The 2017-18 Budget: Analysis of the Human Services Budget

Feb 28, 2017 - The actual delivery of many services takes place at the local level and is typically carried out by 58 separate county welfare departments. A major exception is the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP), which is administered mainly by the U.S.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3576

The 2024-25 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 16, 2024 - CalSAWS was introduced in 2019 and, as of October 2023, all 58 counties use the system. The federal government helps manage an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system which deposits monthly benefits for CalFresh and other human services pr ograms onto cards to be used at grocery and convenience store checkout counters.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4845

The 2020-21 Spending Plan: Human Services

Oct 23, 2020 - The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provides about $50  million annually in federal funding to 49 California food banks (serving all 58 counties) to purchase and distribute food to low-income families.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4286/2

The 2026-27 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 18, 2026 - California ’s most recent payment error rate, for federal fiscal year 2023-24, is about 11  percent. (The comparable national error rate is similarly about 11  percent.) Payment error rates in California and nationally have risen in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5126

The 2025-26 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 19, 2025 - CalSAWS was introduced in 2019 and, as of October 2023, all 58 counties use the system. The federal government helps manage an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system which deposits monthly benefits for CalFresh and other human services pr ograms onto cards to be used at grocery and convenience store checkout counters.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4971

Trends in CalWORKs: Participant Characteristics

Jun 16, 2025 - Since, 2010 ‑11, maximum cash grants for a family of three in a high ‑cost county increased over 70  percent (about $500). These increases were provided by both formula ‑driven and one ‑time increases to grant levels.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5057

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - The budget assumes reductions to CDFA ’s budget of $11  million ($9.8  million General Fund) authorized by Control Sections 4.05 and 4.12 of the budget act. This includes $8.2  million ($7  million General Fund) in efficiency reductions and $2.8  million General Fund in vacant position reductions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081/

The 2026-27 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 18, 2026 - As shown in Figure  5, the CalWORKs caseload has steadily grown from early in 2021-22, coinciding with the expiration of enhanced federal Unemployment Insurance benefits following the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5122

The 2026-27 Budget: Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) Program

Mar 3, 2026 - As shown in Figure  5, from 2013-14 through 2020-21, the maximum combined SSI/SSP monthly grant amount for individuals (the bulk of the SSI/SSP caseload) and couples had increased on average by 1.2  percent annually —predominantly due to the provision of federal SSI COLAs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5148

The 2026-27 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

Mar 18, 2026 - However, as seen in Figure  5 , when we consider IHSS hourly wages separately, we see that the average growth rate of hourly wages has been 5.6  percent annually since  2014. This growth in IHSS hourly wages is in part due to increases to the state minimum wage —from $8  per hour on January 1, 2014 to $16.90 per hour on January  1,  2026.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5166