Am I eligible?
An easy way to find if you are eligible for CalWORKs (including CalFresh and Medi-Cal) is to visit the CalWORKs Detail page of the BenefitsCal website. After reading, scroll to the bottom and click the "SEE IF YOU QUALIFY" button.
The only way to know for sure if you are eligible for the CalWORKs program is to apply. To do so online, set up a BenefitsCal Account and then apply through BenefitsCal.
After you submit your application, you will be given an appointment to meet with an eligibility worker. If you are in a two-parent household, both parents must be present at the appointment and sign the application.
Basic Eligibility Factors
Eligibility factors for children and needy parents or caretaker relatives include:
Deprivation
Children who will be aided must be deprived of parental support or care because at least one parent is:
- Deceased, or
- Either physically or mentally incapacitated, or
- Continually absent from the home, or
- For two parent families, if the parent who earned the most in the past 24 months is not working, or working less than 100 hours per month
Age
Children may be eligible for CalWORKs until their 18th birthday, or are 18 years old and in high school full-time and expected to graduate before age 19.
Property
The property of a child and parent(s) must be under these limits:
- Family members may have $2,250 combined personal and real property per family. Families with elderly members (those who are 60 years of age or older) may have $3,250 combined personal and real property per family. Furniture, clothing, and appliances are exempt.
- The family home is exempt, providing that the family lives in the home.
- The family vehicle may be exempt.
Residency
There are no durational residency requirements. Families must live in California and intend to continuing living here to be eligible. CalWORKs-eligible family members must be legal residents of the United States.