Plenty of families have a parent who can't get the video call to connect, or a grandparent who stopped answering texts after a phone upgrade went wrong. Intergenerational tech support covers the devices, lessons and help that keep older and younger relatives in touch. Employers add it because the setup and troubleshooting usually falls on the employee, often during work hours.
Tech expenses that help families stay connected
Plans that include this category usually focus on getting a relative online and keeping them there. Typical examples:
- A simplified tablet or large-screen phone for an older parent
- One-on-one tech tutoring sessions, in person or by video
- Digital skills classes at a senior center or community college
- Remote tech support subscriptions for a relative's devices
- Smart displays set up for easy video calling
- Digital photo frames that family members can update from afar
- Online safety and scam awareness courses for older adults
This category is one of many; our overview of LSA eligible expenses covers the rest.
Setting up a tech access category
Decide whose devices count
Spell out whether relatives outside the employee's household qualify. Parents and grandparents are usually the point of this category, so a household-only rule can defeat its purpose.
Pair hardware with help
A device without setup support often ends up in a drawer. Allowing tutoring, setup visits and support plans alongside hardware makes the purchase more likely to get used.
Set a device cap
A yearly limit on hardware keeps the category focused on connection and leaves room in the budget for lessons and ongoing support.
Where tech support spending gets murky
- Many plans cap device purchases or allow one device per year, so the account doesn't turn into a general electronics fund.
- Hearing aids and other medical devices usually belong with the health plan, HSA or FSA rather than the LSA.
- Monthly phone and internet bills are often excluded, even when the line is for a parent.
- Some employers ask who will use the item and limit the category to the household, named dependents or specific relatives.
- Devices the employee needs for their own job are typically handled through equipment or home office policies instead.
Employees who end up as the family help desk
This category tends to matter most to employees caught between two generations: someone fielding password resets from a parent across the country while helping a teenager set up parental controls. It also helps employees who've moved away from aging relatives and rely on video calls to check in, and immigrants keeping in touch with family overseas. For many of them, a working tablet and a patient tutor replace hours of phone-based troubleshooting every month. It also fits naturally alongside holistic employee wellbeing.
Frequently asked questions
Can an LSA pay for tech devices and help for older relatives?
It can, if your employer's plan includes this kind of expense. Plans that do often reimburse devices, tutoring and support subscriptions for parents or grandparents, sometimes with a cap on hardware. Check your plan's rules on which relatives qualify.
Does a phone plan for my parent count?
Usually not. Recurring phone and internet service is a common exclusion, even when the line is for a relative. A few employers treat it differently, so the plan document is the place to confirm.
Are hearing aids covered under this category?
Hearing aids are generally treated as medical devices, so they tend to fit under a health plan, HSA or FSA. A general-purpose gadget, like a smart speaker a parent uses for reminders, may still fall within an LSA if the plan allows it.
What should the receipt for a tutoring session show?
A receipt or invoice with the provider, the date and what the session covered is usually enough. Some plans also ask who received the help, so it's worth noting the relative's name.
Tax treatment depends on the plan and location; our guide explains how LSA reimbursements are taxed.
This content is general information, not medical, legal, tax, or financial advice. Employer plan terms determine eligibility, and requirements may vary by location.
