The California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) provides temporary financial assistance and employment focused services to families with minor children who have income and property below State maximum limits for their family size. CalWORKs is a time limited program that helps to pay for housing, food, utilities, clothing and other necessary expenses.
Participation in the GAIN program is mandatory for all CalWORKs participants unless exempt. GAIN provides employment-related services to CalWORKs participants.
Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program (TCVAP) – CalWORKs
TCVAP provides non-citizen victims of human trafficking (T-Visa) and noncitizen victims of domestic violence and other serious crimes (U-Visa) and their eligible family members to state-funded cash aid, employment, supportive and health care services as long as they meet all income, resource, and other program eligibility requirements. These TCVAP benefits and services are equivalent to federally-funded benefits available to refugees and certified human trafficking victims.
The cash aid application for RCA and TCVAP is the same as the CalWORKs application. Therefore, parents/caretaker relatives with children who have applied or are preparing to apply for a T-Visa or have applied for a U-Visa and want to apply for TCVAP CalWORKs (state-funded version of CalWORKs) should select the “More Information & Eligibility Details about CalWORKs” tab below for information on how to apply.
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) provides cash to certain aged, blind, and disabled legal non-citizens ineligible to supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment due to their immigration status. CAPI participants may be eligible for Medi-Cal, In-Home Supportive Services and/or Food Stamp benefits.
General Relief (GR) is a County-funded program that provides cash aid to indigent adults, and children in certain special circumstances who are ineligible for Federal or State programs. Able-bodied adults can receive aid for no more than nine months in any 12-month period. Participation in the GR employment and training program, Skills and Training to Achieve Readiness for Tomorrow (START) is mandatory for able-bodied adults.
The Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) program provides cash assistance, Medi-Cal, and CalFresh to refugees for 12 months starting with the month in which the person was admitted into the U.S. as a refugee, the date asylum was granted, or from the date of application for aid (for trafficking and crime victims). Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) provides cash assistance to certain aged, blind, and disabled legal non-citizens ineligible to Supplemental Security Income/ Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) Refugees who are receiving CaIWORKs or SSI/SSP cannot receive RCA.
Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program (TCVAP) – Cash Assistance
TCVAP provides non-citizen victims of human trafficking (T-Visa) and noncitizen victims of domestic violence and other serious crimes (U-Visa) cash aid, employment, supportive and health care services as long as they meet all income, resource, and other program eligibility requirements. These TCVAP benefits and services are equivalent to federally-funded benefits available to refugees and certified human trafficking victims under the Refugee Cash Assistance program.
The cash aid application for RCA and TCVAP is the same as the CalWORKs application. Therefore, single adults/married couples who do not have children and families with children who are not eligible to receive CalWORKs benefits are eligible to receive benefits. Applicants can apply for TCVAP Cash Assistance (state-funded version of RCA) by selecting the “More Information & Eligibility Details about Refugee Cash Assistance” tab below for information on how to apply.
