To apply for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) in California, you submit two forms to your county IHSS office: the SOC 295 application and the SOC 873 health care certification signed by your doctor. A county social worker then visits your home to assess how much help you need with daily activities, and the county mails you a Notice of Action listing the services and monthly hours you’re authorized to receive.
Before you start the paperwork, make sure you fit the program’s basic rules.
Who Can Apply
Three things have to be true. You live in California. You are 65 or older, legally blind, or disabled under Social Security Administration standards. And you live in your own home — a house, apartment, or other place you choose — rather than a hospital, nursing home, or licensed community care facility.1California Department of Social Services. In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program
You also need a Medi-Cal eligibility determination before any IHSS services can be authorized.1California Department of Social Services. In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program For aged, blind, and disabled applicants, Medi-Cal eligibility is generally based on income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. If your income is too high for full-scope Medi-Cal, you may still qualify through a share-of-cost arrangement.
Medi-Cal also looks at your resources. The asset limit is $130,000 in countable assets for one person, with an additional $65,000 for each extra household member, up to ten people. Your primary home, your main vehicle, and personal belongings don’t count. Bank accounts, cash, second homes, and second vehicles do.2DHCS – CA.gov. Asset Limit Frequently Asked Questions
If you qualify for Medi-Cal with a share of cost, you can still get IHSS. Each month you pay your share-of-cost amount toward medical expenses. Any portion you don’t meet through other medical bills is deducted from your IHSS provider’s paycheck, and you reimburse the provider directly. If you meet your full share of cost through other medical expenses, the state pays your provider in full.3California Department of Social Services. IHSS Share-of-Cost Fact Sheet
The Two Forms You’ll File
The application itself is the SOC 295, which you can download from the California Department of Social Services website or request from your county IHSS office.4California Department of Social Services. Application for In-Home Supportive Services SOC 295 On it, you provide your Social Security number (required by federal law for eligibility determination), your California address, your income information, and whether you receive SSI or SSP. Pull together contact information for all your current medical providers too, since the county uses it to verify your care needs.
The Health Care Certification (SOC 873)
The SOC 873 is the medical form that establishes you need in-home help. A licensed healthcare professional — a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner — must complete and sign it, and the county cannot authorize any services until the form is received.1California Department of Social Services. In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program
The form asks your provider four things: whether you are unable to independently perform daily living activities like bathing, dressing, or meal preparation; whether IHSS is recommended to prevent out-of-home care; what physical or mental conditions cause your functional limitations; and whether the condition is expected to last at least 12 consecutive months or result in death.5California Department of Social Services. Health Care Certification Form SOC 873 A specific, detailed description of your limitations strengthens your case. You must return the completed SOC 873 within 45 days, or your application will be denied.
Your doctor can’t charge you for completing the SOC 873 or any other form supporting your eligibility for a public benefit. California law specifically prohibits healthcare providers from billing patients for filling out such forms.6California Legislative Information. California Code HSC 123114
How to Submit the Application
Once both forms are ready, you have three options. Call your county IHSS office to complete an intake interview over the phone, mail the forms to your county social services department, or deliver them in person.1California Department of Social Services. In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program The county assigns a case number for all future communication.
Keep copies of everything you send, and write down the date you submitted it. That record protects you if anything is lost and helps establish when your application was received, which affects when services can start.
The In-Home Assessment
After your paperwork is processed, a county social worker schedules a visit to your home. The social worker observes your living environment, asks about your daily routine, and evaluates how much help you need with specific tasks: bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, housework, laundry, feeding, getting in and out of bed, and other daily activities.7California Department of Social Services. Services Covered by IHSS
How Your Hours Are Decided
For each task, the social worker assigns a rank on a five-point scale that measures your level of independence. Rank 1 means you can do the task independently with no safety risk, and no services are authorized for it. Rank 2 means you can do it with verbal reminders or encouragement. Rank 3 means you need some physical help. Rank 4 means you need substantial physical help. Rank 5 means you cannot do the task at all, even with assistance. These rankings directly determine how many hours of care you’re authorized for each service category.8DHCS – CA.gov. IHSS Telehealth Reassessments State Plan Amendment
Prepare for the visit by thinking through which daily activities give you the most trouble. Be ready with specific examples of what happens when you try to do them without help. Vague answers lead to lower rankings; concrete descriptions give the social worker something to score.
Your Notice of Action
After the assessment and a review of your medical certification, the county mails you a formal Notice of Action. If you’re approved, the notice lists every service category you’re authorized for and the specific number of monthly hours for each. If you’re denied, the notice states the reasons. Either way, it explains your right to appeal.
Once you’re approved, services don’t actually begin until you have a care provider in place. After your provider is enrolled and assigned to your case, they can submit timesheets retroactively back to their date of assignment, so you don’t lose hours during setup.9California Department of Social Services. IHSS Provider Resources
Choosing Your Provider
Your IHSS provider can be a family member, friend, neighbor, or someone you find through your county’s Public Authority registry, which lists background-checked caregivers available for hire.9California Department of Social Services. IHSS Provider Resources Your county social worker can help you identify a provider after your services are authorized. You are the employer. You pick who provides your care, set the schedule, and can replace them if the arrangement isn’t working.
Before the state will pay them, your provider must attend a county orientation, complete the SOC 426 enrollment form, sign the SOC 846 provider agreement, and pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check through the California Department of Justice.10California Department of Social Services. IHSS Provider Orientation Process
If You’re Denied or Get Too Few Hours
If your application is denied, or you disagree with the number of hours authorized, you can request a state hearing. File the request within 90 days of receiving the Notice of Action.11California Department of Social Services. Hearing Requests For first-time applicants, your current services cannot continue during the appeal because there are no existing services to maintain; the aid-paid-pending protection applies only to recipients whose hours are being reduced or terminated.