CalWORKs — California TANF cash-aid packet

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) — TANF cash aid for families with minor children. Filed on SAWS 2 Plus.

Audience · California families with minor dependent children (or pregnancy in 3rd trimester) below the CalWORKs income thresholdTime · ~18 min

1Fill it out
2Review
3Sign
4Download

About you

Full legal name

Date of birth

Social Security number (optional here — see hint)

CalWORKs requires SSNs for applying household members under federal PRWORA, BUT the law also allows the application itself to be filed without one — the county worker collects the SSN at the eligibility interview. Default: leave blank here and write it on the printed packet at your county appointment. Tap 'Enter digitally' below only if you want a fully-completed PDF; values are encrypted on our servers and auto-deleted after 30 days.

Phone (mobile preferred)

Current address (or note if unhoused)

If you're escaping abuse or unsafe at your current address, ask the partner where you'll submit this form whether you can use a safe-address (FJC, library, or partner agency). We won't track which address you used.

How we handle addresses →

If unhoused, describe where you sleep most nights — this triggers the CalWORKs Homeless Assistance (HA) pathway.

Immigration / citizenship status

Citizenship matters only for household members who want to receive aid. A non-citizen parent can still apply for a U.S.-citizen child.

Household composition

List every person who lives with you. CalWORKs only pays for the people in the 'assistance unit' — but the worker needs to see everyone in the home.

Total household size (including you and any children)

Number of minor children (under 18) in the household

CalWORKs requires at least one minor child (or pregnancy in 3rd trimester). If zero, you likely want county GA instead.

Is anyone in the household pregnant?

List each household member (name, age, relationship to you)

Example: 'Maria, 7, daughter; Luis, 5, son; James, 32, partner (not on aid)'.

Is there an absent parent of any of the children?

Triggers Local Child Support Agency (LCSA) referral. Survivors of DV can request a good-cause waiver — see DV hint below.

Do you need a Domestic Violence good-cause waiver from the child-support referral?

⚠️ Guardian doctrine: DV referral only, never data controller. If yes, your navigator will connect you to a local domestic-violence agency before submitting this packet.

Income — last 30 days

Total gross household income (last 30 days)

Where does the income come from?

Wages, SSI, SSDI, child support received, unemployment, gig work, in-kind support — list each source.

Cash on hand + checking + savings (combined)

CalWORKs property limit is typically $11,634 ($17,452 if a household member is 60+ or disabled) — your worker will confirm current limits.

Housing situation

Current housing situation

Unhoused or about-to-be-evicted answers unlock the Homeless Assistance (HA) special-needs payment.

Are you requesting CalWORKs Homeless Assistance (HA)?

Children's school enrollment

CalWORKs has a Welfare-to-Work / Cal-Learn school-attendance component. Skip if no school-aged children.

Are all school-aged children currently enrolled in school?

School district(s) — if known

Your situation in your own words

What changed, and what you need from CalWORKs

Your answers save automatically as you type.