California Benefit

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids

Also known as: CalWORKs, California TANF, Welfare

CalWORKs is California's TANF program, providing temporary cash assistance and services to families with children.

At a Glance

  • Must have a dependent child under 18 in the household,or be pregnant.
  • Income must be below the Minimum Basic Standard of AdequateCare (MBSAC) for your family size and ...
  • Countable resources must be $15,649 or less (one vehicleper licensed adult driver excluded, plus ...
  • Must be a California resident.
  • + 3 more requirements below

Eligibility Requirements

Dependent Child

Required

Must have a dependent child under 18 in the household,or be pregnant.

has_dependent_child = true

Exempt if any:

  • OR has_child_under_18 = true
  • OR is_pregnant = true

Income Limit

Required

Income must be below the Minimum Basic Standard of AdequateCare (MBSAC) for your family size and county.

household_income < mbsac

Asset Limit

Required

Countable resources must be $15,649 or less (one vehicleper licensed adult driver excluded, plus other exclusions).

countable_assets ≤ 15649 dollars

California Residency

Required

Must be a California resident.

state_residency = CA

Citizenship/Immigration

Required

Must be a U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant.Five-year bar applies to some qualified immigrants.

citizenship_status in [us_citizen, qualified_alien]

Welfare-to-Work Participation

Required

Adults must participate in Welfare-to-Work activitiesunless exempt (disability, caring for infant, etc.).

participates_in_welfare_to_work = true

Time Limit

Required

48-month lifetime limit for adults (children's aid continues).Extensions available for good cause.

calworks_months < 48

Ruleset effective: 2024-01-01

Quick Info

Agency
CDSS
Category
Income support
Last Verified
2026-01-13

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