Aged, blind, or disabled
IHSS is for eligible aged, blind, or disabled people, including some children. The county and Medi-Cal apply those definitions.
Eligibility basics
IHSS eligibility in California, decided by your county
Updated September 16, 2026. Reviewed September 16, 2026 against public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and CareScout 2025 California tables. County wages, hours, and wait times still change. Official .gov pages decide.
The California Department of Social Services publishes the core IHSS criteria below. A county social worker and Medi-Cal eligibility staff complete the determination.
If you are an adult child helping a parent stay home, start with Medi-Cal status, then the IHSS application. Use the adult-child checklist. California Home Help is how Sevah’s home care team helps families stay home and navigate IHSS and Medi-Cal paperwork. Your county IHSS office and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, hours, and who can be paid.
California resident
You must live in California.
Medi-Cal determination
You must have a Medi-Cal eligibility determination. If you are still applying for Medi-Cal, start that application. IHSS builds on that step. Some people qualify for Medi-Cal with a share of cost. That can affect what the recipient later pays the provider.
Living at home
You must live at home or in an abode of your own choosing. Acute-care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and licensed community care facilities do not count as “own home.”
Health Care Certification
A completed Health Care Certification form (SOC 873), or acceptable alternative documentation signed by a licensed health care professional, must reach the county before services are authorized.
In-home assessment
A county social worker interviews you at home to judge which tasks you need help with and how many hours to authorize.
What the county and Medi-Cal decide
- Income, asset, citizenship or immigration details, and any Medi-Cal share of cost follow Medi-Cal rules. Your county Medi-Cal office can walk through the numbers that apply to your parent.
- Who may be paid as a provider (including a spouse or a parent of a minor) depends on the IHSS sub-program (PCSP vs CFCO, IPO, or IHSS-Residual) and on finishing provider enrollment. Confirm with your county IHSS office.
- Hours, wage rates, overtime, and union rules vary by county and change. Ask the social worker assigned to the case.
- To apply, submit the IHSS application (SOC 295) to your county IHSS office. We can help you gather and track those forms.
Reviewed against CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, and CareScout public pages. We do not quote IHSS wages. County IHSS offices and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, hours, and pay. For current county wage rates, use the official CDSS wage page. CDSS county IHSS wage rates.
Official program pages: CDSS: In-Home Supportive Services, CDSS: IHSS for children, County IHSS offices, CDSS: IHSS providers, CDSS: county IHSS wage rates, CDSS: provider orientation, CDSS: Electronic Visit Verification, CDSS: Electronic Services Portal, DHCS: Medi-Cal, Apply for Medi-Cal, BenefitsCal, CDSS: hearing requests, CDSS: forms catalog, CDSS: IHSS overtime and workweek, DDS: regional centers.
Guides on IHSS eligibility
Helping a parent
After a Hospital Discharge: Starting or Updating IHSS
How discharge can prompt an IHSS application or a new assessment once a parent is home again, without treating the hospital as “own home.”
Read the guideEligibility
Aged, Blind, or Disabled: The IHSS Population in California
How IHSS is framed for aged, blind, or disabled people, including some children, without inventing medical definitions the county applies.
Read the guideChecklists and next steps
An IHSS Paperwork Checklist for California Families
A step-by-step checklist for Medi-Cal, SOC 295, SOC 873, the assessment, provider enrollment, and EVV, without promising timing.
Read the guideEligibility
Applying for IHSS While Medi-Cal Is Still Pending
Why some counties take an IHSS application before Medi-Cal finishes, and why IHSS still cannot complete without that determination.
Read the guideMedi-Cal and share of cost
Applying for Medi-Cal on BenefitsCal for an Aging Parent
How adult children start or check a parent’s Medi-Cal application on BenefitsCal or with the county, as the foundation for IHSS.
Read the guideCommon situations
Can a Spouse Enroll as an IHSS Provider in California?
A spouse may finish orientation, SOC 426, SOC 846, and a background check if CFCO, IPO, or Residual can pay. PCSP generally leaves a spouse unpaid.
Read the guide
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is California Home Help a county or Medi-Cal office?
California Home Help is a private service operated by Sevah Robotics, Inc. Sevah’s home care team helps families stay home and navigate IHSS paperwork. Your county IHSS office and Medi-Cal decide approvals, hours, and payments.
Who decides if I am approved or paid?
Your county IHSS office and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, authorized hours, and provider enrollment. A Sevah coordinator can help you get the paperwork ready so they can review a complete file.
I am helping a parent. What should I do first?
Check whether they already have Medi-Cal. If they are still applying, start that application on BenefitsCal or with the county. Then submit the IHSS application (SOC 295) to the county IHSS office and get SOC 873 to a licensed health professional. SOC 873 is the medical piece to return, unless the county asks for a specific extra page. Your county decides eligibility and hours.
Can an adult child be paid to care for a parent?
Often yes, once you finish provider enrollment. Adult children, other relatives, friends, and neighbors are commonly allowed. A spouse, or a parent of a child under 18, can be paid under some IHSS sub-programs. PCSP generally leaves those roles unpaid. Check with the county which program applies.
How long does this take?
Timing varies by county. Medi-Cal (if it is still pending), the wait for a social worker, and provider enrollment are the usual slow stretches. Confirm the packet is complete, then wait for the scheduled visit unless the county asks for something else. Your county office can tell you what is typical locally.
Does the family ever pay the caregiver?
The State issues the provider check for authorized hours. If the recipient has a Medi-Cal share of cost, CDSS says unpaid share of cost can be deducted from that check and the recipient then pays the provider. Ask the county whether a share of cost applies. Your county Medi-Cal office can confirm the amount.
Is this the same as home health or a nursing facility?
IHSS is in-home personal and household help for people who can live at home. Skilled nursing and therapy are different Medi-Cal or Medicare benefits.
What belongs on the county forms?
Send the pages the county asked for. The medical piece IHSS asks for is SOC 873, or acceptable alternative documentation. Keep hospital records, lab results, and a diagnosis dump for later unless the county asked for a specific page. On the California Home Help form, a name and a way to reach you is enough. Keep medical records and Social Security numbers for the county packet.
What do you need from me to start?
A name, a way to reach you, your county if you know it, and whether you are an adult child helping a parent, the caregiver, or the person who needs care. Keep medical records and diagnoses for the county forms. A Sevah coordinator will follow up about the paperwork and, if you want, care at home.
We can walk through the county steps with you.
Adult children usually track Medi-Cal, assessments, and provider enrollment themselves. A Sevah coordinator can help you organize those steps and talk about care at home. Your county decides eligibility and authorizes hours.
Ask for help navigating IHSS