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

Mar 3, 2026 - As shown in Figure  3, the Governor ’s budget projects that caseload will decrease by 0.9  percent in both 2025-26 and 2026-27. In past years, the Department of Social Services (DSS) has noted that a potential driver of this steady caseload decline may be fewer individuals meeting income and asset eligibility thresholds.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5148

The 2026-27 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

Mar 18, 2026 - As seen in Figure  7 , the 2019 IHSS MOE reduced the base county costs in 2019 ‑20 to roughly $1.6  billion, decreasing IHSS county costs by roughly $300  million relative to 2018 ‑19. The 2019 IHSS MOE was also set to increase annually by (1)  the counties ’ share of costs from locally negotiated wage increases and (2)  an annual adjustment factor of  4  percent.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5166

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 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - The administration estimates that implementing the Tiered Rate Structure will cost more than $300  million General Fund in 2027-28, $500  million in 2028-29, and $700  million General Fund in 2029-30 (with some potential growth thereafter and ongoing).
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147

The 2026-27 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 18, 2026 - As shown in Figure  3, the amount of TANF used to support CalWORKs has changed from year to year. During the COVID-19 pandemic the state significantly overestimated CalWORKs caseload and spending, largely due to unprecedented federal and state policy responses that led to historically unusual enrollment trends.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5122

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - Tier 3 focuses on implementing EBPs. Trainings are targeted toward providers as well as child welfare staff. Initial trainings under Tier 3 have been provided, and DSS released guidance (via All‑County Letter 25‑73 ) in October 2025 with more detail about the specific training sessions and required participants for Tier 1.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106