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.