Your Voice Can Help Family Caregivers Across New Jersey

New Jersey family caregivers deserve financial relief for the big responsibilities they selflessly take on—and AARP is working on legislation that will do just that.

More than 1 million New Jerseyans provide caregiving support to their parents, spouses and other loved ones that enables them to stay at home, where they want to be, keeping them out of more costly institutional care like taxpayer-funded nursing homes or hospitals.

Family caregivers provide unpaid care to help with things like bathing, meals, and transportation to medication management and wound care. Not only are caregivers contributing financially to their loved one’s care, but these huge responsibilities can be overwhelming, stressful, and exhausting—physically and emotionally. Many family caregivers juggle these duties while working full- or part-time jobs.

And now, they need your help.

AARP is asking the New Jersey State Legislature to support the Caregiver’s Assistance Act (S2378/A1824), and bring some financial relief to family caregivers.

The Caregiver’s Assistance Act will create a new state income tax credit of up to $675 for eligible family caregivers who financially help their loved ones.

Under S2378/A1824 New Jersey taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of less than $50,000 (single) or $100,000 (joint filers) would be eligible for a tax credit of 22.5% of qualifying expenses up to $3,000 that could include things like home care, respite care, or home modifications. Even if the caregiver's income is below the minimum taxable threshold, this credit is fully refundable to qualified caregivers.

But we need your help to pass a family caregiver tax credit in New Jersey.

This legislation could help some of the 1.1 million New Jersey residents whose unpaid caregiving is valued at $13 billion a year. That’s more than double what the state spends on Medicaid nursing home care.

The Caregiver’s Assistance Act is just one way AARP hopes to put caregivers at the forefront, and it could make a huge difference in the lives of caregivers and their families.

 Please support the Caregiver’s Assistance Act. Your Legislator needs to hear from you today.

Support your fellow New Jerseyans—tell your representative to support the Caregiver’s Assistance Act S2378/A1824. Learn more at aarp.org/njcaregiving.