IHSS in Santa Clara County: Phone Number, Pay Rate & How to Apply
Everything specific to Santa Clara County — current provider wages, your Public Authority, and how to appeal a Notice of Action.
🌐 Leer en Español →
Overview
Santa Clara County's IHSS program is administered by the Social Services Agency (SSA), with provider enrollment, registry, training, and benefits handled by Public Authority Services by Sourcewise (formerly known as PASCC) — now serving over 36,000 IHSS consumers and supporting more than 38,000 independent care providers.
Santa Clara County's hourly wage of $20.44 reflects a $0.40 increase effective January 1, 2026, tied to the state minimum wage adjustment — one of the higher county rates in California, consistent with the broader Bay Area cost-of-living pattern.
Clara has Santa Clara County’s contacts and current wage, and can explain how hours are decided.
How to apply for IHSS in Santa Clara County
To apply for IHSS in Santa Clara County, call the county IHSS office. A social worker will take your application and arrange an in-home assessment.
Santa Clara County IHSS phone number
There is no statewide online IHSS application — applying means phoning your county. All Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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.
Santa Clara County by the Numbers
Statewide, 925,481 Californians received IHSS in July 2026, averaging 119 authorized hours a month. Source: CDSS IHSS Program Data.
How Santa Clara County has changed
11 months of official CDSS program data, Jan '24 to Jul '26.
Where should you start?
Pick the path that matches where you are right now.
Provider pay in 2027 in Santa Clara County
Not published yet
Santa Clara County has not published a provider pay rate for 2027.
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 Santa Clara County main IHSS line
- (408) 792-1600
Sources: 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.
Provider orientation in Santa Clara County
Online first, then in person
Online first: create an account, complete the forms and watch the State videos on the Enrollment Center website. Then two in-person steps: a required group orientation meeting at the SEIU 2015 office in San Jose, and a Public Authority appointment that you book online.
How to start: Use the "Continue to Enrollment" button on the Public Authority's enrollment page.
- Public Authority Enrollment Department (leave a message; a call back can take 24 to 48 hours)
- (408) 350-3252
- Santa Clara County main IHSS line
- (408) 792-1600
Source: Public Authority Services by Sourcewise (Santa Clara County), 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.
Provider Wage & Public Authority
- Current hourly wage
- $20.44/hr (+$0.40 effective Jan 1, 2026)
- Public Authority
- Public Authority Services by Sourcewise (SEIU)
- IHSS Main Line
- (408) 792-1600
- Public Authority Training
- (408) 350-3220
- Provider Enrollment
- (408) 350-3252
Wages change when union contracts are renegotiated or the state minimum wage rises. Confirm your current rate directly with Sourcewise before relying on this figure.
Check your weekly max as a Santa Clara County provider → Pre-filled with the county average of 133 authorized hours a month (CDSS) — swap in your recipient's number.
Local Notes & Quirks
- Recently rebranded: The county's longtime Public Authority (PASCC) now operates as "Public Authority Services by Sourcewise" — same organization, new name, so don't be confused if you see both used in older materials.
- In-person orientation, weekly schedule: New provider orientation meetings run most Fridays at 9am and 2pm — no appointment required, but arriving late may mean you're not admitted that session.
- Free VTA transit pass for providers: Active IHSS providers in Santa Clara County are eligible for a free VTA SmartPass, covering local bus and light rail — a benefit not common in most other counties.
Santa Clara County IHSS — Common Questions
How much do IHSS providers get paid in Santa Clara County?
What will IHSS providers be paid in Santa Clara County in 2027?
How many IHSS hours do people get in Santa Clara County?
How do I apply for IHSS in Santa Clara County?
How many people receive IHSS in Santa Clara County?
How many people receive Protective Supervision in Santa Clara County?
Can I be paid to care for a family member in Santa Clara County?
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 Santa Clara County
If Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County IHSS appeal, Disability Rights California can be reached at 1-800-776-5746.
County data last updated 2026-10-07 · CDSS program data July 2026, wages IP Effective 10-1-2026.
