The 2024-25 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 16, 2024 - As shown in Figure  1, the Governor ’s budget proposes $14.8  billion in total funds ($1  billion General Fund) for the CalFresh and CFAP programs in 2024 ‑25, a net increase of $186  million total funds (1  percent) and net decrease of $12  million General Fund (1  percent) compared to the revised 2023 ‑24 budget.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4845

The 2025-26 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 19, 2025 - The shift from a mix of state and federal funds in 2024-25 to all General Fund in 2025-26 is largely due to the end of a federal policy allowing states to temporarily replace stolen SNAP benefits using federal funds from October 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024 (California has therefore returned to replacing any stolen benefits with state funds, as was its practice before October 2022).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4971

The 2026-27 Budget: County Administration and H.R. 1 Implementation [Publication Details]

Mar 5, 2026 - The 2026-27 Budget: County Administration and H.R. 1 Implementation [Publication Details] Description: In this brief, we assess the Governor's proposed funding for county administration of Medi-Cal and CalFresh in response to H.R. 1 and provide related recommendations.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5149

The 2026-27 Budget: County Administration and H.R. 1 Implementation

Mar 5, 2026 - Backfilling lost federal benefits under H.R.  1 would require billions of dollars in additional budget solutions. …While Counties Face Multiple Cost Pressures. H.R.  1 also puts strain on county finances.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5149

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

Mar 3, 2026 - SSP Grants Were Increased in 2016-17, 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24.  Since the Great Recession, as seen in Figure  2, grants for individuals and couples have been increased four times —in 2016-17 (by 2.76  percent), 2021-22 (by 23.95  percent), 2022-23 (by 10.3  percent), and 2023-24 (by 9.2  percent).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5148

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - Of the total amount, $4 million is available through June 30, 2027 to allow time to prepare a final report for the Legislature by April 1, 2027. Support for Home ‑Based Placements: Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement, and Support Program Block Grants $150 million one ‑time in 2022 ‑23, available through June 30, 2027.
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147

The 2024-25 Budget: Child Support

Feb 27, 2024 - Given we estimated the Governor ’s budget solved a $58  billion budget problem —and revenues continue to deteriorate —the administration likely will not implement the full passthrough to current CalWORKs families as part of the May Revision.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4861

The 2024-25 Budget: Child Care

Apr 15, 2024 - For example, in 2022 ‑23, the department began to amend initial CAPP contracts after July 1, 2022 with the goal of implementing all the new 2022 ‑23 slots as early as October 1, 2022. For CCTR, the department released an RFA in the fall of 2022, with the goal of awarding and implementing new 2022 ‑23 slots as early as April 1, 2023.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4893

Trends in CalWORKs: Participant Characteristics

Jun 16, 2025 - California ’s official poverty rate increased somewhat in 2020 (by 1   percentage point as compared to 2019). This increase was largely due to the COVID ‑19 ‑related economic downturn. In 2022, the poverty rate decreased back to pre ‑pandemic levels.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5057

The 2026-27 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 18, 2026 - Overestimates led to a large amount of unspent TANF —$767  million —estimated to be available to reduce state spending in CalWORKs in 2022-23. Similarly, $664  million in unspent TANF funds was estimated to be available in 2024-25.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5122