State benefits refer to any regular long-term payment from a government. This may be in the form of state pension, benefits for low income, children, careers, incapacity or sickness.

Almost all states provide state benefits to its citizen. This is given to provide assistance to disabled and less fortunate.

In California alone, an approximate of a thousand laws was enacted to provide state benefits to its citizen. The following are some of it:

California CalWORKs

This is a welfare program that gives cash aid and services to eligible needy California families. The program serves all 58 counties in the state. This is operated locally by county welfare departments. The family that applies and qualifies under this law receives on going assistance each month to help pay for housing, food and other necessary expenses.

Requirements under this Law

To qualify for this benefit program, you must be:

• Resident of the State of California

• Pregnant or responsible for a child under 19 years old

• US national

• Citizen

• Legal alien

• Permanent resident

• Low or very low income

• Underemployed

• Unemployed or about to become unemployed

Needy families may apply for this benefit at any office located in any county where they live.

California Food Stamp Program

California Food Stamps is a federally funded program that helps people buys the food they need for good health. Food stamps are only part of their food budget; they must spend some of their own cash to buy food enough for a month.

Requirements to qualify under this Law

In order to qualify under this law you must be a resident of the state of California and must fall into one of these two groups:

• With current bank balance under $2,001

• With current bank balance under $3,001 who share their household with a person age 60 and over or with a person with disability.

California Head Start

This is a national program administered by the Head Start Bureau within the administration of Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, and Department of Health Human Services. This provides developmental comprehensive services to children from birth up to entry in the elementary school. This program is designed to address developmental goals for children, employment and self-sufficiency goals for adults, and support parents in their works and child caring roles.

Requirements for this Law

To qualify for this law, you must be:

• Resident citizen of the State of California

• A parent or primary caregiver responsible for a child who is too young for public school

• Household annual income before taxes must not exceed $10,400 if you have one person in the household

California Healthy Families

This law is a low cost insurance for California children and teens. It provides health, dental and vision coverage to children who do not have insurance and do not qualify free Medi-cal.

Requirements under this Law

In order to qualify under this law, you must be:

• Resident of the State of California

• Under 19 years old

• Not covered by health insurance

• US national

• Citizen

• Legal alien

• Permanent resident

• With annual household income before taxes of less than $26,000