Institute for Human Resources and Services Data Breach Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Tereska v. Institute for Human Resources and Services, No. 2026-02353

There’s $45 waiting for you, no proof needed, if your information was accessed in the August 2025 cyberattack on the Institute for Human Resources and Services. Lost money because of it? You can claim up to $2,000. The case is Tereska v. Institute for Human Resources and Services, No. 2026-02353, and you have until December 2, 2026 to file. The court still has to approve the deal. Here’s how to file an IHRS settlement claim.

IHRS Data Breach Settlement — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	UNVERIFIED — no total fund is stated on the administrator’s pages I could read
Claim Deadline	December 2, 2026
Who Qualifies	People in the United States whose Private Information was accessed in the August 2025 IHRS data breach
Estimated Payout	$45 with no proof, or up to $2,000 for documented losses, plus two years of credit monitoring
Proof Required	No for the $45 payment; Yes for up to $2,000
Settlement Status	Proposed. Court-authorized notice issued; final approval hearing December 17, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. ET
Court & Case Number	Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, No. 2026-02353
Law Alleged	UNVERIFIED — the administrator’s pages don’t name the legal claims
Administrator	Simpluris
Official Claim Site	institutehrdatasettlement.com
Last Updated	September 22, 2026

Who Is IHRS and Why Are They Being Sued Over a Data Breach?

The Institute for Human Resources and Services is a Kingston, Pennsylvania nonprofit that runs foster care, adoption services, and community living programs in Luzerne County. Those programs generate sensitive records. If your name is in those files, you’re the person this settlement was written for.

What Happened to People’s Data in the August 2025 IHRS Cyberattack?

Here’s what the settlement website says happened. During a targeted cyberattack on IHRS’ computer systems in August 2025, certain files containing private information were accessed. Those files may have held names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers or ITINs, driver’s license or state ID numbers, medical record numbers, and medical history, condition, treatment or diagnosis information.

IHRS denies it did anything wrong, and the court hasn’t decided who’s right, but both sides agreed to settle rather than face the cost and risk of a trial. That’s how most of these go.

UNVERIFIED — the specific legal claims: the administrator’s pages don’t name them and the complaint wasn’t retrievable.

We’ve covered how another medical-data breach deal is built in Cardiovascular Consultants $3.85M Settlement File Your Claim. That matters for your check. The claim pages here list what each person can claim but no total fund, so read the full settlement agreement before you assume those numbers can’t change.

Who Qualifies for the IHRS Data Breach Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to answer “do I qualify for the IHRS settlement?” for yourself.

• Anyone in the United States whose “Private Information was accessed in the Data Breach,” according to the class definition in the settlement FAQ
• People who received a postcard or email with a LoginID and PIN, mailed starting September 3, 2026
• Those who aren’t sure and can call the administrator at (888) 836-1710 to check

Excluded are IHRS directors, officers and agents (and their subsidiaries and affiliates), governmental entities, and the judge, the judge’s immediate family, and court staff.

Did a settlement postcard or email land in your inbox in the last few weeks? Then you’re likely already on the list.

IHRS Data Breach Settlement Class Members Outside Pennsylvania — Are You Still Covered?

Distance doesn’t matter here. The class is defined as people in the United States, and the case is only being heard in a Pennsylvania court, so you file online or by mail from anywhere.

Not sure if you qualify for the IHRS data breach settlement? A free consultation with a data privacy attorney can help before the December 2 deadline.

How Much Can IHRS Data Breach Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $2,000 Per Person

Every class member can claim two years of credit monitoring plus one of two cash payments.

IHRS Payout With Proof — Up to $2,000

Up to $2,000. That’s Cash Payment A, and it repays documented out-of-pocket losses tied to the breach, like identity theft losses, credit report or monitoring fees, ID replacement, and postage to contact banks. The losses must fall between August 13, 2025 and December 2, 2026, and expenses someone else already reimbursed don’t count.

Here’s what most people miss. The settlement lists credit freeze fees as a covered loss, but IHRS’s own notice letter says federal law bars charging for freezes. So the claims most likely to pay are real identity theft losses, ID replacement, and mailing costs.

IHRS Payout Without Proof — $45

No proof needed. Cash Payment B is a one-time $45 payment, and the FAQ says you don’t have to provide any proof or explanation. But if your documented losses run past $45, Payment A is the better deal.

Two Years of CyEx Financial Shield Complete

All class members can claim two years of this monitoring service, which comes with a $1 million insurance benefit and watches for identity theft, unauthorized transactions, and personal information tied to high-risk transactions. Enrollment codes went out by postcard or email. If you lost yours, contact the administrator, or request a reminder email with enrollment instructions once the settlement becomes final.

Could Your IHRS Check Shrink? What the Website Says

The claim pages list fixed amounts and don’t mention lowering checks if many people file. The full Settlement Agreement is where to confirm that.

Payments go out only if the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. The hearing is December 17, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, and no payment date is set. Payments over $600 may appear on a 1099. Check with a tax professional.

Class Counsel will ask the court for $120,000 in fees and costs, plus a $1,500 service award for the class representative. IHRS pays both, according to the FAQ, and nothing there says they come out of your payment. For another medical-data comparison, see Proliance Surgeons $4.45M Data Breach Class Action Settlement, Claim Deadline Is May 28, 2026.

File and you may get paid. Skip it and you get nothing.

How to File Your IHRS Data Breach Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Go to institutehrdatasettlement.com/form/claim, the official claim site.
2. Log in with the LoginID and PIN printed on your notice. Lost them? The site has a “where can I find my login” guide, and the administrator can help.
3. Choose your payment: Cash Payment A (up to $2,000, documented losses) or Cash Payment B ($45).
4. Upload proof if you chose A: bank statements or receipts showing losses caused by the breach. Your own notes can support proof but can’t stand alone.
5. Submit and keep a screenshot or copy of your confirmation.
6. Watch your email. Prefer paper? Mail the signed form and proof to IHRS Data Breach Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958, postmarked by December 2, 2026.

The $45 option asks for no proof, so it’s the shorter path. That’s 71 days from today, and there’s little reason to wait.

Should IHRS Data Breach Settlement Class Members Opt Out or Object Before November 2, 2026?

What Opting Out of the IHRS Settlement Actually Means

You’d get nothing. But you’d keep the right to sue IHRS on your own, and your signed request must be mailed to IHRS Data Breach Settlement, ATTN: Exclusion Request, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958 (or emailed), postmarked by November 2, 2026, with your name, address, phone, email, and a clear statement that you’re excluding yourself. Most people shouldn’t opt out without legal advice.

How to Object to the IHRS Data Breach Settlement

You stay in the class, tell the court why you disagree, and can still file a claim. Follow the format exactly. File with the Clerk of Court, 200 North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 by November 2, 2026, send copies to the administrator, Class Counsel and IHRS’s lawyer, and cover all ten items in FAQ 16, including whether you used AI to help draft it.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before November 2, 2026 if you’re considering either option.

IHRS Data Breach Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Settlement Proposed	UNVERIFIED — signing date isn’t on the administrator’s site
Notification Mailing	September 3, 2026
Claims Period Opens	UNVERIFIED — no separate opening date stated; notices began mailing September 3, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	December 2, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	November 2, 2026
Objection Deadline	November 2, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	December 17, 2026, 9:30 a.m. ET (teleconference)
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — payments follow final approval and any appeals; no date is set

IHRS Data Breach Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 2026-02353

Do I need a lawyer to file an IHRS data breach settlement claim?

No. The court appointed Kenneth J. Grunfeld of Kopelowitz Ostrow and Mariya Weekes of Milberg as Class Counsel, and you aren’t charged for their services. You can hire your own lawyer at your own expense, but filing only takes the claim form.

Is the IHRS data breach settlement legitimate?

The Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County authorized the notice, and Simpluris runs the official site, institutehrdatasettlement.com. The court hasn’t approved the deal yet; that hearing is December 17, 2026. If a message looks off, call (888) 836-1710 before entering personal details.

When will IHRS settlement payments be sent?

Payments go out only if the court grants final approval at the December 17, 2026 hearing, and after any appeals are resolved. The website gives no payment date and says it doesn’t know whether anyone will appeal.

What if I missed the IHRS claim deadline?

You haven’t yet: the deadline is December 2, 2026, online or postmarked by that date. Only a valid, timely claim form earns benefits, and doing nothing means no payment. Contact the administrator if you have trouble filing.

Will my IHRS settlement payment go on a 1099?

Payments over $600 may appear on a 1099. The $45 option falls under that, but Cash Payment A can reach $2,000. Check with a tax professional about how your payment is treated.

How much will I get from the IHRS settlement?

Up to $2,000 with proof of documented losses between August 13, 2025 and December 2, 2026, or $45 with no proof. You can also claim two years of CyEx Financial Shield Complete. No total fund is listed on the claim pages.

What information was exposed in the IHRS data breach?

The settlement site says accessed files may have included names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers or ITINs, driver’s license or state ID numbers, medical record numbers, and medical history, treatment or diagnosis details. What was in your file may differ.

Can I get credit monitoring and cash from the IHRS settlement?

Yes. Every class member can claim two years of CyEx Financial Shield Complete and one cash payment, A or B, not both. Enrollment codes were sent by postcard or email.

Your Next Step on the IHRS Data Breach Settlement

Check your mail or inbox for the notice with your LoginID and PIN. If it’s there, you have until December 2, 2026 to file, and the $45 option takes no paperwork.

Sources Used in This IHRS Data Breach Article

• Simpluris (settlement administrator) — Tereska v. Institute for Human Resources and Services, FAQ, retrieved September 22, 2026: https://institutehrdatasettlement.com/faq/
• Simpluris — Home page, summary of legal rights and options, retrieved September 22, 2026: https://institutehrdatasettlement.com/
• Simpluris — Important Dates, retrieved September 22, 2026: https://institutehrdatasettlement.com/dates/
• Simpluris — Claim Form page, retrieved September 22, 2026: https://institutehrdatasettlement.com/form/claim
• Simpluris — Enrollment Instruction Request page, retrieved September 22, 2026: https://institutehrdatasettlement.com/form/enrollment/
• Simpluris — Contact page, retrieved September 22, 2026: https://institutehrdatasettlement.com/contact/
• Massachusetts state data breach filing 2026-204 — IHRS notice letter (template): https://www.mass.gov/doc/2026-204-the-institute-for-human-resources-and-services-inc/download

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official settlement website run by Simpluris and a state data breach filing containing IHRS’s notice letter, as of September 22, 2026. Last Updated: September 22, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.