What is California’s General Relief program?

If you’ve never heard of it before, General Relief may not mean much to you. However, it’s an important program in the state. It provides temporary compensation and aid to those who are residents of the state and who don’t qualify for Federal or State cash aid programs. Individuals who apply must also not have any minor children.

If you didn’t qualify for federal- or state-funded cash aid programs, this is a program to look into. Here are a few things you should know.

1. General Relief provides support to three classifications

First, it’s important to know whom General Relief covers. It covers people who are incapacitated, conditionally employables and employables. Essentially, it covers anyone who can or cannot work.

2. General Relief does sometimes impose sanctions

If you do not abide by the rules of the program or fail to meet the requirements without a good reason, you could be sanctioned. During that time, you won’t be eligible for coverage.

3. General Relief does cover burials and cremation

In the case that a person dies without resources, he or she may be buried with funds from the General Relief program. If the person who passes away has no relatives, then the county may apply for the funds on the person’s behalf to support the deceased’s burial or cremation. If this happens and death benefits are later paid to next-of-kin or others in your family, the money will have to first be paid back to the state to cover the burial costs.

These are a few things to know about the state’s General Relief program. This program is there to help people who slip through the cracks of the state and federal aid programs. It could be a helpful way to get the compensation you need while you attempt to get permanent disability.