Substitutes for Social Security Benefits in California

The "Golden State" has programs to help Californians when the federal government cannotGolden Gate Bridge image by Jules from Fotolia.com

Social Security provides benefits for 4.8 million Californians. However, many individuals need help while waiting for Social Security benefits to start or their claim be approved. Some Californians are not eligible for Social Security because they are not retirement age, did not work long enough under Social Security to qualify, and have no spouse on whose record they can claim benefits. They need help from other sources. Social Security and California have other programs that can help when no Social Security benefits are available.

State Disability Insurance

The State of California's State Disability Insurance programs, paid for by mandatory payroll deductions, provide up to one year of benefits for disabled workers. The program pays benefits in addition to Social Security. It also covers conditions that Social Security does not pay for, including impairments that last less than one year, pregnancy and childbirth. SDI taxes also fund the Paid Family Leave program which pays benefits for adults who lose earnings to care for a newly born or adopted child, or a seriously ill child, parent, spouse or partner. Benefits vary according to the amount of earnings covered by SDI.

Supplemental Security Income is a federal program for disabled, blind or persons age 65 and over with limited income and resources. California supplements the program with additional monthly amounts so that Californians receive higher SSI benefits. Applicants file at their nearest Social Security office, which administers the payments that include the additional California supplementation. The program pays benefits in addition to any Social Security checks if the SSA benefit is not too high. The basic SSI federal rate for an adult with no other income is $674. The same disabled or aged beneficiary would receive $845 if residing in California.

CalWORKS is California’s name for the federally funded Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Recipients who qualify receive cash aid, Medi-Cal (Medicaid in California), employment services and child care assistance. A non-disabled adult can receive assistance for up to 60 months; certain exceptions extend the limit. Adults must meet income and resource limits, have minor children in their care, and be citizens or legal residents of the U.S. and California. They must participate in employment and vocational services unless they are disabled or aged, such as an elderly grandparent with custody of their grandchildren. Applicants file at their local county Department of Social Services.

California has a special program to help legal immigrants who are aged, blind or disabled but do not qualify for Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments from Social Security. The program, called Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, replaced benefits lost to non-citizens when Congress passed The Welfare Reform Act of 1996, restricting Social Security and SSI eligibility for non-citizens. Interested applicants apply to Social Security first, and then present SSA benefit denial notices to their county Department of Social Services. The benefit amounts are the same as for SSI recipients in California.

The General Assistance and General Relief (GA/GR) programs are last resort benefits for adults who have no means of support from their own work or any other federal, state or county benefit. The individual counties fund and run the programs, through their Department of Social Services offices. Recipients also receive food stamps and Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program. Eligibility and benefits vary from county to county.