Family caregivers are the backbone of Maine’s strained health network, providing support when professional caregiving is unavailable and long Medicaid waiting lists impact patients’ ability to receive care. Maine caregivers provide millions of hours of unpaid care to loved ones, often forgoing jobs and the coinciding benefits.

With the painful punch of COVID-19, jobs are scarce, income generation is less and emotional well-being is fragile. Already facing daunting responsibilities in normal times, the pandemic adds further stress to their role. Approving the provision of a caregiver tax credit is of elevated importance.

Having more professional caregivers available to provide in-home services is, of course, ideal, but not the current situation. The proposed caregiver tax credit (L.D. 1919) would provide compensation for the unpaid labor that goes into caregiving through an annual and refundable income tax credit of up to $2,000.

This bill would impact the lives of many Maine family caregivers, not to mention those receiving care. Mainers face challenging responsibilities that prevent caregivers from working enough to generate sufficient income, particularly if these families are lower and middle income. In particular, this bill would impact female caregivers as women typically fill caregiving roles and lose out on income as a result.

In this time of financial burden for our Maine families and considering the intense strain our health care system is currently under as result of the pandemic, this small tax credit could provide both financial and emotional reassurance so family caregivers can get the support they need and deserve.

Smythe Eddy

Portland

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