Topics Related to IHSS Payroll

IHSS Remittance Statements and California State Controller's Office Envelope Issue

Effective July 1, and until further notice IHSS providers who receive payment through Direct Deposit will not receive their mailed Remittance Advice (RA) statement. There will not be any change to paper warrant or direct deposit payments. All  providers have anytime access to their RA statements in the Electronic Services Portal (ESP) through the Financial Tab. We appreciated your understanding as the state works to navigate the national supply chain issues.

What is Electronic Visit Verification (EVV):

EVV is a federal law that requires CDSS to electronically collect information about when and where IHSS and/or WPCS services are performed for you by providers that do not live with you.  Non Live-In providers are required to include the following information, in addition to the hours they worked, when they submit their timesheets:

• Start Time - The time a provider did the first IHSS/WPCS service for you that day,
• End Time - The time a provider did the last IHSS/WPCS service for you that day, and,
• Location - Where the services were performed that day, in the Recipient's home, in the community (anywhere other than the Recipient's home), or both.

Beginning July 1, 2023, all IHSS and WPCS providers who do not live with their recipient are required to check-in and out at the beginning and end of each workday and indicate if services are being provided in the home or community.

Non-Live-in Providers are able to check-in and out using either the new IHSS EVV Mobile Application (App), the Electronic Services Portal (ESP), or the Telephone Timesheet System (TTS) using the recipient’s landline telephone. Check-in, check-out and location information will populate on the provider’s electronic timesheet automatically, saving time for providers when submitting timesheets at the end of the pay period.

There are no penalties for providers for making corrections to their check-in, check-out and location information on their timesheet. Providers are able to make corrections before submitting their electronic timesheet to their recipient for approval just like they do today.

There are no changes for providers that live with their recipient. Live-in providers will continue to complete and submit their electronic timesheet to their recipient for approval the same way they do today.

There are no changes for recipients. Recipients will continue to review and approve their provider’s electronic timesheets the same as today. The EVV requirements do not change how recipient services are authorized or how recipient's receive their services.

EVV Training Materials & Webinar Schedule

• Go directly to the Electronic Services Portal (ESP) to register for the service.
• Read more about the ESP at the CDSS website.
• Contact the IHSS Help Desk for specific ESP questions and assistance at 1-866-376-7066 (Option 4) from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Monday to Friday - excluding major holidays).
• Sign up for the Telephonic Timesheet System (TTS) to review and approve timesheets by calling (559) 600-6666 to get started.

• Video: Electronic Services Portal Registration
• How-To for Providers & Recipients: Registration for the Electronic Services Portal (ESP).pdf(PDF, 1MB)

• Time Calculator
• Decimals to Minutes Conversion Table(PDF, 55KB) 
•  Video: Time Entry for Providers
• Video: Viewing Recent Payments for Providers
• Video: 66 Hour Weekly Limit
• Video: Requesting Supplemental Timesheets

Please note that regulations allow for up to 10 days for payment processing from the date that an approved timesheet is received.

Wondering if your timesheet was received or if payment has been issued?

Find out 24/7 on the Electronic Services Portal (ESP)!

Take me to the ESP! 

Reduce payment wait time!  Use the ESP to complete and approve timesheets.  

Set up Direct Deposit through the ESP and get paid even faster.  

Don't have a bank account for Direct Deposit?  Use a Pay Card Service instead!

Stop Payment on Lost/Stolen/Damaged Checks:

If your paycheck has not arrived within 10 business days after the date it was issued, call the Provider & Recipient Call Center (PARCC) at (559) 600-6666 (option 4) to get directions on how to request a stop payment of that check and get another one issued.   

The stop payment process will include voiding the original check in order to have another one reissued.  If the first check arrives after submitting the stop payment paperwork, you must return it to the County.  Attempting to deposit it may result in banking fees. 

• If you changed your address after submitting your timesheet for payment, the check may have been sent to your old address if it was issued/printed before your address was updated in the system.

IHSS providers have the option to complete the Federal Tax Withholding (W-4) and California Tax Withholding (DE-4) forms necessary to deduct federal and state taxes from their wages.

If a provider does not submit the withholding forms, federal and state income taxes will not be withheld from their wages. 

Some recipient/provider relationships (ex. parents working for their child) do not have certain taxes withheld.

The County of Fresno, Department of Social Services (DSS), In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and the Public Authority cannot provide any tax advice.  If provider's have concerns or questions, please contact the IRS (www.irs.gov) or tax preparer for more information regarding withholdings or exclusions. 

Questions about how to complete your W-4 & DE 4?

Links to the W-4 and DE-4 forms and a guide to help you complete them are below in English and Spanish:  

English:

• Federal Employee's Withholding Certificate (W-4) 2023
• Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (DE-4) 2023
• How to Complete the W-4 and DE-4(PDF, 242KB)

Espanol:

• Certificado de Retencloines del Empleado (W-4) 2023
• Certificado de Retenciones del Empleado (DE-4) 2023
• Como Completar el W-4 y DE-4(PDF, 273KB)

After completing and signing tax forms, they must be submitted by mail to:

IHSS Payroll Management Unit
PO Box 1660
West Sacramento, CA 95691-6660

Please do not submit tax forms to the Fresno County IHSS or PA office.

Effective July 1, 2022, all IHSS and WPCS providers are required to receive their paycheck by Direct Deposit.  

Direct deposit is the way you will receive your IHSS/WPCS paycheck.

With direct deposit your  IHSS/WPCS paycheck is deposited directly into your checking or savings account, or onto a pay card of your choice, instead of being mailed to you through the U.S. Post Office. 

A pay card is a reloadable card you can use for direct deposit and to make purchases and withdrawals.

Please visit the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Direct Deposit webpage to learn more. 

Enroll for Direct Deposit Online!

1. You must be registered on the ESP Website
2. You must be actively working for an IHSS and/or WPCS recipient
3. Have an open checking or savings account
4. Have your Bank Name, Account Number and the Routing Number
5. IHSS Providers are eligible for direct deposit if they meet the following requirements:

Sign up for Direct Deposit now!

If you would like to enroll via paper form you can download the Direct Deposit Form and return them by mail.

Please remember that you must fill out and submit a separate direct deposit form for each recipient that you work for if you want all payments made to the account/pay card. 

When no payment has been issued for 60 days for a recipient you work for, disenrollment from direct deposit (for that recipient) and will have to re-enroll if you start working for them again.

Once all sections of the form are complete please sign, date and mail Direct Deposit forms to:

Provider Forms Processing Center 
PO Box 1697 
West Sacramento, CA 95691-6697

I want to fill out a Form to sign up

Have Questions about Direct Deposit?  Call the Provider Direct Deposit Help Desk at 1-866-376-7066 (Option 2)

Paid Sick Leave

Qualifying providers are eligible for up to 40 hours of paid sick leave each fiscal year (July of this year to June of next year).  

Requirements to Qualify for Paid Sick Leave

There are some one-time requirements that must be met in order to accrue and use paid sick leave.  After meeting the requirements, 40 hours of paid sick leave will be available as of July 1st each year.

• New providers qualify to get paid sick leave after working 100 hours for a recipient(s) after their initial hire date.  The date that the provider meets this requirement is referred to as the accrual date.
• Paid sick leave cannot be taken until the provider has worked an additional 200 hours for their recipient(s), or actively worked for a period of 60 calendar days from the date that the provider accrued their paid sick leave, whichever comes first.

Paid sick leave hours cannot be accumulated.  Any paid sick leave hours not used by June 30th of the current year will expire. 

How to Request Paid Sick Leave

Requesting paid sick leave can be done in two ways

• Completing the necessary information online in the Electronic Services Portal (ESP), or
• Filling out the IHSS Provider Sick Leave Request (SOC 2302) and mailing it to the address on the form.

Learn more about Paid Sick Leave

The links below will take you to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) website, where they have provided learning modules to help you get an understanding of Paid Sick Leave. 

• Introduction to Paid Sick Leave 
• Requesting Paid Sick Leave 
• Paid Sick Leave Claim History

If you have more questions, go to the CDSS Paid Sick Leave website or call the IHSS Service Help Desk at 1-866-376-7066 (Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm)

The CalSavers Retirement Program offers IHSS providers: 

• The ability to contribute to a Roth Individual Retirement Account (Roth IRA) that belongs to the IHSS provider.
• Completely voluntary participation and ability to opt-out or back in at any time. 
• Ability to stick with the standard options for savings rates and investments or choose their own. 
• Flexibility to keep their account even if they change recipients or jobs.

The CalSavers website is very easy to navigate and is multilingual.  

Check out this testimonial montage from everyday people who are saving for their future. 

How to Participate:

IHSS providers can sign up directly and set up automatic contributions from their bank account. Sign up online at https://www.calsavers.com/ or downloading the the mobile app.

How Does it Work?

Savings Made Simple

• Easy enrollment online or by phone
• Roth IRA (post-tax) standard option
• Easy Investing
• Choose investments from a simple menu of options

Accessible

• Multilingual support and materials
• Account access online, through the app or by phone

Accountable

• Professionally managed, with oversight by transparent Board chaired by State Treasurer
• All matters deliberated in public with stakeholder input
• Bound by fiduciary duty and mission to help improve retirement security for working Californians

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ):

Question:  The CalSavers website has an option for an employer to sign up so their employees can participate.  Can the recipient(s) I work for do that?

Answer:  No, a recipient cannot sign up as an employer.  IHSS providers must use the Savers option to create their account and have money transferred from their own bank account.