WHAT ARE THE CALWORKS BENEFITS?
1. Monthly Cash Help
CalWORKs divides people who get cash aid into “exempt” and “non exempt” recipients. You are considered “exempt” if you are getting disability payments such as In-Home Supportive Services, SSI/SSP, State Disability Insurance, SSDI, Temporary Workers’Comp and Temporary Disabilty Indemnity.
The chart below shows the “Maximum Aid Payment” for these two groups. This maximum grant is cut dollar for dollar by any “unearned” income you have, such as social security survivor’s benefits, interest (like on a bank account), or unemployment money. Earned income, wages from work, or income based on a disability is not counted dollar for dollar. Make sure you are getting the correct earned income deductions.
Maximum Aid Payments (current May 2022)
| # of people | “Nonexempt” (not also receiving disability payments) Grant |
| 1 | $ 548 |
| 2 | $ 696 |
| 3 | $ 878 |
| 4 | $ 1,060 |
| 5 | $ 1,243 |
| 6 | $ 1,425 |
| 7 | $ 1,607 |
| 8 | $ 1,789 |
| 9 | $ 1,971 |
| 10 or more | $ 2,152 |
Sacramento is in Region 2 on the table included on that site
Maximum Aid Payments (current May 2022)
| # of people | “Exempt” Grant |
| 1 | $ 607 |
| 2 | $ 778 |
| 3 | $ 984 |
| 4 | $ 1,181 |
| 5 | $ 1,386 |
| 6 | $ 1,590 |
| 7 | $ 1,792 |
| 8 | $ 1,989 |
| 9 | $ 2,200 |
| 10 or more | $ 2407 |
Sacramento is in Region 2 on the table included on that site
2. Other Basic Benefits for CalWORKs Recipients
•Medi-Cal to pay for health care
• CalFresh (Food Stamps) in most cases
• Immediate Needs: an advance of up to $200 at the time you apply, or your whole check within 3 days if you have an eviction notice (Tell your worker when you first apply.)
• Homeless and Housing Assistance including eviction prevention, temporary shelter, move-in costs, rent subsidy, and help with cost of moving.
• Non-Recurring Special Needs: You can get up to $600 each time if you have to replace clothing or household items because of a fire, disaster, theft or other event beyond your control. You can also get this money for shelter if your home is so damaged or unlivable you can’t stay there. You must have less than $100 to get this money.
• Special Needs: You can get extra money if you have special needs such as higher food costs because of a necessary special diet, or higher transportation or utility costs due to a medical condition. Breast-feeding mothers can add $15 to their grant to help with their dietary needs. Tell your worker if you have these special needs.
• Welfare To Work Services such as counseling, job training, help finding work educational assistance, money for tools, uniforms, childcare, transportation, and school books and supplies.
• Money For Pregnant Women: After 3 months of pregnancy if you have no other children on CalWORKs, you may get an additional $47 until the baby is born. (Special rules apply)
• Child Support: You can get $100 extra each month, $200 if you have two children or more, if the other parent pays at least $50 of child support to the County’s Department of Child Support Services on time. The Department of Child Support Services should give you a list that shows when the other parent paid (an “accounting”).
2. Diversion Payments
Instead of going on to cash aid you can apply for a large amount of money called a “diversion payment” to help you get or keep a job. Ask your worker for details. If they tell you Sacramento County does not offer diversion, call Legal Aid.
3. Foster Care (Someone Else’s Children)
If you are caring for someone else’s children, the children may qualify for Foster Care payments even if you are related to them. If a relative’s children live with you but do not get foster care, you should be able to get CalWORKs for them.