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 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Federal CalWORKs Pilot

Feb 21, 2025 - How does the administration plan to involve stakeholders, including the Legislature, in the selection of the outcome measures? How will benchmarks and targets along each of the selected measures be determined?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4978

Housing and Homelessness Funding Impacting Children

Mar 25, 2019 - Lends money for construction of rental housing projects with units restricted for at least 55 years to households earning less than 60  percent of area median income. Multifamily Housing Program. Provides low ‑interest, long ‑term deferred ‑payment permanent loans for new construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of permanent and transitional rental housing for lower ‑income households.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3985

The 2026-27 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 18, 2026 - To be eligible, households generally must earn less than 200  percent of the federal poverty level. CalFresh benefits can be used to buy most groceries and some prepared food at participating vendors, which include most grocery and convenience stores.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5126

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

Mar 5, 2024 - Cal-OAR also captures information on participating households ’ stability and well-being, such as access to supportive services like child care, educational attainment, wage progression, and rate of program exits with earnings.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4877

The 2019-20 Budget: California Spending Plan—Other Provisions

Oct 17, 2019 - Under the state ’s current policy to pay for retiree health benefits, (1)  the state and employees each contribute an amount of money —established as a percentage of pay through the collective bargaining process —to prefund the benefits employees earn today and (2)  the state pays the costs of the benefit for current retirees on a pay-as-you-go basis.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4101

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

Measuring CalWORKs Performance

Sep 6, 2017 - Earnings. The median level of earnings among participants who are employed during the second quarter after exit. Credential Attainment. The percentage of participants enrolled in education and training who attained a recognized postsecondary credential or high school diploma or equivalent while participating or within one year of exiting the program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3702

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - The reason for the reduction is the recent voter approval of Proposition  35 (2024), which requires the state to spend less MCO tax money on offsetting General Fund spending and more money on provider rate increases.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951