Payments issued under the State Funded Guaranteed Income (GI) Pilot Program are exempt from being considered income and resource for various state and local benefit and assistance programs. There are seven pilot programs to support former foster youth and or pregnant individuals. This CDSS guidance only applies to State Funded Guaranteed Income (GI) Pilot Programs.
Cal Fresh: GI payments will not count as income but may count as resources.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD): HUD denied a waiver that would exempt payments from determinations. HUD did provide a list of options that may exempt GI.
Medical and Children’s Health Insurance Program: The federal government gave approval to disregard payments from a California pilot GI project as income for 12 months for Non-Magi eligibility. Medi-Cal will no longer count resources as an eligibility determination as of January 1,2024. Former foster youth are eligible for Medi-Cal regardless of income.
Refugee Cash Assistance: GI payments will not count as income or resources.
Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: The Administration of Children and Families may approve a GI exemption for individual’s tribes through an amendment to a tribes Tribal Family Assistance Plan
Women Infants and Children (WIC): If the person is currently enrolled in Medi-Cal, CalWORKs or Cal Fresh no income assessment is needed because participants in those programs are categorically eligible for WIC. If a WIC recipient is not enrolled in one of those programs, GI income may impact eligibility.
GI payments are exempt from all state benefit or assistance programs. This includes but is not limited to Assistance Dog Special Allowance, CalWORKs, Cash Assistance Programs for Immigrants, Trafficking and Crime Assistance Programs (TCVAP), California Food Assistance Program, and Childcare and Development Programs.
GI payments received under the pilot program cannot consider income or resources for any local befit or assistance program. This includes but is not limited to. General Assistance and General Relief (GA/GR). (ACWDL, July 21, 2023.)