What benefits and services can I get through CalWORKs?

You can get cash assistance, employment services, and other benefits.

ABOUT THE 48-MONTH LIMIT

This 48-month limit is a lifetime limit. In special situations, you can keep getting cash aid for longer. Contact your county CalWORKs office for details.

Cash assistance: CalWORKs provides monthly cash aid to help pay for basic needs such as housing, food, utilities, clothing, and medical care. Your monthly aid (“grant level”) is based on two factors:

Your family size: Generally, if you have a larger family, you’ll qualify for more cash aid; and if you have a smaller family, you’ll qualify for less.

Where you live: Generally, if you live in an urban county (“Region I”) where living costs are higher, you’ll qualify for more cash aid; and if you live in a rural county (“Region II”), you’ll qualify for less.[1480]

Generally, parents or caretakers can get CalWORKs cash aid for up to 48 months. But in many cases, a child in the family can keep getting cash aid after the 48 months are up.[1481]

Employment services: CalWORKs provides job training and job counseling services through a program called Welfare-to-Work (WTW).[1482] For more information about Welfare-to-Work, see PG. 476.

Other benefits: Depending on your situation and what your county provides, you may qualify for other benefits through CalWORKs, such as:

    CalFresh (also called “food stamps,” see PG. 454 for more information)
    Medi-Cal (see PG. 466 for more information)
    Child care services
    Family planning services
    Child health and disability prevention (CHDP) services
    Homeless and housing assistance
    Emergency cash aid
    Child support enforcement.[1483]
  1. 1480

    CalWORKs: FAQs, Disability Benefits 101: Working with a Disability in California, http://ca.db101.org/glossary_item.aspx?item-id=6521. ↑

  2. 1481

    CalWORKs: FAQs, Disability Benefits 101: Working with a Disability in California, http://ca.db101.org/ca/programs/income_support/calworks/faqs.htm#_q1395. ↑

  3. 1482

    California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), Cal. Dep’t of Soc. Servs., http://www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/PG141.htm; see also Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 11320.1. ↑

  4. 1483

    California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), Cal. Dep’t of Soc. Servs., http://www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/PG78.htm, http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/shd/res/pdf/paraRegs-CalWORKs-Special-Programs.pdf; CalWORKs: FAQs, Disability Benefits 101: Working with a Disability in California, http://ca.db101.org/ca/programs/income_support/calworks/program2b.htm; CalWORKs, Alameda Soc. Servs., http://www.alamedasocialservices.org/public/services/financial_assistance/calWorks_eligibility.cfm. ↑