Governor Brown signed the state budget that includes the 7% cut in IHSS service hours be restored effective July 1st, 2016.
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July 2014 the 8% reduction in service hours will go to 7% – This is included in the Governor’s 2014-2015 Budget Proposal.
8% CUT BEGINS JULY 1, 2013 FOR ALL IHSS RECIPIENTS
Governor Brown signed IHSS Court Settlement Bill making official a temporary 8% across-the-board cut in hours for all IHSS recipients beginning July 1, 2013, followed by a 7% cut next year.
- Over 440,000 children and adults with disabilities (including developmental), the blind and seniors who are IHSS recipients will see an 8% across-the-board cut in their service hours beginning July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. That cut would fall to 7% on July 1, 2014 and end on June 30, 2015. IHSS recipients who have documented “unmet need” hours can have the 8% reduction (and the later 7% cut) taken first from those hours.
- However, some portion of that 7% cut could remain indefinitely if the Governor’s Department of Finance, under the settlement agreement and SB 67, determines that the State will not receive sufficient new federal funding for the IHSS Program to cover restoring funding to offset the temporary reduction.
- The temporary reductions would replace an existing 3.6% across-the-board cut in hours to all IHSS recipients that was originally authorized as part of the 2010-2011 state budget, and is scheduled to end on June 30, 2013. Read more..
WHO IS IMPACTED BY TEMPORARY ACROSS-THE-BOARD IHSS CUTS?
- IHSS RECIPIENTS: All IHSS recipients –no exemptions.
- IHSS WORKERS: The across-the-board reductions also would impact the over 360,000 IHSS workers who provide individual supports and services to IHSS recipients, who would see a reduction in their pay that corresponds with the lost hours linked to the temporary across-the-board cut for the IHSS recipient.
- CUT APPLIED TO MOST RECENT ASSESSMENT: The temporary across-the-board 8% cut (July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014) and 7% cut (July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015), under the court settlement agreement and as authorized in SB 67, would be applied to the IHSS recipient’s hours as authorized in their most recent assessment. IHSS recipients may direct the manner in which the reduction of hours is applied to previously authorized services.
- DOCUMENTED “UNMET NEED”: Under the court settlement and as authorized in SB 67, if an IHSS recipient has documented “unmet need” hours – meaning certain specific needs as documented by the county that exceed the maximum 283 hours per month that an IHSS recipient can have – then the across-the-board reduction will be taken first from those hours. Persons not certain if they have documented “unmet needs” should contact their county IHSS social worker. Read more..
8% Cut Across the Board to IHSS Service Hours Frequently asked Questions
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I got a notice saying that my IHSS will be cut by 8%. Does this cut apply to everyone on IHSS?
Yes. This is an 8% across-the-board cut for everyone on IHSS.
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Is this a new cut?
Not entirely. Part of the cut is new. Part of the cut is already in effect. 3.6% of the cut has been in effect since about July 2011. All IHSS recipients have had this 3.6% cut since then. The new cut raises the 3.6% cut to a total cut of 8%. This is an increase of 4.4%. (3.6% + 4.4% = 8%)
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Which IHSS services will get cut?
The 8% cut is a cut in the total number of IHSS hours. It is up to you to decide how the 8% cut will be applied to the various services you get from IHSS. The county does not decide this for you. You need to tell your provider or providers about the cuts and tell them which activities will be cut.
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Can I appeal the 8% cut?
No, you cannot appeal the 8% cut unless there was a math mistake or the county did not deduct the cut from your “unmet need” first.
If you appeal the 8% cut before it goes into effect, you may be able to stop the cut until you have your IHSS fair hearing. This is called “aid paid pending” the hearing. You can get aid paid pending only if you are appealing a math mistake or the county did not deduct the cut from your “unmet need” first. You cannot get aid paid pending if you are appealing only the 8% cut itself. The reason is that the 8% cut is an automatic cut that is required by law and applies to everyone . Read more..