CDPAP caregiver pay now runs through Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) as the single statewide payroll processor. CDPAP, the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, lets a Medicaid member direct home care while PPL pays the chosen assistant as a W-2 employee. According to the New York State Department of Health in its April 1, 2025 press release, New York replaced roughly 600 regional fiscal intermediaries with PPL effective April 1, 2025. For dementia households, the daily routine stays consumer-directed, but hiring paperwork, wages, withholding, and workers' compensation go through PPL.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Table of Contents
- Who directs care and who writes the check?
- What is the 2026 base pay?
- What benefits come with the hourly wage?
- How can families keep dementia-care pay accurate?
Who directs care and who writes the check?
The consumer or a designated representative still assigns daily tasks, sets the schedule, and supervises the work. That control matters for dementia care, where familiar cues, meal timing, and safety checks need consistency.
PPL handles the payroll side. The State Department of Health describes PPL as processing wages, tax withholding, and workers' compensation, while the consumer directs daily care. Families do not set the payroll rules or issue tax forms themselves.
What is the 2026 base pay?
PPL lists 2026 minimum base wages that vary by county. According to PPL in its New York CDPAP frequently asked questions, the rates effective Jan. 1, 2026, after a $0.55 per hour increase, are $20.65 per hour in New York City boroughs, $20.05 in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, and $18.65 elsewhere.
That county gap matters when planning coverage. A family member assisting in Queens starts from a higher minimum base than one assisting upstate, before any downstate parity supplements. Actual pay still depends on approved hours and correct time entry.
What benefits come with the hourly wage?
The State Department of Health says PPL's standard package includes paid time off, holiday pay, overtime, health-plan participation, a 401(k), paid professional-development training, and paid family leave. These are employment-linked supports, not extra cash in every check.
Short-term leave and extra hours have separate rules. New York sick-leave rules provide one hour per 30 hours worked, and overtime is owed at 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours in a week when authorized. Families needing evening supervision or weekend coverage should get hours authorized in advance.
How can families keep dementia-care pay accurate?
Published rates are county minimums, not guaranteed earnings. Caregivers must complete PPL registration and log shifts in PPL's Time4Care app to be paid.
Downstate checks need closer review because total required compensation can exceed base pay through wage-parity supplements and benefits. PPL and plaintiffs sought court approval on June 23, 2026 of a proposed $162 million settlement described in a PPL news release involving alleged late or underpaid wages and parity violations for about 200,000 downstate assistants from March 2025 to April 2026.
- Complete PPL registration before the first paid shift.
- Log every shift start and end in Time4Care the same day.
- Compare each stub to the county base, approved hours, parity add-ons, sick time, and overtime.
