CalWORKs

CalWORKs provides temporary assistance to families and expectant mothers for employment, housing, and education.

Secondary title goes here Applying for CalWORKs

Scam warning for CalWORKs recipients: If you get one or more phone calls from a recording telling you to go to a web site regarding your CalWORKs benefits – do NOT use that link in the recording. Please call CalWORKs at (415) 557-5100 to report this incident

Contact us City and County of San Francisco

Please note: Masks are recommended but not required when visiting our Service Centers to protect our staff, clients, and community.

CalWORKs Benefits

Financial Support

  • Financial support for up to 60 months:  Use the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to get cash at ATMs. Some ATMs do not charge a fee for EBT use (see ATM list).
  • One-time cash and non-cash assistance: Choose to get a one-time, lump-sum payment instead of on-going CalWORKs payments. You will still have access to other non-cash assistance, such as childcare. Note for immigrants: This aid option does not trigger public charge or require contacting a sponsor.

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Great Plates Delivered SF will deliver three, free restaurant meals a day to older adults in San Francisco who are at heightened risk due to COVID-19 and are unable to obtain or prepare meals on their own while sheltering in place during COVID-19. The program has been extended through May 7, 2021 (5/7/2021).

Great Plates delivered SF will serve older adults who meet all of the following criteria: 

  • Aged 65 and older, as well as older adults who are aged 60-64 and in high-risk categories (i.e., people who have received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, have been exposed to COVID-19, or who have underlying health conditions)
  • Unable to obtain or make their own meals
  • Living alone or with one other adult who also meets these criteria
  • Earning less than $77,280 for a single-person household or $104,520 for two-person households
  • Living in San Francisco.

Older adults who currently receive state or federal food assistance such as CalFresh or home-delivered meals should contact the Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS) helpline at (415) 355-6700 to understand their eligibility for this program or other assistance.

Child Care and Parenting

News from SFHSA

Get free tax help

File your taxes for free and get help applying for tax credits that can add up to as much $9,600.  

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Free family fun from Museums For All

Get 4 free tickets or reduced admission when you visit your favorite museums with your EBT or Medi-Cal card. 

Plan your visits

Of the total 256 studio apartments, 153 will be dedicated to formerly homeless adults and 103 to formerly homeless people over the age of 55.

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  • Kelly Dearman
  • Acting Communications Director Joe Molica
  • Mother and daughter eating
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  • Mother and child eating
Executive Director Trent Rhorer

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Executive Director, Human Services Agency

Trent has served as SFHSA’s Executive Director since 2000. For more than two decades, Trent has played an instrumental role in the development of citywide programs and policies to address poverty, homelessness, and child abuse. These include the JobsNOW! initiative, a nationally recognized subsidized employment model that has provided job placements for nearly 20,000 low-income parents and single adults; and Care Not Cash, which reformed the welfare system for homeless single adults and provided housing for more than 4,700 homeless individuals.

Under Trent’s leadership, the Agency led the development of the City’s COVID-19 Alternative Housing Program that provided over 9,000 people experiencing homelessness with the shelter they needed to isolate, quarantine or shelter-in-place during the pandemic. Trent also led the Agency’s local implementation of the landmark Affordable Care Act, enrolling nearly one in four San Franciscans into high-quality healthcare coverage.

Trent also plays a key role in formulation of statewide human services policies and programs through his participation in the County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA). He has served as CWDA president for three terms and has held numerous officer positions throughout the past decade. Trent has also served as chair of the Bay Area Social Services Consortium (BAASC). He currently serves on the City of Oakland Homelessness Commission as one of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff’s appointments.

Trent holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the proud father of two who attended Oakland public schools and are now in college.

Applying for CalFresh

  1. Ways to apply

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    Application requirements

    The three minimum requirements to start your CalFresh application include: 

    • Applicant’s name
    • Household’s address (unless applicant is experiencing homelessness)
    • Signature of an adult household member

    As part of the application process you will also be asked to include: 

    • Anyone who purchases and prepares meals together
    • Everyone living at the address, such as spouse's, parents, and children under age 22

    See our Check Your Eligibility page for more information, including income requirements. 
    View the types of verification for the complete list of required documents.
    Note: Submitting an incomplete application may delay the application process.

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    After you apply

    • Get interviewed.
      An in-person interview and written signature may be waived on your application during COVID-19 .
      We will complete the process by phone, mail, or electronic means whenever possible. 
    • Receive approval or denial of your application within 30 days by mail.
      • Need immediate food assistance after submitting your application? 
        Call (415) 558-4700 to request Expedited Services within three days if you're experiencing a lack of income, resources, or extremely high housing expenses.   
    • Receive your EBT card by mail in one week once approved.
      Your card PIN may arrive in a separate envelope. Card pick-up is available for those without access to a stable mail or phone.
    • Disagree with a determination or benefit amount? Contact us. 
      You can submit an appeal by calling (800) 952-5253, or by mailing the Appeals Unit, P.O. Box 7988, San Francisco CA 94120.

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SFHSA provides the foundation for two City Departments, each with a unique role in supporting San Franciscans. Together we build well-being in our communities by offering programs that make children and adults feel connected, valued, and supported. From financial assistance to nutrition, health care coverage, employment, and protective services, our dedicated professionals are here to lend support for all in need. 

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