IHSS in Tulare County: Phone Number, Pay Rate & How to Apply
Everything specific to Tulare County — current provider wages, your Public Authority, and how to appeal a Notice of Action.
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Overview
Tulare County's IHSS program is administered by the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency, with the county's IHSS Public Authority working alongside Aging Services to maintain a registry of screened providers; the county has more than 8,500 in-home care providers.
Tulare County IHSS providers have been actively bargaining through SEIU Local 2015 for improved wages and benefits, so this is a county where the rate can move meaningfully between updates — worth confirming directly before relying on any figure.
Clara has Tulare County’s contacts and current wage, and can explain how hours are decided.
How to apply for IHSS in Tulare County
To apply for IHSS in Tulare County, call the county IHSS office. A social worker will take your application and arrange an in-home assessment.
Tulare County IHSS phone number
There is no statewide online IHSS application — applying means phoning your county. All Tulare 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 Tulare 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.
Tulare 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 Tulare 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 Tulare County
Not published yet
Tulare 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 Tulare County main IHSS line
- (559) 623-0600
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 Tulare County
Not stated online
The county posts the required provider orientation videos online in English, Spanish and Chinese, but its pages do not say how a new provider completes enrollment or whether an office visit is needed.
How to start: The pages give no sign-up steps. They list the IHSS office in Visalia as the contact.
Call Tulare County's main IHSS line and ask how new providers complete orientation.
- Tulare County IHSS office
- (559) 623-0600
Source: Tulare County Health & 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.
Provider Wage & Public Authority
- Current hourly wage
- $17.50/hr
- Public Authority
- Tulare County IHSS Public Authority (SEIU Local 2015)
- IHSS Main Line
- (559) 623-0600
- Toll-Free
- 1-800-571-9555
- Office Address
- 4025 W. Noble Ave., Suite A
Visalia, CA 93277
Tulare's wage is currently one of the lower rates in the state and is the subject of active union bargaining. Confirm your current rate directly with the Tulare County Public Authority before relying on this figure.
Check your weekly max as a Tulare County provider → Pre-filled with the county average of 114 authorized hours a month (CDSS) — swap in your recipient's number.
Local Notes & Quirks
- Below-average wage, active bargaining: At $17.50/hr, Tulare's rate sits well below the statewide average, and SEIU Local 2015 has been publicly campaigning for a stronger contract — expect this figure to change.
- Single office, two phone options: Tulare County IHSS operates out of one Visalia office with both a local number and a toll-free line, useful if you're calling long-distance from elsewhere in the county.
- Significant unused care hours: County data has shown hundreds of thousands of authorized IHSS hours going unused in Tulare County due to a provider shortage — a sign that registry wait times can run longer here than in better-staffed counties.
Local Support & Caregiver Resources
IHSS covers a defined set of hours for specific tasks — it isn't meant to be the only support a family has access to. Tulare County has its own Area Agency on Aging, which can help connect recipients and care providers to additional services IHSS doesn't cover, like home-delivered meals, respite care, and legal assistance. These are meant to work alongside IHSS, not replace it.
- Role
- Area Agency on Aging for Tulare and Kings Counties — coordinates caregiver support, home-delivered meals, respite care, Medicare counseling (HICAP), and legal services for older adults
- Phone
- 1-800-321-2462
- Website
- ktaaa.org
- Languages
- English, Spanish, Tagalog, Portuguese
Notably, in Tulare County, the K/T AAA's Director also serves as the county's Aging Services Manager overseeing IHSS — meaning this office coordinates more directly with the local IHSS program than in most counties, rather than operating as a fully separate agency.
Tulare County has a large Spanish-speaking community. If Spanish is your preferred language, IHSSHours.com's full Resource Hub is also available in Spanish →
Tulare County IHSS — Common Questions
How much do IHSS providers get paid in Tulare County?
What will IHSS providers be paid in Tulare County in 2027?
How many IHSS hours do people get in Tulare County?
How do I apply for IHSS in Tulare County?
How many people receive IHSS in Tulare County?
How many people receive Protective Supervision in Tulare County?
Can I be paid to care for a family member in Tulare 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 Tulare County
If Tulare 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 Tulare 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.
