How to Apply for IHSS in LA County: Step by Step

If you remember one thing from this page, make it this: IHSS is the program where the county pays for help at home — and applying costs nothing but a phone call.

What IHSS actually is

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a California program that pays for help with everyday tasks — bathing, dressing, cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands — so that an older or disabled person can keep living safely in their own home instead of moving to a facility. It is run in LA County by the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) under state rules.

The county doesn't send its own workers by default. Instead, IHSS approves a number of hours per month, and the person receiving care hires someone to work those hours. That someone can be a family member — a daughter, a son, a spouse in many cases — and the state pays them. (That deserves its own article: see our guide to becoming a paid family caregiver through IHSS.)

Who can get it

Per the state's own rules, an applicant must: live in California; live at home (not a hospital or licensed facility); have Medi-Cal, or apply for it; and turn in a form signed by a doctor or other licensed health professional (the Health Care Certification, SOC 873). IHSS serves people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled — including children.

The gateway is Medi-Cal — IHSS eligibility rides on it. Which brings us to step one. (Money details like whether a particular case involves a share of cost are exactly what the county sorts out during the application — ask, don't guess.)

Step 1: Medi-Cal first

If your person already has Medi-Cal, skip ahead. If not, apply — IHSS requires it. You can apply for Medi-Cal online at BenefitsCal.com, or through the county. Don't assume the answer is no: Medi-Cal's rules about savings and property have changed in recent years and are more generous through mid-2027 than many families remember (our plain-words Medi-Cal article covers this, with the state's own pages linked).

Step 2: Apply for IHSS (three ways)

For LA County, straight from DPSS's own IHSS page:

1. By phone (easiest): call (888) 944-4477 or (213) 744-4477. You can also use the IHSS Helpline, (888) 822-9622 (option 4), Monday–Friday 8–5.
2. By mail: print and complete the application form, SOC 295 ("Application for Social Services" — a short form, available on the state's IHSS page in English, Armenian, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Farsi, and more), and mail it to: DPSS In-Home Supportive Services, PO Box 769, Rosemead, CA 91770.
3. By fax: (562) 684-4264.

An adult child, relative, or friend can start the application for someone — you don't have to wait for your person to feel up to making the call themselves.

Step 3: The doctor's form (SOC 873)

Before the county can authorize services, it needs the Health Care Certification (SOC 873) — a form a doctor or other licensed health professional fills out confirming that help at home is needed. Ask the doctor's office to complete it promptly, and know this: state law says providers cannot charge you a fee for filling out this form (Health & Safety Code §123114 — cited on the state's own IHSS page). If an office tries, mention that.

Step 4: The home visit

A county social worker will schedule an interview at your person's home. They'll ask what your person can do safely alone and where they need help, and they may include what family, friends, or the doctor have to say. It is not a test to pass or fail — it's how the county figures out which tasks, and how many hours per month, it will pay for. Be plain and specific about hard days, not just good ones; the assessment is supposed to reflect real need.

Step 5: The decision

You'll get a written notice saying IHSS was approved or denied. If approved, it lists the services and the number of hours per month authorized. If denied, it states the reason — keep that letter.

After approval: hiring your provider

The person receiving care is the employer: they hire, schedule, and can let go their provider. Many families hire from within — again, the state allows paying family members. If you need to find someone, LA County's IHSS public authority, PASC (Personal Assistance Services Council), runs a free registry of screened IHSS providers: (877) 565-4477. Providers enroll with the county, pass a background check, and submit timesheets electronically; the state issues the paychecks. The hourly wage is set per county.

If you're denied

The denial notice explains how to appeal, and appealing is normal — assessments don't always capture a person's hard days on the first try. Free help exists: your Area Agency on Aging — (800) 510-2020 — can point you to advocates, and 211 LA (dial 211) keeps the current list of free legal-aid and benefits-help organizations.

Where to get free help with all of this

• DPSS IHSS (LA County): (888) 944-4477 — the application itself
• PASC: (877) 565-4477 — finding and enrolling providers
• Area Agency on Aging (LA County): (800) 510-2020 — advice on this and every other senior program
• 211 LA: dial 211 — everything else

If you're still sorting out what kind of help your person needs in the first place, our 5-question guide builds a starting plan, and the free public resources page lists every program on this page with links and numbers.

This article explains a public program in plain words; it isn't medical or legal advice. Program rules change — the state and county pages linked below are always the authority.