diff --git a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Setup/SetupStep.tsx b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Setup/SetupStep.tsx
index 8eec4eccad..fda526e1da 100644
--- a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Setup/SetupStep.tsx
+++ b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Setup/SetupStep.tsx
@@ -65,14 +65,10 @@ export const SetupStep: React.FC = () => {
               .positive(t('Hours Worked must be a positive number')),
           otherwise: (s) => s.optional().nullable(),
         }),
-        benefits: yup.number().when('status', {
-          is: (val: string) => val !== DesignationSupportStatus.PartTime,
-          then: (s) =>
-            s
-              .required(t('Benefits is a required field'))
-              .positive(t('Benefits must be a positive number')),
-          otherwise: (s) => s.optional().nullable(),
-        }),
+        benefits: yup
+          .number()
+          .nullable()
+          .positive(t('Benefits must be a positive number')),
       }),
     [t],
   );
diff --git a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/Autosave/AutosaveTextField.test.tsx b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/Autosave/AutosaveTextField.test.tsx
index 7e23964a04..4fc885f6c0 100644
--- a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/Autosave/AutosaveTextField.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/Autosave/AutosaveTextField.test.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { MenuItem } from '@mui/material';
-import { fireEvent, render, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { render, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import * as yup from 'yup';
 import {
@@ -221,28 +221,60 @@ describe('AutosaveTextField', () => {
         </PdsGoalCalculatorTestWrapper>,
       );
 
-    it('hides validation error for an empty untouched field', async () => {
+    it('shows validation error for an empty required field on load', async () => {
       const { findByRole } = renderRequired();
 
       const input = await findByRole('textbox', { name: 'Goal Name' });
       await waitFor(() => expect(input).toHaveValue(''));
 
-      expect(input).toHaveAccessibleDescription('Enter the goal name');
-      expect(input).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-invalid', 'true');
+      await waitFor(() =>
+        expect(input).toHaveAccessibleDescription('Goal Name is required'),
+      );
+      expect(input).toHaveAttribute('aria-invalid', 'true');
     });
 
-    it('shows validation error after the field is touched', async () => {
+    it('clears validation error after user fills required field', async () => {
       const { findByRole } = renderRequired();
 
       const input = await findByRole('textbox', { name: 'Goal Name' });
-      await waitFor(() => expect(input).toHaveValue(''));
+      await waitFor(() =>
+        expect(input).toHaveAttribute('aria-invalid', 'true'),
+      );
 
-      fireEvent.focus(input);
-      fireEvent.blur(input);
+      userEvent.type(input, 'Filled in');
 
       await waitFor(() =>
-        expect(input).toHaveAccessibleDescription('Goal Name is required'),
+        expect(input).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-invalid', 'true'),
+      );
+      expect(input).toHaveAccessibleDescription('Enter the goal name');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('optional field', () => {
+    const optionalSchema = yup.object({
+      name: yup.string().nullable(),
+    });
+
+    it('does not show validation error for an empty optional field on load', async () => {
+      const { findByRole } = render(
+        <PdsGoalCalculatorTestWrapper
+          calculationMock={{ ...calculationMock, name: '' }}
+          onCall={mutationSpy}
+        >
+          <AutosaveTextField
+            label="Goal Name"
+            fieldName="name"
+            schema={optionalSchema}
+            helperText="Enter the goal name"
+          />
+        </PdsGoalCalculatorTestWrapper>,
       );
+
+      const input = await findByRole('textbox', { name: 'Goal Name' });
+      await waitFor(() => expect(input).toHaveValue(''));
+
+      expect(input).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-invalid', 'true');
+      expect(input).toHaveAccessibleDescription('Enter the goal name');
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/Autosave/AutosaveTextField.tsx b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/Autosave/AutosaveTextField.tsx
index b392f3baf8..a483babfa3 100644
--- a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/Autosave/AutosaveTextField.tsx
+++ b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/Autosave/AutosaveTextField.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useState } from 'react';
+import React from 'react';
 import { TextField, TextFieldProps } from '@mui/material';
 import * as yup from 'yup';
 import { DesignationSupportCalculationUpdateInput } from 'src/graphql/types.generated';
@@ -23,11 +23,8 @@ export const AutosaveTextField: React.FC<AutosaveTextFieldProps> = ({
     schema,
     saveOnChange: props.select,
   });
-  const [touched, setTouched] = useState(false);
 
-  const showValidationError = Boolean(
-    fieldProps.error && (touched || fieldProps.value !== ''),
-  );
+  const showValidationError = Boolean(fieldProps.error);
 
   return (
     <TextField
@@ -36,14 +33,6 @@ export const AutosaveTextField: React.FC<AutosaveTextFieldProps> = ({
       variant="outlined"
       {...fieldProps}
       {...props}
-      onChange={(event) => {
-        setTouched(true);
-        fieldProps.onChange?.(event as React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>);
-      }}
-      onBlur={() => {
-        setTouched(true);
-        fieldProps.onBlur?.();
-      }}
       disabled={fieldProps.disabled || props.disabled}
       error={showValidationError || undefined}
       helperText={
diff --git a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/pdsCompletion.test.ts b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/pdsCompletion.test.ts
index eb9269de4a..80ae21c3b7 100644
--- a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/pdsCompletion.test.ts
+++ b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/pdsCompletion.test.ts
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ describe('isSetupComplete', () => {
     expect(isSetupComplete(partTime)).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it('requires benefits when status is Full-time', () => {
-    expect(isSetupComplete({ ...baseCalculation, benefits: null })).toBe(false);
+  it('does not require benefits when status is Full-time', () => {
+    expect(isSetupComplete({ ...baseCalculation, benefits: null })).toBe(true);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/pdsCompletion.ts b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/pdsCompletion.ts
index 26fa90ff71..19ae163ca0 100644
--- a/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/pdsCompletion.ts
+++ b/src/components/HrTools/PdsGoalCalculator/Shared/pdsCompletion.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-import {
-  DesignationSupportSalaryType,
-  DesignationSupportStatus,
-} from 'src/graphql/types.generated';
+import { DesignationSupportSalaryType } from 'src/graphql/types.generated';
 import { PdsGoalCalculationFieldsFragment } from '../GoalsList/PdsGoalCalculations.generated';
 import { PdsSummaryData } from '../calculations/usePdsSummaryData';
 
@@ -14,15 +11,13 @@ export const isSetupComplete = (calculation: Calculation): boolean => {
 
   const isSalaried =
     calculation.salaryOrHourly === DesignationSupportSalaryType.Salaried;
-  const isPartTime = calculation.status === DesignationSupportStatus.PartTime;
 
   return Boolean(
     calculation.name &&
       calculation.status &&
       calculation.salaryOrHourly &&
       (calculation.payRate ?? 0) > 0 &&
-      (isSalaried || (calculation.hoursWorkedPerWeek ?? 0) > 0) &&
-      (isPartTime || (calculation.benefits ?? 0) > 0),
+      (isSalaried || (calculation.hoursWorkedPerWeek ?? 0) > 0),
   );
 };