Effective July 1, 2022, pregnant CalWORKs recipients with no other eligible children will get an increase on their monthly pregnancy special needs (PSN) payment from $47 to $100.
Previously, pregnant adults age 19 or over with no other eligible children were eligible for CalWORKs benefits beginning of their second trimester of pregnancy, six months before the expected birth date. Effective July 1, 2022, pregnant persons will be eligible for CalWORKs as of the date of application. They will no longer need to wait until their second trimester to receive CalWORKs and are eligible in their first trimester of pregnancy.
In addition, medical verification requirements will change to allow recipients to provide a sworn statement or verbal attestation of pregnancy. This sworn statement shall include the applicant’s name, date of application, and declaration of pregnancy. Medical verification of pregnancy must be given to the county within 30 days of sworn statement/verbal attestation. Aid will discontinue with failure to provide medical proof unless the recipient presents evidence of a good-faith effort to provide information to fulfill this requirement.
Benefits provided to Pregnant teens under the age of 19 or without a high school diploma will remain the same.
If a pregnancy ends before the delivery date, the $100 monthly Pregnancy Special Needs payment will end the month following the date the recipient reports the end of their pregnancy.
Although CalWORKs rules apply to Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA), Entrant Cash Assistance (ECA), and Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program (TCVAP), those programs are intended for families without children. However, recipients of those benefits can apply for CalWORKs anytime during their pregnancy.
To be eligible for CalWORKs Home Visiting Program (HVP), an individual must a) be a member of the CalWORKs assistance unit b) The individual is pregnant, or c) the individual is a parent/caretaker relative of a child less than 24 months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program. (ACL 21-140, November 18, 2021.)