The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Human Services

Nov 21, 2025 - Participants in the self-determination program are provided an individual budget, a fixed amount of money with which to purchase the services of their choosing. Participants then decide how to use the money in their individual budget by developing a spending plan, which identifies the services and items the participant needs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5086/1

Estimating the CalWORKs Take-Up Rate

Feb 2, 2021 - More recently, the state allocated $2  million in 2016 ‑17 and 2017 ‑18 to improve awareness and take-up of the California Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which provides money to low-income workers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4340

The 2022-23 Budget: CalHR California Leads Proposal

Feb 28, 2022 - These reports include the Annual Census of Employees in State Civil Service (fulfilling requirements established under Government Code Sections 19237 ; 19402 ; 19405 ; 19792 subdivisions (h), (i), and (j); and 19792.5 subdivisions (a) and (b); and 19793 ) and the Women’s Earnings in State Civil Service report (in accordance with Section 19827.2 of the Government Code).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4564

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Federal CalWORKs Pilot

Feb 21, 2025 - To qualify for CalWORKs, families generally must earn less than about 80  percent of the federal poverty level, equivalent to about $1,700 per month for a family of three in 2024. Families also generally can only have limited assets (such as property or savings).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4978

Housing and Homelessness Funding Impacting Children

Mar 25, 2019 - Cash, Food, and Medical Assistance Can Offset Housing Costs a (In Millions) Free and reduced price lunch 2,838 $4,097 a Where possible, we tried to identify funding targeting children and families. b Earned Income Tax Credit amounts reflect combination of federal tax year data and state fiscal year data.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3985

The Potential Effects of Ending the SSI Cash-Out

Jan 8, 2018 - To illustrate this scenario, we consider a household of four with about $3, 000 i n total household income ($2, 000 m onthly earned income and $895 SSI/SSP grant payment). In addition, we assume the household has one SSI/SSP disabled child receiving the maximum SSI/SSP monthly grant payment, $ 230 i n per ‑person monthly shelter costs ($ 920 t otal), and no deductible medical costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3729

Measuring CalWORKs Performance

Sep 6, 2017 - These data limitations can limit the accuracy and reliability of statistical adjustments, or may limit to which outcomes or in which jurisdictions they can be applied. Consider How Statistical Adjustments for Outcomes Might Be Used in Cal ‑OAR.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3702

The 2024-25 Budget: Overview of the Federal Fiscal Responsibility Act's Impacts on CalWORKs

Mar 5, 2024 - Depending on how quickly and significantly caseload changes, California may face a future scenario where a program like WINS could again be helpful in ensuring the state can meet its WPR targets. Legislature Might Consider Future Goals for WINS.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4877

The 2026-27 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 18, 2026 - Federal law gives states significant flexibility in how they use TANF block grant funds and related MOE expenditures. In general, expenditures are required to be consistent with four purposes of the federal TANF program, which include: Providing assistance to needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5122

Trends in CalWORKs: Participant Characteristics

Jun 16, 2025 - Increased Earned Income Disregard (EID). The EID for applicants and participants (or the monthly dollar amount applicants and participants can earn before further income affects eligibility) changed multiple times over the last decade.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5057