The purpose of the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program, pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code Section 12300 and State Regulations (MPP) Sections 30-700 through 30-780, is to provide assistance to those eligible blind, aged, and disabled individuals who are unable to remain safely in their own home without this assistance. IHSS is a mandated state-wide program administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and provided in a uniform manner by IHSS social workers in each county within the state.Examples of services that can be authorized are housework, meal preparation and cleanup, assistance with laundry and shopping, and personal care services. Examples of personal care services include bathing, dressing, grooming, assistance with walking, and medical transportation.
County social workers determine eligibility for the IHSS program, assess a consumer's need for specific services, and identify the time to be allotted for the performance of these services. The IHSS consumer is responsible for locating their own "individual provider", hiring and supervising the provider, and firing the individual if the services are not performed according to the consumer's specifications. The individual provider is paid minimum wage with no benefits. Payroll activities for the individual providers are performed by the County with input into the State's Case Management Information and Payrolling System (CMIPS). By statute, the State is responsible for handling the employer's responsibilities related to unemployment compensation, withholding of federal and state taxes, workers' compensation, federal old-age survivors and disability insurance benefits, as well as the distribution of payments to the providers though the State Controller.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Aged, blind, or disabled.
- Unable to personally perform the services authorized.
- Low income: Receiving or eligible to receive SSI/SSP. If income exceeds
SSI/SSP standards, eligibility may exist with a share of cost.- Have personal property valued at less than $2,000 for an individual
or $3,000 for a couple.- Have a functional impairment expected to last 12 months or more.