How do I apply?
You can apply for benefits by mail, phone, online, or visit a Human Services Department Application Center.
If you cannot get to the application center, someone who knows your circumstances, and is authorized by you, can apply and be interviewed for you. If you are disabled and cannot get someone to apply for you, you can apply by mail or phone.
The application for CalWORKs includes completion of forms and an interview with an eligibility worker. Aid cannot begin until all conditions of eligibility have been verified. As an applicant, you will be required to:
- Provide a social security number
- Verify citizenship, or show proof of legal immigration status
- Verify income and property
- Apply for potentially available income, such as unemployment benefits
- Sign an agreement to cooperate with Child Support Services, in order to locate absent parents, establish paternity and obtain child support
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