San Francisco County IHSS: Phone Number, Pay Rate & How to Apply

Q: How much do IHSS providers get paid in San Francisco County?

IHSS providers in San Francisco County are paid $25.00 an hour, effective September 1, 2026. Wage rates are set locally rather than statewide, which is why they differ from county to county — across California the rates CDSS publishes currently run from $16.90 to $25.00. The rate is the same whether you care for a family member or someone unrelated.

Q: How many IHSS hours do people get in San Francisco County?

Recipients in San Francisco County are authorized 111.7 hours a month on average — 7.3 below the statewide average of 119. That is an average across the whole caseload, not an entitlement and not a target. Your own hours come from your assessment — a social worker scores each task you need help with on a 1-to-5 scale and applies the published CDSS time ranges. Someone with high needs may be authorized well above this figure; someone with lighter needs, well below.

Q: How do I apply for IHSS in San Francisco County?

Call the San Francisco County IHSS intake line at (415) 355-6700 to start an application. You can also apply through your county social services office or ask a hospital discharge planner, doctor or social worker to make the referral. The county will then arrange an in-home assessment. Counties have 90 days from the date you ask for services to decide on your application, and once you are approved, services can be authorized back to that date.

Q: How many people receive IHSS in San Francisco County?

About 30,703 people receive IHSS in San Francisco County, roughly 3.3% of the 925,481 recipients statewide, supported by around 30,550 providers. Figures come from California Department of Social Services program data for July 2026.

Q: How many people receive Protective Supervision in San Francisco County?

About 1,191 recipients in San Francisco County receive Protective Supervision, around 3.9% of the county caseload. Protective Supervision covers people who cannot safely be left alone because of a mental impairment. It is assessed separately from the personal care tasks, and the hours count inside the same monthly ceiling as everything else — not on top of it.

Overview

San Francisco County's IHSS program is administered through the San Francisco IHSS Public Authority, which handles provider registry, training, and wage negotiation with SEIU Local 2015.

San Francisco is a consolidated city-county, so IHSS is administered through the San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA) rather than a separate county social services department — a structural difference from most other California counties.

How to apply for IHSS in San Francisco County

To apply for IHSS in San Francisco County, call the county IHSS office. A social worker will take your application and arrange an in-home assessment.

San Francisco County IHSS phone number

(415) 355-6700, ext. 3

DAS Integrated Intake, (415) 355-6700 — one line covering IHSS, APS, Community Living Fund and home-delivered meals, by design.

There is no statewide online IHSS application — applying means phoning your county. All San Francisco County contacts →

The application form (SOC 295)

The state's written application is form SOC 295, Application for In-Home Supportive Services. You can fill it in ahead of time.

Open the SOC 295 form (PDF)

Opens on the CDSS website. The form goes to San Francisco County, not to the state, so call the number above to ask where to mail, fax or bring it.

Once you apply, the county schedules an in-home assessment. A social worker scores how much help you need with each task, and those scores decide your monthly hours — see how the Functional Index ranks work. If your hours are later denied or reduced, you have appeal rights with deadlines: how to appeal a Notice of Action. Becoming a paid provider is a separate process — start with the Provider Hub.

San Francisco County by the Numbers

Official CDSS figures CDSS program data · July 2026

30,703

Recipients
Served

111.7

Avg Monthly Hours
Authorized

7.3 below state avg

30,550

Active
Providers

1,191

Receiving Protective
Supervision

4% of recipients

Average authorized hours vs. California

111.7 hrs

state avg 119

Provider wage vs. California average

$25.00/hr

CA county avg $19.02

Wage rank #1 of 58 Hours rank #44 of 58

Communities served: San Francisco

Statewide, 925,481 Californians received IHSS in July 2026, averaging 119 authorized hours a month. Source: CDSS IHSS Program Data.

How San Francisco County has changed

11 months of official CDSS program data, Jan '24 to Jul '26.

Provider wage +$4.25

$25.00 now · was $20.75

Jan '24Sep '26

Avg authorized hours +3.6 hrs

111.7 hrs now · was 108.1 hrs

Jan '24Jul '26

People receiving IHSS +13.5%

30,703 now · was 27,052

Jan '24Jul '26

Trends show the direction of the program in San Francisco County — they do not predict any individual's authorized hours, which are set by a county social worker at assessment. CDSS IHSS Program Data.

Where should you start?

Pick the path that matches where you are right now.

New to IHSS

Applicant Hub →

Already receiving IHSS

Recipient Hub →

Working as a provider

Provider Hub →

Browsing guides & tools

Resource Hub →

Provider pay in 2027 in San Francisco County

What is officially published so far

Published by the county

San Francisco's Human Services Agency lists the IHSS provider wage as $25.00 an hour starting September 2026 and $25.50 an hour starting January 2027. The agency's page gives the month, not the day.

California's minimum wage rises from $16.90 to $17.40 an hour on January 1, 2027. County IHSS wages are built on the state minimum wage, so no county's rate can be lower than that.

To confirm your rate, call the San Francisco County main IHSS line: (415) 355-6700 ext. 3

Sources: San Francisco Human Services Agency, IHSS Provider Wages; California Department of Industrial Relations, News Release 2026-66. Checked October 7, 2026. Counties publish new rates through the autumn, so confirm before you plan around this. IHSSHours.com is independent and is not part of the county.

Every county: what is published for 2027 →

Provider orientation in San Francisco County

How new IHSS providers complete orientation

Online first, then in person

Online first: create an account, watch the required videos, e-sign the forms and book an orientation. Then a 2-hour in-person group orientation at 77 Otis Street, by appointment, offered in English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian.

How to start: Use the "Start Enrollment" link on the San Francisco Human Services Agency's "Become an IHSS provider" page.

Help with enrollment or scheduling: (415) 557-6200
San Francisco County main IHSS line: (415) 355-6700 ext. 3

Source: San Francisco Human Services Agency, checked October 5, 2026. Counties change how they run orientation, so confirm before you go. IHSSHours.com is independent and is not part of the county.

How provider orientation works, with every county →

Provider Wage & Public Authority

San Francisco County IHSS Contacts

Current hourly wage: $25.00/hr (highest hourly rate of any California county)
Public Authority: SF IHSS Public Authority (SEIU Local 2015)
IHSS Application Line: (415) 355-6700, ext. 3
One intake line also handles Adult Protective Services and home-delivered meals — use extension 3 for IHSS.
Provider Assistance Center: (415) 557-6200
Public Authority main line: (415) 243-4477
Provider support line: (415) 593-8125

Wage figures are compiled from public county and advocacy sources and cross-checked where possible, but county rates change and secondary sources sometimes disagree. Confirm your current rate directly with SF IHSS Public Authority before relying on this figure.

Check your weekly max as a San Francisco County provider → Pre-filled with the county average of 112 authorized hours a month (CDSS) — swap in your recipient's number.

Local Notes & Quirks

Highest wage in California: San Francisco pays the highest IHSS hourly rate of any county in the state, with scheduled increases through January 2027 already negotiated.
Consolidated city-county government: Because San Francisco is both a city and a county, IHSS is run through the San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA) — there's no separate 'county' office to distinguish from the city government.
Healthy Workers health coverage: Providers working a minimum of 25 hours across the last two consecutive months can apply for Healthy Workers insurance through the San Francisco Health Plan, plus dental coverage after 25 hours across six months.

San Francisco County IHSS — Common Questions

How much do IHSS providers get paid in San Francisco County?

IHSS providers in San Francisco County are paid $25.00 an hour, effective September 1, 2026. Wage rates are set locally rather than statewide, which is why they differ from county to county — across California the rates CDSS publishes currently run from $16.90 to $25.00. The rate is the same whether you care for a family member or someone unrelated.

What will IHSS providers be paid in San Francisco County in 2027?

San Francisco's Human Services Agency lists the IHSS provider wage as $25.00 an hour starting September 2026 and $25.50 an hour starting January 2027. The agency's page gives the month, not the day. California's minimum wage rises from $16.90 to $17.40 an hour on January 1, 2027. County IHSS wages are built on the state minimum wage, so no county's rate can be lower than that. To confirm a rate, call San Francisco County IHSS at (415) 355-6700 ext. 3.

How many IHSS hours do people get in San Francisco County?

Recipients in San Francisco County are authorized 111.7 hours a month on average — 7.3 below the statewide average of 119. That is an average across the whole caseload, not an entitlement and not a target. Your own hours come from your assessment — a social worker scores each task you need help with on a 1-to-5 scale and applies the published CDSS time ranges. Someone with high needs may be authorized well above this figure; someone with lighter needs, well below.

How do I apply for IHSS in San Francisco County?

Call the San Francisco County IHSS intake line at (415) 355-6700 to start an application. You can also apply through your county social services office or ask a hospital discharge planner, doctor or social worker to make the referral. The county will then arrange an in-home assessment. Counties have 90 days from the date you ask for services to decide on your application, and once you are approved, services can be authorized back to that date.

How many people receive IHSS in San Francisco County?

About 30,703 people receive IHSS in San Francisco County, roughly 3.3% of the 925,481 recipients statewide, supported by around 30,550 providers. Figures come from California Department of Social Services program data for July 2026.

How many people receive Protective Supervision in San Francisco County?

About 1,191 recipients in San Francisco County receive Protective Supervision, around 3.9% of the county caseload. Protective Supervision covers people who cannot safely be left alone because of a mental impairment. It is assessed separately from the personal care tasks, and the hours count inside the same monthly ceiling as everything else — not on top of it.

Can I be paid to care for a family member in San Francisco County?

Yes, in most cases. Adult children, parents of adult children, siblings and other relatives can all be paid IHSS providers, at the same $25.00 hourly rate as anyone else. You enroll through the county: submit the SOC 426, complete Live Scan fingerprinting and a Department of Justice background check, attend provider orientation, and sign the SOC 846. A spouse can be paid too, but only for part of the care — personal care and paramedical services, and in some situations accompaniment and Protective Supervision — because a spouse living in the home is expected to do most household tasks unpaid. A parent can be the paid provider for their own minor child through the ordinary enrollment process.

Figures are from CDSS program data (July 2026) and the CDSS county wage sheet (IP Effective 10-1-2026). County averages describe a caseload, not an entitlement — how we calculate estimates.

Appealing a Notice of Action in San Francisco County

If San Francisco 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 1-800-743-8525 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 San Francisco County IHSS appeal, Disability Rights California can be reached at 1-800-776-5746.

IHSS in San Francisco County: Phone Number, Pay Rate & How to Apply