Can I apply for CalWORKs while incarcerated?

No. You can only apply for CalWORKs once you have been released from prison or jail, and you have active custody of a child as a parent or caretaker.[1484] But if you’re currently incarcerated, you can and should look at the eligibility requirements so you are more aware of your options upon release.

You need to regain custody before you can apply for CalWORKs; and you can only have physical custody after you have been released. (To learn about how you can seek custody after release, go to the FAMILY LAW CHAPTER, PG. 714).

  1. 1484

    42 U.S.C. § 608(a)(1).