Department of Public Social Services

The Los Angeles County CA Department of Public Social Services administers public benefit and support programs for eligible residents, including food assistance, cash aid, health coverage, employment services, homeless services, and in-home care. This article explains how the department’s major programs differ, where to apply, how to manage an existing case, what information to prepare, and which county service channel to use when a question or problem arises.

Services Managed by DPSS

The Department of Public Social Services, commonly called DPSS, serves individuals and families with different financial, health, employment, housing, and personal-care needs. The department does not use one eligibility standard for every service. Each program has its own purpose, applicant population, income rules, reporting requirements, and case procedures.

The official Department of Public Social Services website organizes assistance into several broad categories:

Cash assistance for families, adults, immigrants, refugees, and certain crime victims
CalFresh food benefits and Electronic Benefits Transfer services
Medi-Cal health coverage
Employment preparation, training, and supportive services
Programs for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
Services for seniors and people with disabilities
In-Home Supportive Services
Child care and other CalWORKs supportive services
Civil rights, appeals, state hearings, and fraud reporting
Community, youth, veteran, and volunteer programs

Applicants should identify the program that matches their circumstances before submitting information. Applying under the wrong cash-aid category or assuming that one application automatically covers every service can create confusion. The department’s program and services directory provides the official starting point for reviewing available benefit categories.

Choosing the Correct Program

The fastest route to the right service begins with the type of help needed. Food, cash, health coverage, employment assistance, housing-related support, and in-home care are separate service areas even when the same household participates in more than one program.

Food Assistance

CalFresh helps eligible low-income households increase their food-buying power. The program was formerly known as Food Stamps. Approved participants generally receive benefits through an Electronic Benefits Transfer card, commonly called an EBT card.

CalFresh benefits may be used to purchase eligible food at participating grocery stores, participating farmers’ markets, and approved online grocery services offering pickup or delivery. The Restaurant Meals Program permits eligible participants to purchase prepared meals from participating restaurants.

Cash Aid

DPSS administers several cash-assistance programs, and applicants should not treat their names as interchangeable. CalWORKs generally serves eligible families with minor children. General Relief generally serves indigent adults and certain children in special circumstances who are ineligible for federal or state programs. Other programs serve qualifying immigrants, refugees, trafficking victims, and victims of serious crimes.

Health Coverage

Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid program. It may provide free or low-cost health coverage to eligible children, families, adults, pregnant people, seniors, people with disabilities, former foster youth, and people who need long-term care. Applications may be submitted throughout the year.

Employment Support

DPSS employment programs serve different participant groups. Greater Avenues for Independence, or GAIN, is connected to CalWORKs. Skills and Training to Achieve Readiness for Tomorrow, or START, serves General Relief participants and may also serve CalFresh participants voluntarily. The Refugee Employment Program provides employment and training support to eligible refugees and asylees within the applicable participation period.

In-Home Care

In-Home Supportive Services, commonly called IHSS, helps eligible seniors, people who are legally blind, and adults or children with disabilities remain safely in their homes. Authorized services can include housecleaning, meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, personal care, accompaniment to medical appointments, paramedical services, and protective supervision for qualifying individuals.

Applying Through BenefitsCal

BenefitsCal is the public online portal used to apply for and manage food assistance, cash aid, and health coverage. It is sponsored by the California Statewide Automated Welfare System Consortium, the California Department of Social Services, and the California Department of Health Care Services.

The portal allows users to apply for CalFresh, CalWORKs, General Assistance or General Relief, Refugee Cash Assistance, and Medi-Cal. Applicants seeking the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants should follow the DPSS instructions for that program and contact the County office as directed.

A BenefitsCal account is useful but is not required for every document-submission task. The system permits applicants and existing participants to upload certain documents without signing into an account. These documents may include forms of verification, renewals, periodic reports, and other case materials.

Creating an account provides additional case-management features. A registered user may be able to:

View program status, benefit amounts, and other case details
Read electronic notices containing the same information sent by mail
Track application or review status
See reminders for upcoming requirements
Upload documents
Submit periodic reports
Complete renewals
Report changes online

Account Security Requirements

BenefitsCal requires two-step verification. When signing in, a user may be asked to enter a one-time code sent to the email address or phone number associated with the account. A person who receives a passcode without attempting to sign in should access BenefitsCal directly and change the account password.

Linking an online account to an existing case also requires verification through the email address or phone number connected to the case. Before attempting to link a case, users should confirm that the contact information supplied to DPSS is current and accessible.

Official BenefitsCal text messages concerning a case are sent from text code 72422. Applicants should avoid responding to unexpected requests for passwords, verification codes, EBT personal identification numbers, or other sensitive account information.

Public and Employee Sign-Ins

Members of the public should use BenefitsCal for benefit applications and online case management. The separate MyDPSS sign-in page displays an agreement concerning authorized Los Angeles County business functions and County information-technology resources. It should not be confused with the public BenefitsCal portal.

Preparing an Application

Applications should contain complete and accurate household information. The exact verification needed depends on the program and circumstances, so applicants should follow the requests shown in BenefitsCal, mailed notices, and instructions from their eligibility worker.

Before beginning, gather information that may be requested during the application or review process, such as household membership, income, financial resources, housing costs, utility expenses, immigration-related information when applicable, and contact details. Do not send documents unrelated to the request or assume that uploading one document satisfies every pending requirement.

BenefitsCal provides a document-upload function for applications and existing cases. Each upload should be readable, complete, and associated with the correct application or case whenever the system requests identifying information. Applicants should retain copies of forms and supporting materials for their own records.

Interviews and Follow-Up

Some benefit applications require an interview or additional verification. Applicants should monitor electronic notices, mailed correspondence, account reminders, and calls from DPSS. Missing an interview or failing to provide requested information can delay a decision or affect ongoing eligibility.

Contact information should be updated when a telephone number, mailing address, or email address changes. This is especially important for two-step verification, electronic notices, renewal reminders, and case-linking functions.

CalFresh Application Rules

The official DPSS food and nutrition section explains CalFresh, EBT, the Restaurant Meals Program, outreach information, and benefit-maintenance requirements.

Certain households may qualify for expedited CalFresh service within three days of submitting an application. The reference standards include households meeting one of these conditions:

The household has no more than $150 in gross monthly income and no more than $100 in liquid resources.

The household’s combined income and liquid resources are less than its monthly rent or mortgage and utility costs.

A household member is a destitute migrant or seasonal farmworker and the household has no more than $100 in liquid resources.

Gross income means income before taxes or deductions. Liquid resources can include cash, money in bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and certain one-time payments. An applicant who may qualify for expedited service should still provide accurate information and participate in the required interview. If approved, CalFresh benefits begin from the application date.

Keeping CalFresh Benefits

Participants must comply with reporting and renewal rules. DPSS identifies three recurring responsibilities: reporting income when it exceeds the household’s Income Reporting Threshold, submitting the Semi-Annual Report form on time, and completing the required renewal.

Rules can change. Beginning June 1, 2026, some adults ages 18 through 64 may have to meet CalFresh work requirements to receive benefits for more than three months during a 36-month period unless an exemption applies. Beginning April 1, 2026, eligibility changed for certain noncitizens, including some refugees, asylees, parolees, conditional entrants, trafficking victims, and people with deportation or removal withheld. Existing participants may continue receiving benefits until renewal when they otherwise meet the applicable requirements.

Households should use the DPSS benefit-maintenance information to review current CalFresh and Medi-Cal policy changes. Official notices sent for an individual case control the actions and deadlines required from that household.

Cash Assistance Programs

The cash assistance program page separates the major DPSS cash-aid categories. Selecting the appropriate category helps ensure that the application is reviewed under the program matching the applicant’s household and immigration circumstances.

CalWORKs

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids provides temporary financial assistance and employment-focused services to eligible families with minor children whose income and property are below state limits for their household size. Benefits may help with housing, food, utilities, clothing, and other necessary expenses.

CalWORKs is time limited. Participation in GAIN is mandatory unless the participant qualifies for an exemption. GAIN may provide job-search workshops, supervised job search, vocational assessment, education, skills training, work experience, and post-employment services.

General Relief

General Relief is funded by the County and provides cash aid to indigent adults and children in certain special circumstances who are not eligible for federal or state assistance programs. Able-bodied adults may receive General Relief for no more than nine months in a 12-month period.

Participation in START is mandatory for able-bodied General Relief recipients. A participant is assigned to a START worker who assists with employment goals, training, and preparation for work.

CAPI

The Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants provides cash assistance to certain aged, blind, and disabled legal noncitizens who are ineligible for Supplemental Security Income or State Supplemental Payment because of immigration status. A CAPI participant may also qualify for Medi-Cal, IHSS, or CalFresh, but participation in one program does not automatically establish eligibility for another.

Refugee and Victim Assistance

Refugee Cash Assistance serves qualifying refugees who are not receiving CalWORKs or Supplemental Security Income and State Supplemental Payment. Effective May 5, 2025, the eligibility period for newly eligible Refugee Cash Assistance and Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program cash-aid recipients was reduced from 12 months to four months. People who became eligible before that date remain under the prior 12-month period.

The Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program may provide state-funded cash aid, employment support, supportive services, and health care to eligible noncitizen victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, and other serious crimes. Income, resource, immigration, and other eligibility conditions apply.

Medi-Cal Coverage

The DPSS health care section describes Medi-Cal coverage groups and specialized programs. Applications may be submitted online throughout the year.

Medi-Cal may serve:

Children and families
Adults ages 19 through 64 without children
Pregnant people
Seniors
Adults and children with disabilities
People residing in or needing a long-term care facility
Former foster youth who meet program conditions
Eligible minors seeking specified confidential services
People needing certain specialized treatment programs

Medicare Savings Programs may assist eligible individuals with Medicare premiums, deductibles, or coinsurance. Medi-Cal also has estate-recovery rules for certain benefits received after age 55 by beneficiaries who owned assets at death. Applicants and participants should rely on the official program notice or agency explanation that applies to their circumstances rather than assuming all Medi-Cal categories follow the same asset or recovery rules.

Changes Beginning in 2026

California implemented new Medi-Cal rules beginning January 1, 2026. Asset information is again required for eligibility determinations involving certain groups, including people age 65 or older, people with disabilities, and individuals seeking long-term care Medi-Cal.

Participants should complete renewals, submit requested asset information, and respond to notices by the stated deadline. A prior approval does not eliminate future renewal obligations.

Employment and Child Care

The DPSS job services page describes employment programs connected to public benefits.

GAIN Services

GAIN helps CalWORKs participants prepare for and obtain employment. Services can include job-search instruction, supervised job search, vocational assessment, remedial education, occupational training, work experience, and assistance intended to help employed participants retain work or obtain better employment.

START Services

START provides employment and training services designed to help participants obtain work and move toward self-sufficiency. Participation is mandatory for able-bodied General Relief participants and voluntary for CalFresh participants.

CalWORKs Child Care

The CalWORKs Child Care Program may reimburse child care services for current and former CalWORKs participants who are working or participating in a County-approved Welfare-to-Work activity. Participants with a child-care problem should first contact their case worker or District or GAIN Region Child Care Coordinator before escalating a complaint to the child-care hotline.

Homeless Program Access

DPSS offers programs for families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Eligibility for a qualifying cash or financial-assistance program must be established before a person can be assessed for DPSS homeless programs and services.

The applicable cash program generally depends on household composition:

General Relief may apply to a single adult or couple without minor children.
CalWORKs may apply to a family with minor children or a pregnant applicant.
Refugee Cash Assistance may apply to an eligible refugee.

Applications may be submitted online, in person at a DPSS District Office, or by mail. The official DPSS homeless services information explains the connection between cash-aid eligibility and a homeless-services assessment. CalFresh and Medi-Cal may also be available to eligible homeless individuals and families.

Senior and Disability Services

The senior and disability services section covers IHSS and related assistance for older adults and people with disabilities.

IHSS Eligibility and Assessment

IHSS may help eligible people who are age 65 or older, legally blind, or disabled remain safely at home instead of entering an out-of-home care setting. A telephone application is forwarded to the appropriate IHSS Area Office for follow-up, which includes a home visit and a service assessment.

An applicant should distinguish between the IHSS telephone application line and the IHSS Helpline. The application line starts an application. The Helpline answers program questions from applicants, recipients, and providers.

Customer Service and Offices

The DPSS Customer Service Center serves as a central telephone contact for CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and General Relief cases. Eligibility workers can assist with applications, general case information, case updates, Semi-Annual Reporting, inter-county transfers, emergency-service questions, and program hotlines.

The Customer Service Center operates Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding County holidays. Services are available in English, Spanish, Armenian, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi, Tagalog, Russian, and Korean.

DPSS also provides free translation and interpreter services, including American Sign Language. People who need a disability-related reasonable accommodation may contact the department’s Americans with Disabilities Act service line.

An office visit may be appropriate when an applicant needs in-person help, has been directed to submit information at a District Office, or cannot resolve a case issue through the online portal or Customer Service Center. Before visiting, review the official DPSS contact and office information because the appropriate location can depend on the program and assigned office.

Appeals and Civil Rights

A person dissatisfied with a DPSS action or failure to act may request a state hearing through the California Department of Social Services. This process is separate from contacting a Customer Service Center worker about a routine case question. An appeal concerns a disputed agency action or inaction, while a customer-service inquiry may involve status, missing information, or administrative follow-up.

DPSS policy requires public assistance and social services to be delivered without unlawful discrimination. Civil Rights staff handle questions and complaints involving access to department programs and services. A person needing an accommodation should use the ADA contact rather than assuming that a general caseworker can arrange every accessibility request.

Overpayments and Fraud Issues

Applicants and participants should report accurate household, income, and eligibility information. Welfare Fraud Prevention and Investigations receives reports of suspected welfare fraud, while the Los Angeles County Fraud Hotline accepts reports concerning fraud against the County.

A delinquent DPSS overpayment or overissuance may be referred to the Treasurer and Tax Collector. Customers disputing a referred debt may contact the Eligibility Benefits Recovery Section Dispute Validation Taskforce by telephone, fax, or mail. This dispute process should not be confused with a BenefitsCal application, a routine eligibility-worker inquiry, or a state hearing request.

Common Application Mistakes

Using the Wrong Portal

BenefitsCal is the public portal for applying for and managing benefits. The County employee sign-in system should not be used as a substitute for BenefitsCal.

Ignoring Verification Codes

Two-step verification depends on access to the email address or telephone number on file. Outdated contact information can prevent account access or case linking.

Missing Renewal Notices

Benefits do not necessarily continue without action. Participants may need to submit renewals, Semi-Annual Reports, income changes, asset information, or other verification by a specific date.

Combining Separate Programs

CalFresh, CalWORKs, General Relief, CAPI, Medi-Cal, IHSS, and homeless programs have different eligibility and procedural requirements. Approval for one does not automatically establish approval for another.

Uploading Incomplete Documents

Blurry pages, missing pages, and documents that cannot be connected to the correct case may delay review. Applicants should check each file before submission and keep a copy.

Calling the Wrong Service Line

The Customer Service Center handles CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and General Relief case matters. IHSS has separate application and helpline numbers. Appeals, civil rights complaints, child-care concerns, fraud reports, and ADA accommodations also have dedicated contacts.

Department and Office Contacts

DPSS Customer Service Center
Toll Free: (866) 613-3777
Local: (310) 258-7400
Local: (626) 569-1399
Local: (818) 701-8200

In-Home Supportive Services Telephone Applications
Phone: (888) 944-IHSS
Phone: (213) 744-IHSS

In-Home Supportive Services Helpline
Phone: (888) 822-9622

Americans with Disabilities Act Hotline
Phone: (844) 586-5550

Civil Rights Hotline
Phone: (562) 908-8501

Appeals and State Hearings
Phone: (800) 952-5253

CalWORKs Child Care Hotline
Phone: (877) 244-5399

LA County Health and Nutrition Hotline
Phone: (877) 597-4777

Welfare Fraud Hotline
Phone: (800) 349-9970

Eligibility Benefits Recovery Section, Dispute Validation Taskforce
5445 Whittier Boulevard, 4th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90022
Phone: (323) 727-4001

Department of Public Social Services FAQs

Can DPSS help with an SSI application?

Some General Relief participants with physical or mental disabilities may qualify for assistance from the Countywide Benefits Entitlement Services Team, known as CBEST. The team helps eligible participants navigate the Supplemental Security Income application process and related benefit issues. Because CBEST does not serve every applicant, review the eligibility information in the official DPSS resources section before expecting case assistance.

Are supportive services available during CalWORKs?

CalWORKs participants who meet welfare-to-work requirements may be eligible for specialized supportive services. Depending on the participant’s needs and case plan, these services can address domestic violence, mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, and other barriers that interfere with employment activities. Availability is based on program participation and an individual assessment, so participants should not assume that every service is automatically included with cash aid.

Can students apply through BenefitsCal?

Students may use BenefitsCal to review and apply for food assistance, cash aid, or health coverage. Student status does not automatically approve or disqualify an applicant. Eligibility depends on the rules of the selected program, household circumstances, income, and any student-specific conditions. Applicants should answer enrollment, work, household, and financial questions accurately rather than leaving out school information.

Does DPSS provide help for veterans?

DPSS maintains information for veterans, active-duty service members, and military families seeking public benefits or related County services. Assistance may involve food, health coverage, cash aid, disability-related support, or referrals based on the household’s circumstances. Veterans should review the appropriate category in the official DPSS program directory instead of assuming military status creates automatic eligibility for a particular benefit.