CalWORKs Summary Program Overview Take-up

CalWORKs Take-up


The take-up rate of CalWORKs is estimated by dividing the total population that is served by CalWORKs by the total population that is eligible for CalWORKs. We rely on two sources of data about the eligible population to produce two ways of understanding take-up: 

  • Our compass - CalWORKs Participation Rate: relies on survey data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. This is an annual measure based on representative survey data that helps us understand if we are moving in the right direction in improving CalWORKs take-up.
  • Our roadmap - CalWORKs-CalFresh Cross-enrollment Analysis: relies on administrative data from the California Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS). This is a monthly measure that gives us a list of likely CalWORKs-eligible individuals enrolled in CalFresh that enables CDSS analyzes administrative barriers to participation to illuminate why participation looks the way it does and how we might increase participation. We can use that understanding to design interventions to improve cross-enrollment.

For both data sources, we simulate the CalWORKs eligibility determination process by considering family composition, SSI/SSP recipiency, citizenship status, and deprivation status. We then calculate the eligible income for each household and compare it to the relevant Minimum Basic Standard of Adequate Care (MBSAC) level. Individuals reside in households with income below the applicable MBSAC level and for whom individual-level disqualifications from eligibility do not apply are considered eligible for CalWORKs.

For our cross-enrollment analysis, the data also allows us to incorporate additional eligibility criteria related to fleeing felon status, foster care, pregnancy, liquid asset amount, and time clock into the eligibility simulation.

For the ACS survey data, its important to note that small and rural counties have relatively few survey respondents. This leads to highly uncertain participation rate estimates in these small counties. The participation rate therefore includes an upper and lower bound around the estimate, representing the 90% confidence interval. Significant uncertainty in small-county estimates sometimes results in participation rates or confidence intervals that exceed 100% or drop below 0%. These are removed for clarity.

CalWORKs gives cash aid and services to eligible California families in need. The purpose of CalWORKs is to provide equitable access to the services, resources and opportunities families need to increase resilience, achieve economic mobility, and break the cycle of poverty. The literature on cash aid to families with children shows that cash improves food sufficiency, infant health, educational attainment, and life-expectancy. It also reduces material hardship and child welfare involvement. Furthermore, cash assistance delivers these benefits without substantially affecting work effort.

Whether CalWORKs delivers these impacts depends in large part on whether its services actually reach the families who are eligible for them – these impacts depend on program take-up. Measuring CalWORKs take-up enables CDSS to track whether it is improving access to the program and improving outcomes for the families it serves.

Beginning in 2024, CDSS developed a methodology to produce an estimate of CalWORKs take-up. While national estimates of participation and access in TANF have been produced by researchers, California is the first state to produce and publicly share a state-specific measure on an annual basis. The findings presented here aim to build on – and make publicly accessible – earlier estimates submitted to the legislature.

The CalWORKs participation rate builds upon a methodology developed by the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) report from 2021. CDSS has refined this initial approach by estimating the ineligible non-citizen population in California, as well as incorporating additional eligibility criteria such as the deprivation rule.

CDSS also developed a novel methodology to estimate the rate of cross-enrollment between CalWORKs and CalFresh. This methodology uses CalFresh administrative data, including data on income and family composition, to estimate the percent of individuals in CalFresh who may be eligible for but are not participating in CalWORKs. Cross-enrollment can be analyzed by past participation status, which offers new insight into retention of CalWORKs participants, along with analysis of cross-enrollment by language, race/ethnicity, and income. We continue to collaborate with counties, researcher partners, and the CalWORKs program team to refine the cross-enrollment take-up methodology.