State of California payment processing system causes delays in IHSS worker checks

The State of California’s payment processing system - responsible for paying hundreds of thousands of caregivers each month  –  has experienced significant failures and delays of payment to some of the hardest working, lowest paid employees each month for several years.

Approximately 14,000 In-Home Support Service workers time sheets are rejected by the State of California’s payment system every month resulting in devastating delays of the providers’ monthly paycheck.

In the June of 2016 payroll process, about 10,000 paychecks were delayed by up to ten working days.  

Almost 400 provider paychecks were delayed up to 30 working days.  

As of July 11, 2016, 1,772 providers were waiting for their June paychecks. That is nearly 1,800 people who were trying to patch together enough money for food, shelter and gas while caring for vulnerable residents without compensation.

In May of 2015, some 40,000 time sheets for In Home Supportive Services workers were lost and not discovered to be missing for weeks on end. These are the time cards for providers who care for elderly and disabled individuals in their homes – they often live paycheck to paycheck and this was just one example of many when issues with time sheets and pay delays caused a ripple effect in the lives of these providers.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Los Angeles City Hall, Senator Mike McGuire will chair the Senate Human Services Committee oversight hearing focused on the state’s payroll practices for IHSS workers.

“For years, the state has been hearing complaints that state-issued paychecks are often delayed for days or weeks in the In Home Support System and it’s time for this irresponsible practice to stop,” Senator McGuire said. “California must step up and fix the payroll system to ensure these hard working caregivers who support hundreds of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities are paid on time and accurately.”

There are approximately 500,000 IHSS providers statewide, who care for about 400,000 elderly and disabled individuals, enabling them to remain living at home. Eighty percent of caregivers in California are women.

The oversight hearing – “The Check is in the Mail: The State’s cumbersome IHSS Payroll Process is Unresponsive to Needs of IHSS Providers and Recipients” – will include testimony about the cause of payroll system delays and panelists will identify ways to streamline the payroll processing. 

Panels will include testimony from state and local agencies charged with overseeing the IHSS system, as well as providers who have experienced rejected or delayed time cards and the effects of those delays.

Senator McGuire is chair of the Senate Human Services Committee. Senator Connie Leyva (D-Chino), Senator Carol Liu (D-La Canada Flintridge) and Senator Richard Roth (D-Riverside) are scheduled to be in attendance.