The California Department of Social Services has informed counties that any future CalWORKs Work Participation Rate (WPR penalties will no longer be passed-through to counties effective starting in Federal Fiscal Year 2026.
The WPR measures the portion of work-eligible CalWORKs recipients who are engaged in federally defined work activities for the minimum number of required hours per week. If the WPR is not met, states are subject to a federal penalty of reducing their Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Block Grant amount. Previously, a portion of a WPR penalty was passed-though to counties.
Effective October 1, 2025, any WPR penalties imposed on California will not be passed-through to the counties. Any WPR penalties assessed for Federal Fiscal Year 2025 can still be passed-through to the counties. (ACL 25-74, November 4, 2025.)