The purpose of the General Assistance (GA) Program in Sacramento County is to provide assistance to all eligible indigent residents of Sacramento County. It is intended to provide short-term financial assistance and social services that will enable a recipient either to find employment or to obtain support from another source.

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The GA Program is 100 percent county funded.

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To qualify for GA benefits, an applicant/recipient must be at least eighteen (18) years of age, unless he/she is an emancipated minor or a child on a Family GA case.

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To qualify for GA benefits, an applicant/recipient must meet the following residence criteria:

• physical presence in the county,
• a county resident for at least fifteen (15) days, and
• verification of intent to continue to reside in the county.
  

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To qualify for GA benefits, an applicant/recipient must be unemployed, employed less than 100 hours per month, or incapacitated due to a verified physical, mental health or functional disability.

An unemployed person must participate in the General Assistance Training and Employment (GATE) Program and as determined appropriate:

• register for work
• apply for Unemployment Insurance Benefits(UIB) if potentially eligible, and
• cooperate with any vocational plan developed by the GATE Program.

An unemployable person must:

• cooperate in obtaining verification of his/her incapacity,
• participate in any appropriate rehabilitation plans, and
• apply for SSI/SSP and/or other disability benefits as determined appropriate by the department.
  

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Effective February 1, 1997, General Assistance applicants/recipients who are determined to be employable and who are offered employment services may receive General Assistance benefits for three (3) months/ninety (90) days in a twelve-month period whether or not the days/months are consecutive. This includes time on aid in another California county as an employable individual subject to time limits. Individuals determined to be temporarily unemployable or unemployable are excluded from the time limits.

The determination of employability is based on the following information that could affect an individual’s ability to find and keep a job:

• medical condition,
• mental health condition, and/or
• functional condition.
  

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To qualify for GA, an applicant/recipient’s property may not exceed the maximums indicated below:

Real Property

• Real property used as a home by the applicant/recipient is exempt.
• Other real property disqualifies the individual for GA.

Personal Property

• Cash, stocks, bonds and other forms of negotiable securities except insurance shall not exceed a cash or market value of $10 per family.
• The cash surrender value of insurance policies cannot exceed $200 per family unit.
• The market value of other non-exempt personal property shall not exceed a combined value of $250 per family unit.
• The total gross value of all vehicles shall not exceed $5500 and the combined net value of all vehicles shall not exceed $2000.
• Personal property exemptions are: essential household equipment, furniture and personal effects, and tools, supplies and equipment needed for rehabilitation, maintenance and self-support.
  

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Cash or in-kind contributions received by an applicant or recipient are considered income in the month of receipt and deducted from the grant amount.

Income that is received or reported too late in the month to count when calculating the current month’s grant shall be counted in calculating the grant for the following month.

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All available resources must be utilized. GA applicants/recipients must apply for all financial resources available to them.

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GA benefits are provided in the form of warrants, electronic benefits transfer (EBT), vouchers or aid-in-kind.

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Effective July 1, 1998, there are two basic GA grant levels.

Exempt level: A general assistance applicant/recipient may be exempt from the lower grant level only when the applicant/recipient and his/her spouse, if residing in the home, are receiving disability payments.

Disability payments are defined as:

• SSI/SSP, or
• In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), or
• State Disability Insurance (SDI), or
• Temporary Worker’s Compensation.

Receipt of Social Security Disability does not meet the criteria for the exempt level.

Nonexempt level: Applicants and recipients who do not meet the criteria listed under the exempt level shall receive the nonexempt, or lower level.

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Immediate Need benefits in the form of aid-in-kind or food and/or housing vouchers may be authorized on the date of application, provided the applicant meets immediate need criteria and is determined to be presumptively eligible for GA.

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Homeless individuals are required to receive Aid-In-Kind (AIK) benefits unless determined inappropriate by the department. AIK benefits consist of, but are not limited to, shelter, food, transportation, personal need items, housing and employment services. AIK benefits are provided at the Volunteers or America (VOA) Residence Program and the Salvation Army Men’s Lodge. AIK participants receive $15 for personal needs and a monthly RT pass.

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The grant for persons with a verified need for room, board and care shall not exceed the SSI/SSP minimum rate, plus an $11 per month special need payment for personal and incidental needs. The facility must be licensed.

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A special financial allowance is available for clothing, transportation, eye examinations, eye glasses, and eye glass repair when determined necessary by the Department of Human Assistance.

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All GA applicants are required to sign an agreement to reimburse Sacramento County for all GA benefits they receive. This agreement is recorded and a lien is placed on any real property owned or acquired later.

All GA applicants and recipients are also required to sign an SSI/SSP interim assistance agreement. When SSI/SSP is approved, the interim GA is repaid from the retroactive SSI/SSP award.

Recipients who participate in the Aid-In-Kind or GATE Programs receive credit for participation. The credits are used to reduce the amount of GA benefits to be repaid.

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Persons who wish to apply for GA should contact the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance at the location listed below that is nearest their home:

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Individuals living with CalWORKs spouse or child

Individuals who live with a spouse and/or child receiving CalWORKs must contact the CalWORKs worker and request to be included on the CalWORKs grant.

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