IHSS San Mateo County: how to apply, phone numbers and the $21.70 provider wage

IHSS eligibility in San Mateo County

The county describes IHSS as homecare for Medi-Cal eligible people who are aged, blind or disabled, children included, so they can keep living safely at home rather than in out-of-home care. Countable income decides whether it costs the client nothing or some share. Paid tasks fall into five groups: housework (meals, cleaning, laundry); hands-on personal care (getting dressed, bathing, eating); rides to and from medical appointments with someone accompanying; protective supervision; and paramedical tasks a physician orders.

The county's eligibility list:

• age 65 or over, blind, or disabled, with a disability expected to last a year or longer (disabled children may also qualify);
• a resident of San Mateo County;
• living in your own home or a residence of your choosing, which excludes acute hospitals, long-term care facilities, board and care homes and licensed community care facilities;
• enrolled in active full-scope Medi-Cal;
• the SOC 873 Health Care Certification, filled in by a licensed health care professional;
• taking part in an in-home assessment interview.

San Mateo County IHSS phone number and applying online

Applications start with an online referral form on the county IHSS page. If you need help filling it in, the San Mateo County IHSS phone number is 650-573-3900.

1. Online referral. Submit the form. An IHSS community worker may call you if something is missing.
2. SOC 873. You then get a confirmation email with a link to the form, and a paper copy by post. You fill in page 1; a licensed health care professional completes page 2.
3. Return it within 45 days of applying, by eFax to 833-808-0937, by email to SMCIHSSInfo@smcgov.org, in person at 2000 Alameda de las Pulgas Ave., Suite 200, San Mateo, or by post to San Mateo County IHSS, PO Box 5892, San Mateo, CA 94402. According to CDSS, no hours are authorized before the county has this form.
4. Social worker visit. Once the SOC 873 is in and active Medi-Cal is confirmed, an IHSS social worker is assigned and schedules a home visit to evaluate eligibility and need.
5. Notice of Action. If approved, the notice lists each approved task and your monthly authorized hours. If denied, it gives the reasons and explains what to do if you disagree.

After approval the client hires the caregiver. CDSS treats the recipient as the employer, so training the caregiver, directing the work and ending the arrangement are the client's job too.

Hiring a provider: family, friend or registry

If you already have someone in mind, such as an adult child, a neighbor or a friend, the county asks you to call (833) 650-2272 and leave a voicemail with the client's name and case number, the provider's full legal name and the start date. Allow five to seven business days for a call back; an enrollment packet is then mailed to the applicant.

If you have no one, ask your IHSS social worker to send a referral to the Public Authority Registry. The registry can give you a referral list of caregivers or help you through the hiring process. The Public Authority says registry providers set their own availability and work out a schedule directly with the client, so be clear at the interview about the days and hours you need.

The client approves timesheets, or names a designated timesheet signatory to do it. For interview questions and a sample work agreement, our guide to hiring a private caregiver applies just as well to an IHSS hire.

IHSS pay rate for San Mateo County providers: $21.70

The Public Authority states that since January 1, 2026, every San Mateo County IHSS provider is paid $21.70 an hour and $32.55 an hour for overtime, with overtime limits applying. We pulled the state's wage spreadsheet on October 15, 2026, and its San Mateo row (tab "IP Effective 10-1-2026") matches both the rate and the date. Sorting its 58 rows, only San Francisco ($25.00) and Alameda ($22.10) pay more; the neighbors further down are Santa Cruz ($20.90), Santa Clara ($20.44), Marin ($20.40) and Contra Costa ($20.03).

The IHSS rate is the same in every part of the county. It sits $3.05 above the highest local minimum wage in that table and $4.80 above the state figure (our arithmetic, illustrative). A provider with two or more clients may not exceed a combined 66 hours in one workweek under state rules, and the county runs an overtime and violations help line on 650-743-7216 for questions about notices or staying within limits.

Sick leave. Providers receive 40 hours for the 2026/27 state fiscal year, which began July 1, 2026. Hours are earned after the first 100 hours of IHSS work and may be used after 200 more hours or 60 days; anything left on June 30 is lost. File the SOC 2302 or use the Electronic Services Portal. The Public Authority adds that there is no paid vacation or holiday pay. See every county side by side in our IHSS wages by county guide.

IHSS Public Authority San Mateo: registry, enrollment and payroll

The Public Authority shares the IHSS address, 2000 Alameda de las Pulgas, Suite 200, in San Mateo 94403, and uses PO Box 5892, San Mateo, CA 94402 for mail. It is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the lobby closed for lunch between noon and 1 p.m. Visits are by appointment: call 650-389-9666.

Joining the registry. The registry's screening questions sort applicants into two paths. If an IHSS client has already asked you to be their caregiver, you follow the ordinary enrollment route below. If not, and you are legally able to work in the U.S., you apply online. Registry orientation is mandatory; registry staff will say if you also need the general IHSS provider orientation.

Enrolling as a provider. There is no online application if you already have a client. Request a packet from the Public Authority on 833-650-2272 or PAForms@smcgov.org, complete it, and include a copy of a valid, unexpired government photo ID and a copy of your original Social Security card (plus an Employment Authorization Card if the Social Security card shows a work restriction). Post it to the PO Box, or call 650-389-9666 to book a drop-off. You also watch the mandatory orientation video posted on the enrollment page and complete a background check.

Payroll. Timesheets are electronic only, a condition of employment since September 1, 2021. Submit right after each pay period closes on the 15th and on the last day of the month; the state then has 10 business days to issue payment. Direct deposit is set up with form SOC 829 or in the portal. Existing providers have an assigned payroll specialist, reached through 650-389-9666 with your provider number to hand.

Benefits, training money and the union

• Health, dental and vision. Offered to a fixed number of enrolled providers. Coverage continues only while your timesheets show 35 or more hours each month and you submit timesheets promptly after each pay period. Applications: Benefits Specialist, (650) 573-3773.
• Transit. A $50 public transportation reimbursement is available each month to the first 125 eligible providers who apply.
• Retirement. Providers, live-in providers included, can join the voluntary CalSavers program; its help desk is (855) 650-6918.
• Training reimbursement. Up to $400 in each July-to-June fiscal year toward pre-approved classes and conferences, through a Job Development Application.
• Free workshops. Sessions on Zoom or in person, in English, Spanish or Chinese, covering infection control, diabetes, Alzheimer's and caregiver stress. Attendance is optional and unpaid. A five-part Spanish series, El Cuidador Empoderado, began August 21, 2026. Details: PAworkshops@smcgov.org or 650-241-5874.
• Paid training. The Public Authority also promotes a free 2026 online program from the Center for Caregiver Advancement open to IHSS caregivers in three counties (San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara) and taught in English, Cantonese and Spanish, which it says pays you while you learn.
• Injuries. The Public Authority gives English and Spanish contacts for filing a claim; for an existing claim call InterCare on 800-307-5454.
• Union. San Mateo County IHSS providers are represented by SEIU 2015; its Member Action Center is on 855-810-2015.

IHSS in Daly City, San Mateo, Redwood City and across the county

San Mateo County has one IHSS and Public Authority address, on Alameda de las Pulgas in the city of San Mateo, and the county IHSS page lists that single main office. Most steps run by phone, email, post or online, so where you live mainly affects which local minimum wage applies to any private hours you add.

• Daly City: local minimum wage $17.50. See caregiver jobs in Daly City and Daly City caregivers.
• San Mateo: home of the IHSS office; local minimum wage $18.60. See San Mateo caregiver jobs and caregivers in San Mateo.
• Redwood City: local minimum wage $18.65. See Redwood City caregiver jobs and Redwood City caregivers.
• Unincorporated areas: the county ordinance sets $17.95.

Countywide: San Mateo County caregiver jobs and caregivers across San Mateo County. Neighbors to the north and south have their own guides: IHSS San Francisco and IHSS Santa Clara County.

San Mateo County IHSS and Public Authority contact list

When IHSS hours run out

The Notice of Action caps the monthly hours, and a family may need more than that: someone overnight after a hospital stay, weekend shifts, or cover while the regular IHSS provider is on leave. Those hours are a private arrangement between the family and the caregiver.

A family can list that need on CaregiverConnect without paying to post. Caregivers respond with applications of their own, and the family interviews, hires and employs the person it picks. Caregivers keep their full pay, since we charge them nothing. We do not carry out background screening; a caregiver can choose to upload evidence of a check. Some features sit in optional paid plans. For private rates in the state, read in-home care costs in California; IHSS providers with open hours can create a free caregiver profile.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. San Mateo County Health, In-Home Supportive Services (eligibility, services, online referral, SOC 873 submission, Notice of Action, provider enrollment line, main office)
2. San Mateo County Health, IHSS Public Authority (functions, address, hours, appointment line)
3. San Mateo County IHSS Public Authority, Become an IHSS Registry Provider ($21.70/$32.55, orientation, employer, workshops, $400 reimbursement)
4. San Mateo County IHSS Public Authority, Provider Enrollment (packet, ID, mailing, orientation video)
5. San Mateo County IHSS Public Authority, Payroll and Benefits (electronic timesheets, benefits, 35-hour rule, transit, CalSavers, SOC 829, paydays)
6. San Mateo County IHSS Public Authority, Provider Information and Assistance (payroll, enrollment, overtime, workers' comp, SEIU 2015 lines)
7. San Mateo County IHSS Public Authority, Caregiving Workshops (2026 series, Center for Caregiver Advancement program)
8. CDSS, IHSS wages by county (workbook sheet "IP Effective 10-1-2026"; San Mateo $21.70 from January 1, 2026)
9. CDSS, In-Home Supportive Services (SOC 873 before authorization, recipient as employer)
10. CDSS, IHSS Program Requirements: overtime, travel time and wait time (66-hour maximum)
11. CDSS, IHSS Provider Paid Sick Leave (FY 2026/27, SOC 2302, Service Desk, fraud hotline)
12. California DIR, minimum wage FAQ ($16.90 from January 1, 2026)
13. City of San Mateo, Minimum Wage ($18.60 from January 1, 2026)
14. City of Daly City, Minimum Wage ($17.50 from January 1, 2026)
15. County of San Mateo, minimum wage in unincorporated areas ($17.95 from January 1, 2026)
16. UC Berkeley Labor Center, inventory of local minimum wage ordinances (Redwood City $18.65 from January 1, 2026)