Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) adds in-home care hours on top of IHSS for people with high care needs. It’s part of the state’s Home and Community-Based Alternatives (HCBA) Waiver, which helps people stay safely at home instead of in a hospital or nursing facility.
WPCS is run by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), not your county, and the steps are different from IHSS. Here’s how it works.
WPCS is one of the most misunderstood—but powerful—programs available through Medi-Cal. If your loved one needs more care than IHSS can provide, this guide will help you understand how WPCS works, who qualifies, and how to apply.
At a glance
WPCS in plain words
- What it is
- Extra in-home care hours on top of IHSS, for people with high care needs.
- Who runs it
- The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), through the HCBA Waiver. Not your county.
- Who qualifies
- People enrolled in the HCBA Waiver who already get IHSS and have a doctor’s plan that includes WPCS.
- Where to start
- Your local HCBA Waiver Agency. There is a waitlist, so apply early.
- Who provides care
- A caregiver who has finished IHSS provider enrollment, paid the same hourly rate as IHSS in your county.
- Questions
- DHCS WPCS line: 916-552-9214
Who qualifies
To get WPCS, the person who needs care must:
- Be enrolled in the HCBA Waiver
- Already receive personal care through IHSS
- Have a doctor-signed Plan of Treatment that says WPCS is needed to stay safely at home
Not sure where you stand? Answer three questions below.
Where are you in the process?
Answer three quick questions about the person who needs care to see your next step.
New to the difference between the two programs? See IHSS vs. WPCS in California.
How to apply
Step 1: Apply for the HCBA Waiver
Find the Waiver Agency for your county or ZIP code on the DHCS HCBA Waiver page, ask for the application (DHCS 1320), and send it back to that agency.
Worth knowingThe HCBA Waiver has been full since July 12, 2023, so new applicants go on a waitlist. Apply anyway: your place in line starts when you apply. When slots open, DHCS gives priority to people under 21 and to people who have lived in a health care facility for at least 60 days. DHCS posts current enrollment and waitlist numbers on its monthly dashboard.
Step 2: Get assessed
Once enrolled, a Waiver Agency nurse and case manager assess the person’s needs. WPCS hours are based on medical need. No one can receive more than 24 hours a day of direct care or protective supervision from all sources combined.
Step 3: Get WPCS into the Plan of Treatment
The doctor-signed Plan of Treatment must include WPCS before any hours can be approved. The Waiver Agency sends the request to DHCS. Allow at least two weeks; DHCS has reported longer-than-normal processing times.
Step 4: Line up a provider
Your provider must finish IHSS provider enrollment before they can be paid for WPCS. Need someone? Search caregivers on IHSS Connect for free.
What WPCS covers
Your Waiver Agency decides which services fit your situation.
- Hands-on personal careHelp with walking, transfers, bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, eating, and breathing-related care.
- Help toward independenceCueing, safety monitoring, and encouragement so the person can do more for themselves.
- Adult companionshipSupervision and social connection for adults who are isolated or homebound, including help getting to community activities. For members 18 and older.
- Paramedical careHealth-related tasks under a licensed professional’s direction, in some cases tied to paramedical services already approved through IHSS.
For providers: hours, pay, and timesheets
WPCS providers follow many of the same rules as IHSS providers, and IHSS and WPCS hours count together.
| Who can be a provider | Anyone 18 or older who has finished IHSS provider enrollment. They don’t have to be the person’s IHSS provider. |
|---|---|
| Pay | Same hourly rate as IHSS providers in your county. |
| Overtime | Time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek, counting IHSS and WPCS together. |
| Weekly limit, one member | Up to 70 hours 45 minutes, IHSS and WPCS combined. |
| Weekly limit, two or more members | Up to 66 hours, combined. Exemptions to the weekly limits can be requested through the Waiver Agency (form DHCS 2279). |
| Daily limit | Up to 12 hours a day. |
| Timesheets | Submitted in the ESP, twice a month (1st–15th and 16th–end of month). |
Can a parent or spouse be paid?
Yes, in some situations. Since the HCBA Waiver was renewed (effective January 1, 2023), parents of minors and spouses can be paid WPCS providers, but only under specific conditions.
FlagParents of minors and spouses can be paid WPCS providers only for extraordinary care: care that goes beyond what a parent or spouse would normally provide. The Waiver Agency has to document this in the Plan of Treatment before hours are approved.
- Parents of minors: the need must come from the child’s disability and go beyond what’s typical for a child the same age. Housework, laundry, shopping, and meals aren’t authorized, and adult companionship isn’t available to minors.
- Spouses: can be paid for personal care and paramedical services. Companionship, accompaniment, and protective supervision are paid only if the spouse had to leave or can’t take full-time work because no other provider is available.
Timesheets must be signed by someone other than the paid parent or spouse.
Who to contact
- Your Waiver Agency: hours, changing services, or adding a provider
- DHCS WPCS line: 916-552-9214, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
- HCBA Waiver questions: 833-388-4551 or HCBAlternatives@dhcs.ca.gov
- ESP, timesheets, direct deposit: IHSS Service Desk, 866-376-7066
Sources
- DHCS — Waiver Personal Care ServicesWhat WPCS is; assistance toward independence; adult companionship (18+); contacts
- DHCS — WPCS Frequently Asked QuestionsEligibility; Plan of Treatment; provider enrollment; 70:45 and 66-hour limits; 12-hour day; overtime; pay rate; ESP timesheets; how hours are requested
- DHCS — Home and Community-Based Alternatives WaiverWaitlist since July 12, 2023; priority groups; DHCS 1320 application; Waiver Agencies by county
- DHCS — HCBA Policy Letter 24-003: WPCS Parent and Spouse Providers (PDF)Extraordinary care rule; spouse conditions; timesheet designee
- DHCS — HCBA PL 24-003 Attachment: WPCS age guidelines tool (PDF)Personal care tasks; domestic services not authorized for parent providers of minors; paramedical
- DHCS — HCBA Waiver Enrollment DashboardMonthly enrollment and waitlist numbers
DHCS is the primary authority for WPCS and the HCBA Waiver. Your Waiver Agency’s assessment and DHCS’s authorization decide your hours.
About this article
This guide explains California’s Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) program in plain language: who qualifies, how to apply through the HCBA Waiver, what it covers, and the rules for providers. Every program detail comes from the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
IHSS Connect is an independent, free registry for families and caregivers. We are not part of DHCS, any county, or any Waiver Agency, and this article is general information, not legal advice.
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