WATCH: Pittsburgh Direct Care Worker Discusses Impact of Pay Increases in Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 Budget Bringing Wages Closer to $15 an Hour | Department of Human Services[...]

Click above to watch: Angela Engram discusses the importance of the work she does and how the raise made possible by Governor Shapiro's budget investments will help her.

Pittsburgh, PA - Direct care workers (DCWs) are now seeing an increase of $1-$5 per hour from their current hourly wage, bringing them above or closer to a $15 hourly wage because of the investments made in Governor Josh Shapiro's 2025-26 Budget. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh recently met with DCWs to hear more about how these investments will have a positive effect on their lives.

The Governor's budget invested $21 million to increase wages, retroactive to January 1, 2026, for DCWs who provide in-home services to adults with physical disabilities and older Pennsylvanians in the participant-directed model through Community HealthChoices. The investment includes increased wages, recognizes time off for sick or personal leave, and increases access to affordable insurance for approximately 8,500 workers who are employed directly by the individual they care for and therefore do not have employer-sponsored benefits offered by larger employers. Governor Shapiro's proposed 2026-27 budget sustains the new investments in this critical workforce.

"Direct care workers spend their lives working in service of others and helping individuals receive the care they need in their homes and communities so that they can live as independently as possible and with dignity. The Shapiro Administration is committed to supporting the direct care workforce and the investments in the 2025-26 budget reflect that," said Secretary Arkoosh. "We must ensure that while the direct care workforce is caring for others, they can also take care of themselves and their families. This includes increasing wages and making benefits more accessible so that we can keep these professionals in the workforce, support career pathways and opportunities for advancement, and help Pennsylvanians get the care they need when they need it."

DCWs are a lifeline for individuals who require assistance to live independently and families that may not be able to provide their loved ones with 24/7 care. Through Medicaid, older Pennsylvanians and adults with physical disabilities are able to get assistance to live with more independence in their own home rather than a group or facility setting, and through the "participant-directed model," and Medicaid recipients who need long-term care can choose to hire and manage their own DCWs directly to help with the services, supports, and daily assistance they need to live safely in their homes.

Angela Engram is a DCW from Pittsburgh who recently met with Secretary Arkoosh to talk about how increased wages would make a difference in her life.

"One of my biggest challenges I face as a home care worker is the lack of pay. It impacts my life because it's very, very stressful not having enough money to pay your bills. Having to make it to certain food banks on certain days, trying to find and collect everything and anything that is free. So it's a lot of stress on me," said Engram. "This [investment] is huge. I'll be able to afford to pay something now. Maybe not all, but at least some things will be better."

To build on the momentum of these pay raises in the 2025-26 budget, Governor Shapiro's proposed 2026-27 budget once again calls on the General Assembly to raise Pennsylvania's minimum wage to $15 an hour beginning January 1, 2027. This commonsense reform would boost consumer spending, reduce turnover for employers, and improve workers' health and economic stability while also delivering significant savings for taxpayers.

By raising wages for nearly 61,000 workers who currently rely on Medicaid and earn less than $15 an hour, the Commonwealth would reduce reliance on public assistance, saving taxpayer resources. In addition, higher wages would generate roughly $80 million per year in new revenue, strengthening Pennsylvania's fiscal position while helping working families get ahead.

Learn more about Governor Shapiro's 2025-26 budget investments and his continued commitment to strengthening Pennsylvania through the proposed 2026-27 budget.

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