If your IHSS hours don’t cover the care you or your loved one really needs, you can ask for more. The families who succeed usually aren’t the loudest. They’re the ones who show, clearly and in writing, how long each task takes and why.
Here’s how IHSS sets hours, and four steps to ask for the time you need.
At a glance
Getting the hours you actually need
- Track the real timeLog how long each task takes for a week or two, including your hardest days.
- Get it in writingAsk your doctor for a letter on what you can’t do and why tasks take longer.
- Ask for a reassessmentYou can ask any time your needs change. You don’t have to wait a year.
- Appeal if neededYou have 90 days from your Notice of Action to ask for a state hearing.
How IHSS sets your hours
At your home visit, the social worker looks at each task one at a time, like bathing, dressing, and meals, and gives it a score called a Functional Index rank.
The rank, together with the state’s Hourly Task Guidelines, sets how much time each task gets each week. Total hours are capped at 195 or 283 a month, depending on the case.
- 1IndependentDoes it without help.
- 2Reminders onlyNeeds prompting, guidance, or encouragement, but no hands-on help.
- 3Some helpCan do part of it, with some hands-on help.
- 4A lot of helpCan do it only with substantial hands-on help.
- 5Can’t do itCan’t do it, even with help. Someone else does it.
- 6ParamedicalNeeds paramedical care, ordered by a health professional.
Higher ranks usually mean more time. Some tasks, like memory and judgment, use only a few of these ranks.
Worth knowingFor many tasks, the state’s Hourly Task Guidelines give the social worker a time range. They can authorize more or less than that range when there’s a documented reason, like extra bedding changes or a task that takes longer because of pain or behaviors. Your job is to give them that reason, with examples.
Rank your abilities on how things go most of the time, not on your best day. If your symptoms come and go, say so.
Not sure what IHSS can pay for? See What Does IHSS Cover? and What IHSS Does Not Cover.
Step 1: Track the real time
Keep a log for at least a week, ideally two. Write down each task, how long it takes, and why: muscle spasms, resistance, wandering, accidents that mean a second bath. Then add it up below.
Care time calculator
For each task you need help with, enter the minutes it usually takes in a day and how many days a week. Use your log, and include the extra time on hard days.
This shows the time your care actually takes, not what IHSS will approve. Some services, like housework and shopping, follow set time rules or are shared with others in your home. Your numbers stay in this browser only.
Step 2: Get it in writing
- Ask the doctor for a letter describing what the person can’t do and why tasks take longer. Disability Rights California’s free guide includes a form doctors can fill out.
- Health-related tasks like injections or tube feeding need form SOC 321 (paramedical services).
- If someone must be watched constantly to stay safe, ask the doctor about form SOC 821 (protective supervision). See What “Non-Self-Direction” Means.
Step 3: Ask for a reassessment
You don’t have to wait for your yearly visit. Call your county IHSS office and ask for a reassessment any time needs change, like after a hospital stay, a new diagnosis, or a decline.
- Walk the social worker through a typical day, and your hardest days.
- Share your log, your calculator totals, and doctor letters.
- Mind your words. Five Innocent Statements That Can Hurt Your IHSS Case
Step 4: Appeal if your hours are too low
If the Notice of Action doesn’t match your needs, ask for a state hearing. A judge who doesn’t work for the county reviews it. Start with How to Appeal an IHSS Decision in California and What Happens After You File.
FlagYou have 90 days from the date on your Notice of Action to ask for a state hearing. Asking for a reassessment does not pause that clock, so if you disagree with a decision, file for a hearing too. If your hours are being cut, ask before the effective date on the notice so your current hours usually continue until the hearing.
Want help? Free help is available, and so are paid advocates. IHSS Appeal Help: Hire an Advocate or Represent Yourself? walks through the choice.
Sources
- CDSS — In-Home Supportive ServicesHome visits; annual reassessments; reassessment any time needs change; SOC 873
- Disability Rights California — IHSS In-Home and Self-Assessment Guide (Dec. 2025)Daily logs; ranking on typical and harder days; doctor letters; SOC 321 and SOC 821; self-assessment worksheet
- CDSS — IHSS Assessment and Authorization training, Part I (PDF)Time above or below Hourly Task Guidelines with a documented reason
- Orange County SSA — IHSS Needs Assessment policy (PDF)Functional Index ranks 1–6; Hourly Task Guidelines; 195 and 283-hour monthly limits
- CDSS — State Hearings: General Information90-day deadline; services continuing during a hearing
CDSS and state law are the primary authorities. County policies are cited as examples of how the statewide rules are applied.
About this article
This guide explains how IHSS sets your hours and the practical steps to ask for the time you actually need: tracking care, gathering documents, requesting a reassessment, and appealing. It draws on CDSS guidance, county policy, and Disability Rights California’s free self-assessment guide.
IHSS Connect is an independent, free registry for families and caregivers. We are not part of CDSS or any county IHSS office, and this article is general information, not legal advice.
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