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IHSS Recipients

Basic Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for IHSS you must:

  • Be 65 years old or older, blind, and/or disabled as defined by Social Security Administration (SSA) standards.  Disabled children are also potentially eligible for IHSS;
  • Be a California resident;
  • Live in your own home.  Hospitals, nursing homes, and licensed community care facilities are not considered “own home”;
  • Be eligible for Medi-Cal benefits;*
    • *IHSS applicants must complete a Medi-Cal eligibility determination or redetermination. Individuals whose income is too high to qualify for Medi-Cal with no share of cost (SOC) may still be eligible for IHSS with a Medi-Cal SOC. The share of cost may be applied towards the receipt of Medi-Cal and/or IHSS benefits. 
  • Participate in a home assessment interview; and
  • Obtain a health care certification from a licensed health care professional (LHCP) such as a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, etc., indicating that you are unable to safely perform one or more activities and without IHSS, would be at risk of placement in out-of-home care. Applicants may provide the SOC 873 - In-Home Supportive Services Program Health Care Certification Form to certify their need for IHSS.

*Also available in the following languages:

Armenian (Հայերեն), Cambodian (ភាសាខ្មែរ), Chinese (中文), Farsi (فارسی), Korean (한국어), Russian (Pусский), Spanish (Español), Tagalog (Tagalog), Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)

Your health care professional may return this form via fax, U.S. Mail or you may return it in-person.

You may submit other acceptable forms of alternative documentation, signed by a LHCP, if the SOC 873 is not available. This documentation must:

  1. Indicate that the applicant/recipient is unable to independently perform one or more activities of daily living;
  2. Describe the applicant’s/recipient’s condition or functional limitation that has contributed to the need for assistance; and
  3. Be signed and dated by the LHCP within 60 calendar days of submission to the Social Worker.

Examples of alternative documentation include, but are not limited to:

  • Hospital discharge plans; and
  • Nursing facility discharge plans.
Resources and Helpful Links

Hiring and Working with a Provider

Report Abuse!

If you are being abused, even by a family member, you should get help right away by contacting:

Additional Resources/Educational Videos:

https://www.cdss.ca.gov/in-home-supportive-services/ihss-education-videos

Find Technology Devices and Services in My Area

The California Department of Aging (CDA) contracts with and oversees the local Area Agencies on Aging and other CDA programs and partners that coordinate a variety of technology devices and services. Learn more at https://aging.ca.gov/Programs_and_Services/Digital_Inclusion/

Discounts on Internet Services and Devices

The new federal Affordable Connectivity Program helps households afford internet and devices they need for school, work, healthcare, and more.  Learn more at https://broadbandforall.cdt.ca.gov/affordable-connectivity-program/

Recipient Frequently Asked Questions
Senior man with care worker at home