The Legal Aid Society and Katz Banks Kumin LLP have filed a lawsuit on behalf of an individual plaintiff and tens of thousands of home care workers against Public Partnerships, LLC (PPL), the newly contracted statewide intermediary for New York’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).

This litigation seeks to hold PPL accountable for its widespread failure to pay personal care assistants accurately, on time — or at all — since assuming its new role. These failures are not isolated but systemic, stemming from PPL’s fundamentally broken infrastructure for onboarding workers, tracking time, approving wages, and processing payroll. 

CDPAP is a New York State Medicaid program that empowers older adults and people with disabilities to hire, train, and manage their own home care workers — often trusted family members, friends, or neighbors. The program enables individuals to receive essential care in their homes and communities, allowing them to continue living independently.

The lead plaintiff in the case is Philip Calderon, a 24-year-old Staten Island native who works as a personal assistant for his father. Calderon’s father, who suffers from severe arthritis and requires significant assistance with daily activities, relies on his son’s care to live safely and independently at home.

Despite continuing to work full-time since April 1, Calderon has not received any wages from PPL. His experience reflects the broader systemic failures that have left thousands of home care workers uncompensated and put vulnerable New Yorkers at risk.

“PPL must be held fully accountable for leaving tens of thousands of hardworking caregivers, who provide critical support for family members and neighbors, without pay for weeks, violating state and federal wage laws,” said Michael Diller, an attorney with Legal Aid’s Employment Law Unit. “No caregiver should ever have to choose between caring for a loved one and being able to afford rent or groceries.”

If you are a PPL personal care assistant who has not been paid on time — or at all, please fill out this survey so that we can learn more about the problems people are having.