New Requirements for Workers by IHSS

Today a letter arrived announcing that the benefits people had cut my SSI by five bucks. This made me be afraid that my SSI disability check could be cut further at any time. That was very upsetting.

Then I got a notice by In Home Support  Services that people who work for me, (who are paid by IHSS,) will have to "qualify" to be paid minimum wage by taking courses sponsored by the county! They will need to be fingerprinted and get a criminal background check that disallows people who are felons and "serious misdemeanors,"  - whatever that means. 

The weird thing is IHSS is going to require fingerprints from both me and the person who is working for me on every report form. They want these fingerprints to be there on each time sheet!  Are they paying for us to buy the equipment to do the fingerprinting? Probably not. Another expense; pretty soon they'll require us to buy "special" from them ink so it can be electronically checked. 

Where will this supposedly "good" idea about "security improvements" end?

This is is an invasion of privacy because ANYONE can get hold of my fingerprints in the mail! All for the privilege of being able to work for minimum WAGE! It's hard enough to get someone who will work for you because of how IHSS takes so long to pay. Now it will be impossible! Workers are always paid late. Workers may have their hours cut or eliminated at any time with only ten days notice!

There is another sucky thing you must agree to allow. Because you need help, you give up your right to privacy. IHSS wants to be able to "surprise inspect" your house at any time. 

I remember these "surprise inspections." I watched Mr. Wilson, who was dying and needed care who lived next door. One day when his worker was supposed to show up, Mr. Wilson did not answer the door when his worker came. So his worker called the cops and the cops broke down Mr. Wilson's door. This happened many times because Mr. Wilson used to fall asleep regularly when he was supposed to stay awake.


So I'd like to know what will happen if IHSS makes a "surprise" visit and I am in my worker's car going to the store or at an appointment with my worker so I don't answer the door. Will they call the cops and break into my house? 

If IHSS comes "unannounced" to my house and I am being taken to an appointment and so is not home, will they search my house? We all know what cops do to a house when it is searched. 

I am really, really mad about these "policy changes". I am so mad that I am screaming. Frustration doesn't even begin to describe how I feel.


It's hard enough to find people who will work for IHSS, let along workers who will put up with having their fingerprints regularly sent through the mail. What were these stupid people thinking???  

They are thinking: "Let's put more hoops in the way so nobody will want to work for these people who need help. Then these people will get worse because they'll be forced to do things for themselves and they'll die sooner. Then we won't have to deal with them."


In-Home Support Services people say that they're trying to minimize "fraud." But they're actually making it impossible for IHSS recipients to find people to work for them. 

OK, let's say you are a kind relative who wants to help our your ailing oldster by working around the house for them. To afford to do this, you need to get paid something. Would you send your fingerprints through the mail each month to work for these minimum wages? 

On top of that, IHSS has announced they will no longer mail checks to P.O. Boxes. Now my favorite worker who sometimes works for me cannot do so, because her only possible mail delivery location is a rural Post Office box!

I am livid. I guess I'll just hurry up and die earlier like everyone else will have to do.