Does IHSS (In-Home Supportive Services) count as wages for EDD unemployment benefits calculation?

Yes, IHSS does count as wages for unemployment purposes. When you work as an IHSS provider, you're considered an employee of the recipient (with the county as the employer of record for tax purposes). The wages you earn from IHSS work should appear on your wage history when you file for unemployment. Just make sure you report your ongoing IHSS income when you certify each week, as it will affect your weekly benefit amount based on how much you earn.

Thank you so much! That makes sense. So when I certify, I'll need to report my IHSS hours/earnings each week. Will EDD automatically reduce my benefit amount based on what I report, or do I need to calculate something myself?

It depends!!! I went thru this last yr and learned IHSS can be complicated with EDD. If ur caring for a spouse or minor child, those IHSS payments DON'T count for unemployment. But if ur caring for a parent/other relative/non-relative then YES they DO count as regular wages. Weird system but thats how it works!

this is actually right! i got denied benefits b/c i didnt know my ihss work for my aunt counted as wages but when i cared for my son it didnt. totally confusing system

When I applied for UI while working IHSS, I couldn't get a straight answer from anyone at EDD because their phone lines were always jammed. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an EDD rep who confirmed that IHSS for non-immediate family members counts as wages. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Saved me weeks of confusion and got me accurate info about my specific situation.

Did you have to wait long after using that service? I've been trying to reach EDD for 2 weeks now about a similar situation (I do IHSS + had another job) and it's driving me crazy.

Here's the official answer: IHSS wages are reportable wages for UI purposes EXCEPT when providing care to your spouse or minor child (parent/child relationship). When you certify each week, you must report your IHSS hours and earnings as employment. EDD will apply the partial benefit calculation formula: you can earn up to $99 without reduction, then they reduce your weekly benefit by subtracting 75% of anything over $99. They do the math automatically when you report the earnings.

This is super helpful, especially the part about how they calculate the reduction. I had no idea about the $99 threshold! Since I'm caring for my mom (not spouse or minor child), I'll definitely report these earnings. Thanks everyone for clearing this up!

be careful!!! my cousin got hit with an overpayment becuz she didnt report ihss correctly. edd is really strict about this stuff now & they check with other govt agencies. make sure u report EVERYTHING or theyll make u pay it all back with penalties!!!

When you file your initial application, make sure you list your IHSS work as employment with your county as the employer (though technically it's more complicated than that). The application will ask for employer address - use your county IHSS office address. For manager name, put

Exactly what I did. Also make sure you have your IHSS provider number handy when you file. They sometimes ask for it and it speeds things up.

just wondering has anyone had issues with identity verification with edd while doing ihss work? im in the same boat lost my main job but still doing ihss and when i filed my claim online they sent me to id.me and its been stuck for days

That's a separate issue from the IHSS wages question. ID.me verification is required for everyone filing a new claim regardless of work type. If you're stuck in that process, you need to contact ID.me support directly - EDD can't help with that part until your identity is verified.

Update: I filed my claim yesterday and listed both my retail job and IHSS work. The online system seemed to recognize IHSS as valid employment. I'm still waiting for my claim to be processed, but at least the application went through! Thanks everyone for your help. I'll update again when I find out my benefit amount and whether there were any issues.

Great! One more tip: when you start certifying, keep detailed records of your IHSS hours and pay for each week. The certification weeks run Sunday-Saturday, but your IHSS pay periods might be different. Having a clear record will help if there are any discrepancies later.

I'm in a similar situation - working IHSS for my elderly father and just lost my restaurant job due to slow business. This thread has been incredibly helpful! One question: when reporting IHSS earnings during certification, do you report the gross amount or what you actually receive after taxes? I know with regular jobs you report gross, but IHSS payments can be confusing since they sometimes come from different sources (county vs state funding). Want to make sure I don't mess this up when I file next week.

Just wanted to add another consideration - if you're working IHSS and applying for UI, make sure you understand the "able and available" requirement. Since IHSS often involves being available for your care recipient at specific times, EDD might question whether you're truly available for other work. I had to explain in my initial interview that my IHSS schedule was flexible enough to accommodate other employment. It's worth thinking about how you'll answer that question if it comes up during your claim process.

This whole thread has been a lifesaver! I'm in almost the exact same situation - doing IHSS for my disabled brother and just got laid off from my office job. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like since I'm caring for my sibling (not spouse or minor child), the IHSS wages will definitely count toward my UI calculation. I'm actually relieved to know this because it means I'll have a higher benefit amount than if they only counted my office job. One thing I'm still unclear on though - when I lost my office job, I increased my IHSS hours to help make ends meet. Will EDD see this increase in hours as me "choosing" to work more instead of looking for other employment? I don't want them to think I'm not actively job searching just because I picked up extra caregiving shifts. Has anyone dealt with this situation before?

Wow, this thread has been incredibly informative! I'm actually an IHSS provider for my elderly aunt and was completely unaware that these wages would count toward my unemployment benefits. I lost my part-time job at a medical office last month and have been hesitant to file for UI because I wasn't sure how to handle the IHSS situation. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me the confidence to move forward with my application. One question for those who have successfully navigated this - when you reported your IHSS work on the initial application, did you use your recipient's name as the "supervisor" or did you put down someone from the county IHSS office? I know someone mentioned using the county office address, but I'm not sure about the supervisor field. Also, has anyone had experience with how long it typically takes for IHSS wages to show up in EDD's system? I'm worried they might not have all my wage history right away since IHSS payroll can sometimes be slower than regular employers. Thanks so much to everyone who has shared their experiences - this community is amazing!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding IHSS and unemployment! I'm currently doing IHSS for my grandfather and just got notice that my retail job is ending next month due to store closure. Based on what I've read here, it sounds like my IHSS wages will count toward my UI benefits since I'm caring for a grandparent (not spouse or minor child). One thing I'm curious about - has anyone had experience with how EDD handles the situation if your IHSS recipient passes away while you're receiving unemployment benefits? I know this is a sensitive topic, but my grandfather's health has been declining and I want to understand what would happen to my benefits if I suddenly lost the IHSS income. Would I need to report this change immediately, and would it affect my weekly certification process? I'm hoping this won't be an issue anytime soon, but I'd rather be prepared. Thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences - this community has been such a valuable resource!

This has been such an educational thread! I'm currently doing IHSS for my disabled sister and just found out my hours at the grocery store are being cut to almost nothing. Reading through all these experiences, it's clear that my IHSS wages will count toward unemployment since I'm caring for a sibling. What I'm wondering about is the timing aspect - if I file for unemployment now while still working reduced hours at the grocery store, and then those hours get eliminated completely in a few weeks, do I need to file a new claim or just continue with weekly certifications? Also, has anyone had issues with EDD questioning why you're continuing IHSS work while claiming to be looking for other employment? I'm concerned they might see it as not being "available" for full-time work, even though my caregiving schedule is flexible and I genuinely need other income beyond IHSS. The $99 threshold mentioned earlier is helpful to know about - sounds like I can earn that much from IHSS without affecting my benefits, then only 75% of anything over that reduces my weekly amount. Thanks everyone for sharing so much valuable information!

Thank you all for this incredibly detailed discussion! I'm in a similar situation - providing IHSS care for my elderly mother while working part-time at a local clinic. My clinic hours just got reduced significantly due to budget cuts, and I've been putting off filing for unemployment because I was so confused about how IHSS wages would be handled. This thread has answered literally every question I had! The clarification about parent/child relationships (my situation) versus spouse/minor child relationships was especially helpful - I had no idea there was a difference. I'm planning to file my claim this week and will make sure to report both jobs accurately. The tip about keeping detailed records of IHSS hours by certification week is brilliant - I'm going to start tracking that immediately. Has anyone here had success getting through to EDD recently to ask follow-up questions, or is it still nearly impossible to reach them by phone? I'd love to double-check a few details about my specific situation before I submit my application.

This thread is absolutely incredible - thank you everyone for sharing such detailed experiences! I'm currently providing IHSS care for my disabled adult son and just received a layoff notice from my office job effective next month. Based on everything I've read here, it sounds like my situation might be different since I'm caring for my child (even though he's an adult). From what @Dominique Adams and @Marilyn Dixon mentioned, IHSS payments for caring for your own child don't count as wages for unemployment purposes - but I'm wondering if this rule only applies to minor children, or if it includes adult children with disabilities too? My son is 23 but has been receiving IHSS services since he was 18. I want to make sure I understand this correctly before I file my claim. Has anyone dealt with this specific situation - caring for an adult child through IHSS while applying for unemployment benefits? I don't want to report this wrong and create problems down the line.

This entire discussion has been so valuable! I'm a new IHSS provider for my grandmother and just started the process after losing my restaurant job due to the business closing permanently. Reading through everyone's experiences, I now understand that my IHSS wages will definitely count toward my UI benefits since I'm caring for my grandmother (not spouse/minor child). What I'm finding challenging is gathering all the documentation EDD might need. Does anyone have a checklist of IHSS-related documents I should have ready when filing? I have my provider agreement and timesheets, but I'm wondering if I need pay stubs, the original IHSS authorization, or anything else specific to make the process smoother. Also, for those who mentioned using county IHSS office information as the "employer" - did you use the main county office or the specific regional office that handles your case? I want to make sure I get all these details right from the start. Thanks again to everyone for sharing such detailed information!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently providing IHSS care for my uncle who has dementia, and I just got laid off from my warehouse job last week. Based on all the detailed information shared here, it sounds like my IHSS wages will definitely count toward my unemployment calculation since I'm caring for my uncle (not spouse or minor child). I'm planning to file my claim this weekend and feel much more confident about how to handle the IHSS portion now. One quick question - when reporting the county as my IHSS employer, should I expect any delays in processing since it's a government entity rather than a private business? I've heard that sometimes government employment can take longer to verify. Also, has anyone had experience with how EDD handles IHSS wage verification if you've only been a provider for a few months? I started caring for my uncle in December, so I only have about 3 months of IHSS wages in the system. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion - the level of detail and personal experiences shared here is amazing!

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm currently providing IHSS care for my disabled brother and just got my hours reduced to almost nothing at my office job. From reading everyone's experiences, it's clear that since I'm caring for my sibling (not spouse or minor child), my IHSS wages will count toward my UI benefits. What I'm wondering about is the timing of filing - should I wait until my office hours are completely eliminated, or can I file now while still working reduced hours? Also, I noticed someone mentioned keeping records aligned with EDD's Sunday-Saturday certification weeks rather than IHSS pay periods - this is such a practical tip that I hadn't thought of! Has anyone had success using a specific method or app for tracking these hours by week? I want to make sure I'm super organized from the start since accuracy seems so important based on what others have shared about overpayment issues. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this community is amazing!