IHSS Fiscal staff are responsible for many functions which include
For counties other than Santa Cruz, please go to http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/County-IHSS-Offices to contact your county.
Phone: Use the automated confidential phone line (831) 454-7315 or
Email us at HSDIHSSFISCAL@santacruzcountyca.gov
Always include:
Due to the volume of calls, IHSS Fiscal will give priority to solving your problem and may not return your call if your request can be addressed without a call.
You can expect a return call within two business days if:
Reasons that your call might not be returned:
As of 1/1/2022 IHSS providers in Santa Cruz County earn $17.75 per hour.
Although income tax withholding is voluntary, all IHSS Providers remain subject to both Federal and State income tax regulations, and their earnings remain taxable. If an IHSS Provider wants federal and/or state income tax withheld from his/her paycheck, he/she must complete the appropriate Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate form(s): a W-4 for Federal Income Tax (FIT) and, if necessary, a DE-4 for State Income Tax (SIT). If a provider does not want FIT or (SIT) withheld, he/she does not need to complete /file an Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate form(s).
IHSS wages received by IHSS providers who live in the same home as the recipient of those services are excluded from gross income for purposes of federal and state income tax. A live-in provider must fill out a SOC 2298 Live-In Self Certification Form for Federal and State Tax Wage Exclusion in order to receive this benefit. Fiscal new provider packet information will include tax forms, including SOC2298 form.
For timesheets submitted electronically using the Electronic System Portal (ESP) or the Telephone Timesheet Service (TTS), the standard processing time is 5 to 6 business days. Timesheets mailed and completed without errors should be paid within 10 working days (this does not include weekends and holidays) from the date it is received by West Sacramento Processing Facility.
Visit the California Department of Social Services Contact Your County Offices webpage.
Yes, beginning July 1, 2022, IHSS and WPCS providers will be required to use Direct Deposit or a pay card to have their IHSS paychecks automatically deposited into a bank account or onto a pay card of their choice. Providers who use the IHSS Electronic Services Portal (ESP) and receive their paychecks electronically receive their paychecks faster.
If you do not wish to or do not have access to a bank account, the California Department of Social Services has identified pay card offerings from the financial services industry that meet the State’s requirements on consumer protection, excessive fees, insurance, and notifications, however, providers can select any pay card provider they choose. Visit the CDSS website for a current listing
Please contact the pay card provider of your choice directly for questions on pay card details and additional information.
Using the Online Direct Deposit Enrollment Service to enroll in direct deposit is easy: log into your ESP account on the IHSS ESP website, then select the Direct Deposit option in the Menu located at the top of the screen and follow the instructions.
It takes approximately 30 days to start receiving Direct Deposit after you successfully submit your Online Direct Deposit enrollment request.
You should continue to submit your timesheets on time while you wait for Direct Deposit to begin. A Direct Deposit enrollment request and/or use of Direct Deposit does not change the way you submit your timesheets.
If you would like to enroll for Direct Deposit via paper form you can Download Direct Deposit Forms. Please remember that you must submit a separate form for each IHSS recipient for whom you work. If there are no timesheets submitted for 60 days, you will be dis-enrolled from direct deposit and will have to re-enroll. Once all sections of the form are complete, please sign, date and mail to:
Provider Forms Processing Center PO Box 1697 West Sacramento, CA 95691-6697
Instructions & Important Information
The County of Santa Cruz In-Home Supportive Services program and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) ARE NOT THE EMPLOYER. However, verification that an IHSS Independent Provider ("Provider") has been employed by one or more recipients of the IHSS program can be provided. It is not our policy to complete or fill in employer or agency forms. The IHSS Independent Provider Verification of Employment Request Form is the only authorized form available for use by our office.
IHSS FISCAL Fax Number: 831-454-4025
IHSS FISCAL Email address: HSDIHSSFISCAL@santacruzcounty.us
The following is the only information that our office will be able to provide:
Below is the information that we cannot provide:
As an IHSS Provider, you can now perform several changes via the Electronic Service Portal (ESP) website. You will also find a copy of these forms on our IHSS Payroll Forms page