Protect Our Care
This year UDW caregivers have vowed to fight, protect, and win for our clients and each other. Congress is threatening to make cuts to our health care and home care while anti-home care groups like the Freedom Foundation are trying to weaken our union.
But we will not back down, because we know we are stronger together. Click here to read UDW member Terry Walker-Dampier’s moving story about the importance of protecting our care.
Join us on March 28th at 3 pm for a special telephone town hall to discuss these issues and more! RSVP today at www.udwa.org/rsvp.
And be sure to call 1-866-584-5792 to tell Congressional Representative to protect the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid!
Overtime and workweek violations
Last year, the state implemented a system to penalize IHSS providers with violations when we exceed overtime and workweek limits. These violations are costly to providers and our clients, so UDW encourages all providers who have received notice of a second violation to review the training materials that came enclosed and return the certification form to CDSS. Remember, providers who receive a third violation will be suspended from IHSS for three months, and providers who receive a fourth violation face a one-year termination from the program.
Click here for more information about correctly completing your timesheet and about overtime and workweek rules violations.
If you haven’t already, return SOC 846 by April 29th
The deadline to sign and return the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program Provider Enrollment Agreement (SOC 846) is April 29th. If you became an IHSS provider before February 1, 2016, and you have not returned the form to your local county office, make a plan to do so as soon as possible.
Providers who do not return SOC 846 by the deadline will no longer be eligible to work as IHSS caregivers as of July 1, 2017. Click here for more information, and a copy of SOC 846.
Statement from UDW Executive Director Doug Moore in response to executive actions against immigrant families, Muslims, and refugees
“We are disappointed and concerned about President Trump’s decision to follow through on divisive campaign promises that target immigrants, refugees, and Muslims.
Increasing deportations, building a wall, and banning people from Muslim countries from entering the U.S. will not keep us safer. But they will tear our families apart, and fan the flames of hate and fear. […] We should be building bridges, not walls.”
Read UDW’s full statement here: http://www.udwa.org/2017/01/udw-executive-director-doug-moores-response-executive-actions-immigrant-families-muslims-refugees
Earlier this year, the State announced that providers who did not return the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program Provider Enrollment Agreement (SOC 846) were no longer in jeopardy of being terminated from the IHSS program.
The State has now reinstated a deadline for the form. It must be signed and returned to your local county office by April 29, 2017. This deadline applies to all IHSS providers who were enrolled in the program before February 1, 2016 and have not yet turned in form SOC 846.
Providers who do not return SOC 846 by the deadline will no longer be eligible to work as IHSS caregivers as of July 1, 2017. In the event this happens, there are two ways a provider can be reinstated:
- If the signed SOC 846 is postmarked on or before July 31, 2017, the provider will be reinstated and eligible for retroactive pay for hours worked during the month they were ineligible.
- If the signed SOC 846 is postmarked on or after August 1, 2017, the provider will be reinstated. However, the provider will only receive pay for hours worked on and after the date the form was postmarked.
Avoid disruptions in your work and your clients’ care by making sure your signed form SOC 846 is postmarked by April 29, 2017. Click here for more information from the Department of Social Services, and here for SOC 846.
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has made changes to IHSS program rules related to the 2016 implementation of overtime, travel time, and medical wait time. Some of these rules affect the way we complete our IHSS timesheets. We advise all providers to be aware of the following dates and required forms.
MARCH 15, 2016
CDSS mailed several informational notices and forms to IHSS providers and recipients. March 15, 2016, is the date by which your client must review, complete, and postmark IHSS form SOC 2256 – the In-Home Supportive Services Program Recipient and Provider Workweek Agreement. Note: this is only for clients who have more than IHSS provider.
APRIL 15, 2016
The updated In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program Provider Enrollment Agreement (SOC 846) now includes information on overtime and travel time. All providers must review, sign, and return the SOC 846 to your local county office. SOC 846 can be found here.
While the State recently announced that providers who do not return the form by April 15th will no longer be terminated from the IHSS program, it is still a required form so please turn it in as soon as possible.
In addition to SOC 846, the following form must be completed and returned if it applies to you:
- In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program Provider Workweek & Travel Time Agreement (SOC 2255) – If you have more than one IHSS client, you must review, complete, and return this form to your local county office by April 15th. Providers who qualify for travel time will not receive a travel time claim form until this form is returned.
MAY 1, 2016
Beginning May 1st, IHSS providers who complete their timesheets incorrectly will receive violations. After two warning violations, providers who receive a third violation will be suspended for three months, and providers who receive a fourth violation will be terminated from the program for one year.
Violations will be harmful to providers and our clients. Because of this, all providers are encouraged to avoid them by learning the new program rules. You can do this by:
- Attending a timesheet training. Contact your local UDW office to learn more;
- Visiting udwa.org/timesheets for information on how you, your clients, and your timesheets will be affected by the IHSS program changes;
- Liking UDW on Facebook to see our IHSS Tips of the Day;
- And calling the UDW Member Benefits Center at 1-800-621-5016 with IHSS program and timesheet questions.
