(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services, Caption for Photo: Harrisburg, PA. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh speaks during Tuesday’s press conference. Dr. Arkoosh joined workers from SEIU Healthcare to highlight investments in the proposed 2026-27 budget that help workers and bring them above or closer to a $15 hourly wage. Thanks to Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget that invested $21 million to increase wages, direct care workers are now seeing an increase of $1-$5 per hour from their previous hourly wage. April 21, 2026.

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh advocated in Harrisburg yesterday for continued investments in Pennsylvania’s workforce alongside SEIU Healthcare direct care workers (DCWs) and celebrated recent investments that increased wages for this workforce. The investments made in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-2026 budget caused the hourly rates paid to certain DCWs support a $15 hourly wage, personal time off, and recognizes the cost of health insurance. These workers are seeing increases of $1-$5 per hour from their current hourly wage. Both employees and the person they work for must fill out, sign, and return a form by clicking here in order to receive the raise because wages are decided between DCWs and the individual they work with. Forms must be submitted and received by May 8th, 2026, to receive pay retroactive to January 1, 2026.