CalWORKs — Kern County DHS
Last updated August 2026
CalWORKs is monthly cash aid for families with children (and for pregnant women), with job help built in. It can also help pay for childcare, diapers, transportation, and even housing assistance; ask your worker about each one, because none of it is automatic.
The application asks about your family, your income and resources, and what's going on: a job loss, a pregnancy, housing trouble. File it online at BenefitsCal.com or at a DHS office, then expect an interview and a list of documents to prove what you reported. The same BenefitsCal account can carry CalFresh and Medi-Cal applications too. Ask to be screened for all three at once.
Approval isn't same-day, because the county verifies before cash aid starts. Apply when trouble becomes visible, not when it becomes unsurvivable. And once aid begins, the extras are claimed, not granted: raise childcare, transportation, and housing help with your worker by name, one by one.
If there are no minor children in your home, CalWORKs isn't your program. General Assistance is the county's cash aid for single adults and couples, at (661) 631-6000. If you recently lost a job with work history behind it, Unemployment Insurance (EDD) pays $40 to $450 a week whether or not kids are in the picture.
Hours Offices Mon–Fri 7:30am–4pm
Help available in English and Spanish.
Updated August 2026 Program details can change — confirm with the program directly.
Who qualifies
- Families with children in the home, or pregnant women
- Income and resources within program limits
- Apply online at BenefitsCal.com or at a DHS office
You may qualify. The program makes the final decision.
How to apply
- 1
Apply online at BenefitsCal.com, any time.
- 2
Or apply at a Kern County DHS office, Monday–Friday 7:30am–4pm.
- 3
Complete the interview, return the proof the county asks for, and ask to be screened for CalFresh and Medi-Cal in the same pass.
What the application looks like
Common questions
Can I get CalWORKs while pregnant with no other kids?
Yes. The program covers pregnant women as well as families with children in the home.
Does CalWORKs only pay cash?
No. Beyond the monthly aid there's job help, plus possible coverage for childcare, diapers, transportation, and housing assistance.
What are the limits?
Both income and resources must be within program limits, which depend on your household. Apply and the county will tell you where you stand. The program makes the final decision.
How much cash aid would my family get?
There's no flat figure. The amount is set by household size, income, and the program's limits, and only the county's calculation counts. Apply and let the number come from them.
Do I apply separately for CalFresh and Medi-Cal?
No need. The same BenefitsCal.com application can screen your household for all three. Say explicitly that you want that, so nothing gets skipped.
Does CalWORKs come with work requirements?
Job help is built into the program, so expect working toward employment to be part of your plan, and expect the program to pair that with support like childcare and transportation. Ask your worker what your specific plan involves.
Not sure this is the right program for your situation?
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