Am I eligible?

BASIC ELIGIBILITY FOR IN-HOME SUPPORT SERVICES (IHSS)
To qualify for IHSS in Santa Cruz County, you must meet the following criteria:
  • Be aged 65 or older, blind, or disabled, with a disability expected to last 12 months or longer
  • Disabled children may also be eligible
  • Reside in Santa Cruz County
  • Live in your own home or a place of your choosing*
  • Be able to remain safely at home with the help of in-home care
  • Have functional limitations that make it difficult to care for yourself
  • Submit a completed IHSS Program Health Care Certification (SOC 873) from a licensed health care provider:
  • Meet low-income requirements, which may include:
    • Having Medi-Cal with or without a share-of-cost
    • Receiving Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP)
    • Meeting all SSI/SSP eligibility criteria except for income limits
    • Being a Medi-Cal recipient who meets SSI/SSP disability criteria
*Acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and licensed community care facilities do not count as your "own home."