Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DC-FSA)
Make your money go further while providing necessary care to your dependents.
Help lessen the financial impact of caring for your dependents [You can enroll in a DC-FSA during open enrollment or upon the occurrence of a qualifying event.]
What you need to know about a DC-FSA
A DC-FSA lets you use pre-tax dollars towards expenses for caring for eligible dependents
- Use pre-tax dollars to lessen the financial impact of caring for child(ren) and dependent adult care expenses.1
- Deducts pre-tax dollars from your paycheck that are credited to your DC-FSA account—up to [$5,000] a year for individuals or married employees filing jointly, or [$2,500] a year for married employees who file separately in [2023].2
- Covers qualified expenses throughout the year.3
- [Funds not used to cover qualified expenses by the end of the calendar year will be forfeited.]/[Funds not used to cover qualified expenses by [DATE] will be forfeited.]
Expenses covered
Help make child and dependent adult care more affordable. DC-FSA covers expenses for children age 12 and under, such as
- Before-and after-school childcare programs
- Licensed nursery schools
- Qualified childcare centers
- Sick child care
- Summer day camp
- Preschool tuition
- Nanny/babysitter
And dependent adult care, such as
- The cost of in-home caregivers
- Adult day care
Valuable features
Accessing and using your DC-FSA is easy and convenient
- Seamless enrollment process and account setup
- Easy payments using a single, smart, multipurpose debit card that knows which of your accounts to tap into
- 24/7/365 account access through the easy-to-use online portal and mobile app
- Tailored educational resources and decision support tools and one-click answers to your benefits questions
DC-FSA FAQ's
Pre-tax dollars are funds from your paycheck that are credited to your DC-FSA before taxes have been taken out. Since you’re not paying taxes on this money, you end up with more money to use for qualified expenses.
Contributions are automatically transferred from your paycheck and credited to your DC-FSA. These funds can then be used for eligible expenses..
The contribution maximum for [2023] is [$5,000] a year per household or [$2,500] a year for married employees who file separate returns.2 Your contribution should be determined by how much you anticipate spending on dependent care and how much you can afford to have deducted from your paycheck.
You can use DC-FSA funds to pay for a range of expenses for eligible dependents.1 These include expenses for elder care, and for children age 12 and under, expenses for nannies/babysitters, licensed nursery schools, qualified childcare centers, sick child care, before- and after-school programs, summer day camp, preschool tuition and more.
There are three ways to pay for expenses. You can use a smart debit card which is connected to your account. You can also pay providers directly through your DC-FSA online portal or submit receipts for reimbursement.
You’ll have 24/7/365 online access to account information through the online portal and mobile app. You’ll be able to view details on your contributions, balance and spending. You can download the MetLife HS&SA app for your device from the Apple app store or Google Play and login using the password you use to access the online portal.
[Funds not used to cover qualified expenses by the end of the calendar year will be forfeited.] [Funds not used to cover qualified expenses by [DATE] will be forfeited.]
Expenses must be incurred before your termination date to be eligible for reimbursement. You can apply for reimbursement from your DC-FSA funds for eligible expenses until your account is depleted or the claim period established by your employer expires.
1 Eligible dependents include any child (age 12 and under) who resides with a participant and for whom the participant is entitled to a personal tax exemption as a dependent and a spouse, parents, or other tax-dependent adults who reside with the participant and who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care.
2 Contribution limits are subject to change and should be checked on an annual basis on the IRS website. Limitations apply.
3 See IRS publication 502 available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf for a list of qualified expenses. In addition, there may be legislation or additional publications that may modify or expand available qualified expenses. Please refer to your employers’ plan document for the latest list of qualified expenses under your plan.
Like most group benefit programs, benefit programs offered by MetLife and its affiliates contain certain exclusions, exceptions, waiting periods, reductions of benefits, limitations and terms for keeping them in force. Nothing in these materials is intended to be, nor should be construed as, advice or a recommendation for a particular situation or individual. Participants should consult with their own advisors for such advice. Federal and state laws and regulations are subject to change.