Guaranteed Income Pilot Program for Older Adults
The Guaranteed Income Pilot Program for Older Adults is a California state-funded guaranteed income pilot overseen by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), authorized through the Fiscal Year 2024-25 state budget. It is designed to provide unconditional monthly cash payments to at least 200 low-income California residents age 60 and older who are eligible for or receiving a means-tested government benefit. Following a competitive RFA process, CDSS issued a Notice of Intent to Award roughly $4.75 million to GiveDirectly to administer the pilot over an approximately 3.5-year grant period. The pilot is funded entirely with California state government dollars. As of mid-2026, CDSS's own program page and other sources still describe the initiative as being in an "early planning stage," so it is unclear whether disbursements have actually begun.
Older Adults, Seniors, State-Funded Pilot, GiveDirectly, California, Means-Tested Benefit Recipients
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- California Department of Social Services
- City
- Sacramento
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Phone
- +1 916 926 7704
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Number of recipients
- 200
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Payment frequency
- Variable
- How long the program lasts
- 36 months
- Benefit details
Community listening sessions that shaped the program recommended a minimum payment of $500 per month for at least six months, with participants able to choose recurring monthly payments, a lump sum, or a combination of both; final payment terms have not been publicly confirmed. The pilot is funded by a single ~$4.75 million CDSS grant to GiveDirectly covering roughly a 3.5-year period of performance (administration, enrollment, disbursement, and evaluation). By state law, GI Pilot Program payments are exempt from CalWORKs income/resource calculations and from CalFresh calculations as long as the payment includes some non-governmental funding. Non-MAGI Medi-Cal recipients (a category that covers many seniors) have a federally approved 12-month disregard of these payments as income/resources. Grantees must provide benefits counseling since federal programs like SSI and housing assistance are not automatically protected from being affected by the payments.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligibility is limited to adults age 60 or older who reside in California and are either currently receiving or otherwise eligible for a means-tested government benefit (e.g., CalFresh, Medi-Cal, SSI/SSP, IHSS); no specific income ceiling, asset limit, or additional demographic screen has been publicly finalized. Based on CDSS's earlier GI pilots for pregnant individuals and former foster youth, applicants may be selected via lottery if eligible applicants exceed available slots, though the selection method for this specific pilot has not been confirmed. Enrollment is expected to be managed by the awarded grantee, GiveDirectly, rather than directly by the state.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 60
Financial
- Currently receiving government benefits
- Required
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
CDSS's guaranteed income grantees are required to coordinate program evaluation activities. The Urban Institute evaluated CDSS's earlier 2022-round GI pilots (pregnant individuals and former foster youth, ~1,928 recipients plus a control group), studying both implementation and impact (health, financial well-being, employment, and perinatal outcomes). It is not yet publicly confirmed whether Urban Institute or another research partner will evaluate this specific older-adults pilot.
Application Process
- How to apply
As of this research, no public individual application process has been published. Interested organizations previously applied to CDSS via a competitive RFA (closed April 18, 2025); individual older adults are expected to enroll through the awarded grantee, GiveDirectly, once the program launches. Updates are available via the CDSS Guaranteed Income for Older Adults listserv.
- Selection process
Not yet publicly confirmed. In CDSS's earlier (2022-round) GI pilots for pregnant individuals and former foster youth, five of seven sites received more eligible applicants than available slots and selected participants via lottery; it is unconfirmed whether this pilot will use a similar method.
