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CalWORKs
What is CalWORKs?
CalWORKs (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids) is a welfare program that gives cash aid and services to eligible needy California families. The program serves all 58 counties in the State and is operated locally by Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency. If a family has little or no cash and needs housing, food, utilities, clothing or medical care, they may be eligible to receive immediate short-term help. Families that apply at the Tulare County offices and qualify for ongoing assistance receive money each month to help pay for housing, food and other necessary expenses.
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How much assistance do I get?
The amount of a family's monthly assistance payment depends on a number of things, including the number of people who are eligible and the special needs of any of those family members. The income of the family is considered in calculating the amount of cash aid the family receives.
How do I apply?
You can apply at any TulareWORKs location(pdf). Families requesting assistance must complete application forms. The family can ask for immediate help if it has little or no cash and needs emergency housing, food, utilities, clothing or medical care.
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The welfare office will set up an interview for you with one of its workers to obtain facts and verify eligibility. You must provide the County with proof of income and property, citizenship status, age, social security number, residence, shelter costs, work or school status and other information. Similar information may be requested for all of the people in the home.
At the interview, the County will tell you about the rules that must be met to be eligible for CalWORKs. If the County determines that you are eligible for CalWORKs, your family will receive monthly assistance from the County Welfare Department until determined ineligible.
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What else do I need to know?
Following are details about eligibility:
- Deprivation - Deprivation means that at least one of the natural or adoptive parents is absent, incapacitated, unemployed, or deceased. In order to qualify for cash benefits, there must be at least one child, or pregnant woman in the home. The child, or unborn child, must have one of four types of "deprivation". Generally, services are available to:
- Families that have a child(ren) in the home who hasn't been able to have the support or care of a parent because of the absence, disability or death of either parent.
- Families with a child(ren) when both parents are in the home but the person who usually works to support the family is unemployed.
- Needy caretaker relatives of a foster child(ren).
- Legal Residence - Only citizens of the United States, and eligible legalized aliens, can get for cash assistance. Some aliens who have not received permanent residence status will not qualify. Citizen children of ineligible aliens can still qualify for benefits.
- Property - There is a limit to how much property can be owned and still qualify for cash benefits.
- Income - A needy family may have income from another source. Some needy families receive benefits from Unemployment, Social Security, or Disability. Other families work, and are still considered needy. There is a limit to how much income a family can receive and still qualify for cash assistance. The limit is based on the size of the family and the type of income. There are deductions for earned income, so there is an incentive to work while receiving cash assistance.
TopWhat are the requirements for receiving Cash Aid?
As a recipient of Cash Aid there are some requirements that you will have to meet to continue receiving aid. Some of them are listed below, but if you are not sure you understand the requirements, ask your worker!
TopAre there any sites I can visit for more information?
For more information about jobs, self sufficiency, or financial assistance, you may want to visit the following web sites:
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