and Spokane counties can apply for early access to the long-term care benefits they have earned since they started paying into the program in 2023. Benefits will be available to eligible Washingtonians statewide starting in July.
"The WA Cares team has spent years preparing to provide a user-friendly, seamless experience for applicants and beneficiaries," said WA Cares Fund Director Ben Veghte. "The program has already made improvements based on public input, like creating a process for workers who leave Washington to access benefits out of state. The pilot is another opportunity for us to learn directly from the people we serve and address their feedback."
Earning benefits
Washington workers earn WA Cares benefits by automatically contributing 0.58% percent of each paycheck. To access benefits, applicants must meet both a contribution requirement and a care needs requirement. This means people who have worked recently and now need long-term care may be eligible. In addition to older adults, workers with disabilities and younger people who need long-term care could also qualify.
Contribution requirement
In 2026, there are two pathways to meet the contribution requirement:
- Anyone who has contributed for at least three years has earned access to the full benefit amount of $36,500.
- People born before 1968 are also eligible for pro-rated benefits, even if they've only contributed for a year or two.
Washingtonians must have worked and contributed 500 hours in a calendar year for that year to count toward their contribution requirement.
Care needs requirement
For an applicant to meet the care needs requirement, WA Cares must determine they need help with three or more activities of daily living and will continue to need help for at least 90 days. The activities WA Cares considers are:
- Bathing
- Bed mobility
- Transferring (getting in or out of a chair)
- Toileting
- Mobility (walking or moving around)
- Eating
- Managing medications
WA Cares determines whether an applicant meets this requirement using a care needs assessment. During the assessment, the applicant meets with a WA Cares team member to talk about the help they need with these activities of daily living.
Covered services
As soon as beneficiaries are approved, they can use their benefits for any covered services and supports from a registered WA Cares provider. Beneficiaries can find registered providers using an online directory and call WA Cares if they need help.
They can choose benefits to help them live independently at home, like in-home care, home modifications, adaptive equipment and home-delivered meals. Beneficiaries can use their benefits to pay a loved one (including their spouse) to care for them or they can access other services to support their family caregiver. WA Cares also covers care in a facility and many other services and supports.
Participate in the pilot
Anyone who is interested in applying for benefits during the pilot program can contact WA Cares at 844-CARE4WA or visit wacaresfund.wa.gov/pilot to get started. Language assistance is available.
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services published this content on February 05, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 05, 2026 at 23:06 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]