Illinois · waiver service
Home Services Program (HSP) in Illinois
The Home Services Program, run by the IDHS Division of Rehabilitation Services, helps people under 60 with severe disabilities stay at home. The customer hires and supervises their own personal assistant (PA), and the state pays the PA directly. Adult children and other relatives can be the PA, but spouses and parents of minor children cannot.
Also called: HSP · DRS Home Services · Illinois Home Services Program · DORS personal assistant · Illinois PA program
Who do you care for?
Quick facts
- Pay
- $20.00/hr
- Adult children & other relatives
- Yes
- Spouse
- Not right now
- Parent of a minor child
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- none
Who qualifies for HSP
- Illinois resident under age 60 with a severe disability expected to last at least 12 months.
- At risk of nursing-home placement, as measured by a DRS needs assessment.
- Meets the program's asset rules and applies for Medicaid if eligible.
- Service cost must not exceed the cost of nursing-home care.
Who can be paid as the caregiver
- Adult children & other relatives Yes
- adult children, siblings, parents of an adult customer and other relatives can be hired as the PA.
- Spouse Not right now
- Illinois rule 89 Ill. Adm. Code 684.30 bars paying a spouse as the customer's service provider.
- Parent of a minor child Not right now
- parents, stepparents, foster parents and guardians of a customer under 18 cannot be paid.
- Living together
- the PA may live with the customer or elsewhere.
Who employs the caregiver: Self-directed. The customer selects, employs and supervises the PA; the state handles payroll. Homemaker agencies are also available.
Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Illinois.
How much HSP pays
$20.00/hr. Base PA wage is $19.50/hour from January 1, 2026 and $20.00/hour from July 1, 2026 under the SEIU Healthcare Illinois contract, rising to $20.75 on January 1, 2027. Experienced PAs earn add-ons of $1, $2 or $4/hour based on total hours worked. The state pays the PA directly.
Hours and budget: A DRS counselor completes an assessment and a service plan that sets monthly hours, capped by a service cost maximum tied to the assessment score.
Compare with other Illinois programs on the Illinois caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist?
HSP generally enrolls eligible applicants without a waiting list.
How to apply for HSP
- Submit a Rehabilitation Services web referral, or call IDHS at 1-800-843-6154.
- Meet with a DRS counselor at one of 47 local offices for an assessment.
- Build a service plan and choose your PA.
- The PA completes hiring paperwork so the state can pay them.
- IDHS Division of Rehabilitation Services — Home Services · 1-800-843-6154 (TTY 1-866-324-5553) · official site
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HSP questions
Can I be paid to care for my adult son or daughter through HSP?
Yes. A parent of an adult customer can be the paid PA. Parents of minor children cannot.
Can a spouse be a PA in the Home Services Program?
No. Illinois rules list the spouse as a family member who cannot be paid. Spouses of people 60 and older may look at the Community Care Program instead.
How much do Illinois PAs make in 2026?
The base wage is $20.00 an hour from July 1, 2026, with add-ons for long-time PAs.
What if the person is 60 or older?
HSP is for people under 60. People 60 and older are referred to the Department on Aging's Community Care Program.
Who hires the PA?
The customer does. The customer picks, trains and supervises the PA, and the state sends the paycheck.
Sources: dhs.state.il.us · ilga.gov · seiuhcilin.org · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Illinois caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Illinois — pick yours for the local picture.