Everything specific to Lake County — current provider wages, your Public Authority, and how to appeal a Notice of Action.
📩 Get occasional IHSS policy updates & new county guides:
$17.55
Hourly Wage
Effective Jan 1, 2026 · CDSS
Lake Co. PA
Public Authority
Northern CA
Region
Overview
Lake County's IHSS program is administered by Adult Services within the Department of Social Services, with the Public Authority maintaining a computerized registry of screened and trained care providers throughout the Clearlake, Lakeport, and Lucerne areas.
The Public Authority's core role is investigating provider qualifications and background, then connecting recipients with a referral system — recipients can also ask their assigned social worker to make the Public Authority referral directly.
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Questions about IHSS in Lake County?
Clara has Lake County’s contacts and current wage, and can explain how hours are decided.
Lake County by the Numbers
Official CDSS figuresCDSS program data · July 2026
2,889
Recipients Served
139.3
Avg Monthly Hours Authorized
20.3 above state avg
2,722
Active Providers
421
Receiving Protective Supervision
15% of recipients
Average authorized hours vs. California
139.3 hrs
state avg 119
Provider wage vs. California average
$17.55/hr
CA county avg $18.95
Wage rank #50 of 58Hours rank #4 of 58
Communities served: Lakeport, Clearlake and more
Statewide, 925,481 Californians received IHSS in July 2026, averaging 119 authorized hours a month.
Source: CDSS IHSS Program Data.
Where should you start?
Pick the path that matches where you are right now.
Confirmed from a currently-dated statewide wage source. Confirm your current rate directly with Lake County Adult Services before relying on this figure.
Local Notes & Quirks
Recipient-majority Advisory Committee: Lake County's IHSS Advisory Committee requires that at least 50% of members be current or past recipients of personal assistance services — a stronger consumer-voice requirement than many counties.
Adult Services handles multiple programs: Public Guardian/Administrator, Adult Protective Services, and IHSS Public Authority functions are all housed together under one Adult Services division, so the same office and phone number covers all three.
Rural, spread-out service area: Lake County's senior centers and resources are spread across Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Lakeport, and Lucerne — worth checking which local senior center is closest when looking for in-person support beyond IHSS itself.
Appealing a Notice of Action in Lake County
If Lake County reduces, denies, or terminates your IHSS hours, the appeal process is governed by state regulation — the same 90-day deadline applies regardless of county:
You have 90 days from the date on your Notice of Action to request a State Hearing
Call the State Hearings Division at 1-800-952-5253 to request a hearing
Or mail a written request to: California Department of Social Services, State Hearings Division, P.O. Box 944243, Sacramento, CA 94244
Requesting your hearing before the Notice of Action's effective date preserves Aid Paid Pending — meaning you keep your current hours while the appeal is decided
For free legal help with a Lake County IHSS appeal, Disability Rights California can be reached at 1-800-776-5746.
Heading into your Lake County assessment?
The Clarity Report gives you a personalized estimate of the hours you may qualify for, built on California's official Hourly Task Guidelines — before you sit down with your county social worker.