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Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
CAPI is a 100 percent state-funded program designed to provide monthly cash benefits to aged, blind, and disabled non-citizens who are ineligible for SSI/SSP solely due to their immigrant status. The welfare reform act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) eliminated Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) eligibility for most non-citizens. As a result, most immigrants who were not receiving SSI/SSP in August 1996 are no longer eligible for SSI/SSP.
In order to qualify for CAPI you must:
- Meet all other SSI/SSP eligibility criteria except for immigration status
- Be aged, blind, or disabled,
- Be a resident of California,
- Have resources below the allowable limits of $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple, and
- Have income less than the CAPI standards
- Be a non-citizen and meet the immigration status criteria in effect for SSI/SSP as of 8/21/96.
- Be ineligible for SSI/SSP solely due to immigration status. This means a CAPI applicant must apply or SSI/SSP,or submit other proof of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration.
CAPI payment amounts vary depending on a person's marital status, living arrangements and other income. CAPI payment standards are equivalent to the amount of SSI/SSP benefits.
There may be other factors considered when determining your eligibility. Eligibility Specialists meet with you individually to discuss your situation at the time of your application.
The Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance is the lead county in the North State/Orange CAPI Consortium. Sacramento County processes applications and maintains continuing cases for Orange County, Santa Barbara County and 26 Northern California counties including Placer County.
Placer county will:
- Provide application assistance for CAPI applicants
- Accept initial CAPI applications
- Forward them to the central office in Sacramento
Placer County residents can file an application for CAPI by phone, fax, mail, or visiting one of our three offices:
Speak with a Human Services staff member in our call center for more information.
More information about CAPI can be found at the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) here.