Los Angeles County IHSS Wage Increase 2026: New Rates & Timeline

By the Unified Savers Editorial Team

This information is based on official California DSS guidelines and is reviewed for accuracy. For case-specific legal advice, consult a qualified attorney or your local legal aid organization.

Los Angeles County IHSS home care providers will receive a $0.60 per hour wage increase on July 1, 2026, raising the countywide IHSS rate from $20.25 to $20.85 per hour, according to a notice issued June 9 by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS). The increase is the second of three scheduled steps in the 2024–2027 collective bargaining agreement between the county and SEIU 2015 Local 2015.

How the Increase Works

The July 1 rate adjustment is automatic — providers do not need to apply, submit paperwork, or take any action. The new $20.85 rate will appear on the first IHSS paycheck issued after July 1. For providers paid on the standard biweekly cycle, that means the updated rate will be reflected in the paycheck covering the period July 1–14, which is issued approximately July 22.

The increase applies to all authorized IHSS providers in Los Angeles County, including:

Providers employed by care recipients in the standard IHSS program
Providers in the IHSS Plus Option (IPO) program, which serves participants transitioning from institutional care
Providers delivering Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) to recipients in the In-Home Operations Waiver

Providers participating in the county’s Public Authority Registry who are placed with recipients through the PA referral process also receive the same rate.

Dollar Impact for LA County Providers

The $0.60/hour increase translates to meaningful income gains for providers working significant hours:

Monthly Hours	Monthly Increase	Annual Increase
100 hours/month	$60/month	$720/year
160 hours/month	$96/month	$1,152/year
220 hours/month	$132/month	$1,584/year
283 hours/month (max)	$169.80/month	$2,037.60/year

Los Angeles County has approximately 240,000 active IHSS providers, making the July 1 increase the single largest payroll event in the county’s IHSS program each year. The combined cost to the county, state, and federal governments is estimated at $174 million annually for the full wage step.

The Road to $22.00/Hour

The current three-year agreement schedules a final wage step on July 1, 2027, which would bring the Los Angeles County IHSS rate to $22.00 per hour — an $1.15 increase from the July 2026 level. SEIU 2015 has indicated it views $22.00 as a starting point for the 2027 negotiations rather than a ceiling, consistent with the union’s statewide “$25 by ‘27” campaign announced earlier this month.

County labor relations officials have not commented publicly on the 2027 contract cycle, but the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the current three-year agreement in 2024 and has generally supported incremental IHSS wage growth.

How LA Compares to Other California Counties

At $20.85, Los Angeles County will remain below the highest IHSS rates in California after July 1. San Francisco currently pays $22.22 per hour and Santa Clara County pays $21.80. By contrast, many smaller counties — particularly in the Central Valley and rural North Coast — remain within $1 to $2 of the state minimum wage floor of $18.65.

The wage gap between coastal urban counties and inland rural counties is a central argument in SEIU 2015’s current bargaining campaign. The union argues that providers in high-cost inland counties like Fresno ($18.80/hour) and Kern ($18.75/hour) face a de facto pay cut relative to the cost of living compared to their counterparts in Los Angeles.

What Providers Should Do Before July 1

Confirm direct deposit information in the Electronic Services Portal (esp.dss.ca.gov) is current — DPSS reports that outdated banking information is the number one reason IHSS paychecks are delayed or issued by mailed check
Review your timesheet submission schedule — timesheets for hours worked July 1–14 must be submitted and approved by the recipient no later than July 17 to make the July 22 pay cycle
Check for any pending fingerprint or background check items — providers with unresolved background check flags may see their enrollment suspended before the pay increase takes effect

Providers with questions about the July 1 rate change can contact the Los Angeles County DPSS IHSS line at (888) 944-4477, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.