Social Services

Santa Clara County CA social services include help with health coverage, groceries, household expenses, in-home care, child safety, and protection for older and dependent adults. This article explains which county department handles each service, how benefit applications and ongoing cases work, what information applicants may need, and where to turn for questions or concerns. It also identifies official county systems and office locations so residents can reach the service that matches their situation.

Santa Clara County Social Services

The Santa Clara County Social Services Agency brings together several departments with different responsibilities. A request for food benefits follows a different process from an abuse report, an in-home care inquiry, or a child welfare concern. Identifying the right department helps you reach staff who handle your specific need.

Department of Employment and Benefit Services (DEBS): Health coverage, food benefits, cash assistance, and employment services for eligible individuals and families.

Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS): Services supporting older adults and adults with disabilities, including protective services, in-home assistance, nutrition, and conservatorship.

Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS): Child protection, family support, adoption, resource family approval, and services for transition-age youth.

Veterans Services Office (VSO): Assistance for veterans, military personnel, and their families seeking benefits earned through active-duty military service.

Public benefit eligibility is determined by the program involved. An online eligibility estimate can help you understand possible options, but a County Eligibility Worker makes the decision after you apply. Do not assume that eligibility for one service establishes eligibility for every other service.

Applications, Documents, and Office Access

The Department of Employment and Benefit Services administers Medi-Cal, CalFresh Food, CalWORKs, General Assistance, and several immigrant assistance programs. Its program pages provide options to apply online, manage benefits online, and securely submit documents online.

BenefitsCal’s Ask Robin virtual assistant can estimate eligibility for Medi-Cal, CalFresh Food, or CalWORKs before you complete an application. An estimate is separate from an actual application and does not replace the county’s review. For CalFresh Food and CalWORKs, a County Eligibility Worker schedules a telephone or in-person interview after you apply.

Information for the County Review

Paper documents may be requested when income, citizenship, or other information cannot be verified electronically or needs clarification. The program pages provide access to commonly used verification document information. Respond to the documents requested for your application rather than assuming every applicant must provide the same paperwork.

Information relevant to the review depends on the program. CalFresh Food considers household size, income, and some living costs. CalWORKs considers income, eligible family members, and resources. Medi-Cal eligibility is based mainly on income. If you have a physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability, you have the right to tell the county how it can accommodate you during the application process.

Keep your mailing information current because benefit decisions, renewal forms, and other case notices arrive by mail. For an existing case, your County Worker’s contact information appears in the upper-right corner of your most recent Notice of Action, commonly called an NOA.

Office Visits and Document Drop Boxes

DEBS lists offices in San Jose, Mountain View, and Gilroy. These include the Benefits Assistance Center, Continuing Benefits Services, General Assistance Services, CalWORKs Employment Services, and the North County and South County offices. Document drop boxes are available at the listed benefit office locations.

DEBS public benefit assistance is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except county holidays. The Social Services Agency contact directory distinguishes application assistance from help with an existing case. Current recipients should contact their assigned County Worker directly when possible. The directory also provides a separate contact route for people receiving only Medi-Cal, rather than CalFresh Food, CalWORKs, or other cash benefits.

Medi-Cal Health Coverage

Medi-Cal health coverage is California’s Medicaid program. It provides free or low-cost health services for eligible California residents with low income and resources. Covered services include outpatient care, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, prescription drugs, mental health and substance use disorder services, and other health benefits.

Medi-Cal has no annual open enrollment period. You can apply at any time. The county’s application instructions state that a Notice of Action will be mailed within 45 days of the application date to explain whether the application was approved or denied.

Approval, Cards, and Health Plans

After approval, you receive a Benefits Identification Card, or BIC, in the mail. The county describes the first 45 days of coverage as Fee-For-Service Medi-Cal, also called Regular Medi-Cal. Within 45 days of receiving your BIC, information about health plan options is mailed to you. Once that information arrives, you have 30 days to choose a plan; otherwise, a plan is assigned.

Present your plastic BIC to your medical provider so the provider can verify coverage and bill for care. Keep the card even if your coverage ends, because a card from a previous period of Medi-Cal may be usable again. If you lose it, ask your County Eligibility Worker for a replacement.

County eligibility staff and health plan representatives serve different purposes. Contact your County Worker about your application, eligibility, or case. Questions about medications, access to doctors, and specialists under managed care belong with your health plan’s customer service representatives. Plan enrollment and disenrollment are handled through Medi-Cal Managed Care Health Care Options.

Annual Renewals and Coverage Changes

Medi-Cal coverage must be renewed each year. When the county can verify all required information electronically, renewal may happen automatically, followed by a Notice of Action confirming it. Otherwise, the county mails a renewal form that must be reviewed, completed, and returned with requested documents.

Failure to return the renewal form on time can cause coverage to end. If coverage is lost because requested information was not returned, the county states that you have 90 days to contact it and provide further information to restore coverage. Update your address, telephone number, and email through BenefitsCal or your County Eligibility Worker so renewal communications reach you.

The agency also identifies Medi-Cal changes for 2026–2028 involving asset limits for older adults and people with disabilities, enrollment rules for certain undocumented adults, and dental coverage. Review the program change information available through the agency before relying on earlier eligibility or coverage information.

CalFresh Food and Grocery Benefits

CalFresh Food is California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It increases the grocery budget of eligible low-income residents. Eligibility and benefit amounts depend on household size, income, and some living costs. Being married or having children is not required, and eligible people living alone can receive benefits.

A person experiencing homelessness can also qualify. The person must reside in the county where the application is filed, but a permanent dwelling or fixed mailing address is not required. Children may qualify even when a parent is ineligible because of immigration status; the county reviews the applicable requirements during the application.

If completing the entire application is difficult, you can submit it with your name, address, and signature. A County Worker can assist with the remaining information. The usual application process includes an interview and a mailed Notice of Action within 30 days.

Food Assistance Within Three Days

Applicants who qualify for Expedited Services receive CalFresh Food benefits within three days of applying. To qualify, you must meet the other CalFresh requirements, provide identification, and meet one of the county’s listed circumstances:

Your household has less than $150 in monthly income and less than $100 in money on hand.

Your household’s combined monthly income and money on hand are less than its combined monthly rent and utilities.

You are a migrant or seasonal farmworker with less than $100 in money on hand.

For this expedited review, money on hand includes liquid resources such as cash, checking or savings accounts, savings certificates, and lump-sum payments. Tell the county if you need food immediately so it can assess whether Expedited Services apply.

EBT Purchases and Restrictions

Approved recipients receive an Electronic Benefit Transfer card, also called an EBT or Golden State Advantage card. The card generally arrives by mail, although you may arrange pickup at a county office through your Eligibility Worker. A four-digit personal identification number, or PIN, arrives in a separate mailing.

CalFresh Food can purchase food for human consumption, including seeds and plants used to grow food at home. It cannot purchase alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, medicines, pet food, or nonfood items. The general restriction also excludes hot food and lunch-counter items prepared or heated in the store.

A separate Restaurant Meals Program allows eligible recipients who are homeless, disabled, or age 60 or older to purchase hot, prepared meals at participating restaurants. This exception does not mean every restaurant accepts CalFresh Food or every recipient qualifies to use restaurant benefits.

Reporting Changes and Work Requirements

The county sends a reporting form every six months to collect changes affecting benefits, such as income or rent. Benefits stop if the required form is not returned. Most households also have an annual telephone or in-person interview, although households with someone who is disabled or over 60 may have a different interview schedule.

If your income rises above your Income Reporting Threshold, or IRT, between regular reports, you must report that change within 10 days. Your Eligibility Worker tells you your threshold. Failure to report can lead to repayment of benefits issued in error.

The agency states that recipients classified as Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents may receive only three months of benefits in a 36-month period unless they meet work requirements or qualify for an exemption. CalFresh Employment and Training is a separate, free, voluntary program offering education, training, work experience, and job skills.

Cash Assistance for Different Households

The county’s financial assistance programs serve different household and immigration circumstances. Selecting the appropriate program matters because the rules for a family with dependent children differ from those for an adult without dependent children.

CalWORKs: Time-limited cash assistance and related support for eligible families with children and pregnant individuals.

General Assistance: County-funded cash assistance and employment services for county adults without dependent children who have no other means of support.

Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants: Assistance for aged, blind, or disabled immigrants ineligible for SSI/SSP because of immigration status.

Refugee Cash Assistance: Cash aid, employment services, and other social services for refugees who are not otherwise eligible for other cash aid.

Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program: Short-term cash assistance for certain immigrant survivors of human trafficking and other serious crimes.

Immigrant benefit eligibility depends on immigration status, required documentation, and the requirements of the individual program. A household’s circumstances should be reviewed through the appropriate benefit application rather than treated as a single rule covering every family member.

CalWORKs Applications and Immediate Needs

CalWORKs assistance for families may be available to parents or caretakers of children under 19 and to pregnant individuals. Eligible recipients automatically qualify for Medi-Cal and may qualify for CalFresh Food if requested. CalWORKs also provides childcare, employment support, and assistance with education.

If your family has very limited cash and needs housing, food, utilities, clothing, or medical care, tell the county immediately. Immediate short-term help may be available. Families experiencing homelessness can ask their County Eligibility Worker about homeless assistance.

CalWORKs applications must be processed within 45 days, although some are processed sooner depending on family circumstances. Approval or denial is communicated through a Notice of Action. Resources such as bank funds count in the eligibility review, while certain resources, including the home you live in, are excluded.

Employment Services and Benefit Duration

CalWORKs Employment Services helps recipients gain skills and training for employment. With certain exceptions, recipients over 18 must participate. Your Eligibility Worker explains whether participation is required, and an Employment Counselor works with you on an employment plan. Some services, including help paying for childcare, may remain available after you find work.

Adult CalWORKs cash aid generally has a 60-month limit. Children can continue receiving aid after an adult reaches that limit. The county identifies circumstances that may allow assistance beyond 60 months, including certain disabilities, care for an ill or disabled person, pregnancy that prevents work, age 60 or older, and domestic violence.

CalWORKs recipients also receive six-month reporting forms and an annual interview. Required reports cover changes such as income and property. Missing the reporting form can stop benefits.

Benefit Cards, Notices, and Case Concerns

A Medi-Cal BIC verifies health coverage; an EBT card accesses CalFresh Food or CalWORKs benefits. Keep these purposes distinct when contacting staff. Protect your BIC number, EBT card number, and EBT PIN. The county warns against providing EBT information in response to texts, emails, or telephone calls requesting it. Suspected stolen EBT benefits should be reported to your County Worker within 10 days.

For questions about an application or existing benefit case, contact the worker identified on your latest Notice of Action. If you are dissatisfied with the response, ask for a supervisor. The county also provides a free, confidential case review through its Ombuds services.

A hearing request is a separate procedure. Follow the instructions on the back of your Notice of Action, including the directions for completing and submitting the hearing request. An informal case discussion and a formal hearing request are different ways of addressing a benefit decision.

In-Home Care and Senior Nutrition

In-Home Supportive Services, or IHSS, provides household and personal care assistance to eligible people who are blind, have a disability, or are 65 or older. Recipients must live at home in Santa Clara County and have Medi-Cal. Services are free for county residents who are fully eligible.

IHSS can assist with light household chores, meal preparation and cleanup, laundry, food shopping, dressing, bathing, hygiene, ambulation, and bowel and bladder care. It does not provide housing assistance. Other excluded tasks include paying bills, moving furniture, home repairs, pet or service animal care, and providing care during hospitalization.

The recipient and provider processes are separate. A person seeking care follows the recipient application route. Someone seeking paid caregiving work follows the provider enrollment route. A provider may be a family member, friend, or another person who completes enrollment through the Public Authority. Providers are considered employees of the recipient.

The Senior Nutrition Program offers meals to adults age 60 or older at more than 35 county meal sites, with opportunities for social activities and shared dining. The county also describes a home-delivered meal program for homebound adults age 60 or older who cannot shop or prepare meals because of a physical or mental condition. Meal assistance and IHSS address different needs, even when a resident may need both.

Protection for Children and Adults

The county’s protective services respond to abuse and neglect concerns and include services for people unable to care for themselves. If someone’s life is in danger, call 911. Child abuse and adult abuse reporting lines operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Child Abuse and Neglect Center receives and responds to reports involving children and youth. When a situation does not require police action, the agency directs reports to this reporting line. Mandated reporters may use the Online Report of Child Abuse system, or ORCA, for non-urgent reports; the county specifically identifies this online route for mandated reporters.

Adult Protective Services responds to abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation involving adults age 60 or older and dependent adults ages 18 through 59 with physical or mental limitations. Its reporting function is separate from applying for IHSS or requesting meal assistance.

The Public Administrator, Guardian, Conservator protects people who cannot care for themselves and manages estates of people who die without a will or executor. These responsibilities differ from ordinary benefit eligibility and caregiving services.

Family Support and Youth Services

The Department of Family and Children’s Services addresses threats to child safety involving abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment. Its social workers help families identify support for safely caring for children, including counseling and parent education.

DFCS also provides adoption services and the Resource Family Approval Program, which oversees approval of families providing round-the-clock care and supervision for children. Transitioned Age Youth services connect young people ages 16 through 24 with opportunities and support for self-sufficiency.

For families facing separation, the department provides Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavits. The county describes these as an informal option without court involvement that allows caregivers to enroll a child living in their home in school and consent to medical care.

The Juvenile Welfare Office of the Ombuds is a confidential, neutral, independent, and informal resource for people involved with DFCS, juvenile dependency, and the child welfare system. Other agency services have dedicated Ombuds contacts for concerns involving aging and adult services, public benefits, or veterans services.

Social Services Departments and Offices

Social Services Agency
333 W. Julian St., San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 755-7770

Department of Employment and Benefit Services Programs
P.O. Box 11018, San Jose, CA 95103
(408) 758-3800

Benefits Assistance Center
1867 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95112

Continuing Benefits Services
1877 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95112

General Assistance Services
1919 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95112

CalWORKs Employment Services
1879 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95112

North County Office
1330 W. Middlefield Road, Mountain View, CA 94043

South County Office
379 Tomkins Court, Gilroy, CA 95020

Department of Aging and Adult Services
353 W. Julian St., San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 755-7600

Adult Protective Services
353 W. Julian St., San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 975-4900; (800) 414-2002

In-Home Supportive Services
353 W. Julian St., San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 792-1600

Senior Nutrition Program
(408) 755-7680

Public Administrator / Guardian / Conservator
P.O. Box 760, San Jose, CA 95106-0760
(408) 755-7610

Department of Family and Children’s Services
373 W. Julian St., San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 501-6300

Child Abuse and Neglect Center
(833) 722-5437

Veterans Services Office
68 North Winchester Boulevard, Santa Clara, CA 95050
(408) 918-4980

Appeals Unit, County of Santa Clara Social Services
353 W. Julian St., San Jose, CA 95110-2335

Juvenile Welfare Office of the Ombuds
(408) 993-4114

Social Services FAQs

Can I get CalFresh if I have savings?

Having money in a checking or savings account does not automatically disqualify you. Santa Clara County’s CalFresh eligibility information states that liquid resources, including cash and checking and savings accounts, are not counted for regular CalFresh eligibility. Income and other program requirements still apply. This distinction matters when deciding whether to apply: a bank balance alone is not a reason to assume you cannot receive grocery benefits.

Do guaranteed income payments affect my benefits?

The county gives different instructions for CalFresh and CalWORKs. For CalFresh, submit proof of your guaranteed income program participation so your County Worker can determine whether the payment counts as income. For CalWORKs, the county states that guaranteed income payments are excluded when you provide proof of participation. Its CalWORKs guaranteed income guidance lists bank statements or award letters as acceptable proof. An award letter should identify you, the program, payment amount and frequency, program duration, and whether any funding comes from nongovernmental sources. Do not assume the same treatment applies across both benefits.

Can parents and children qualify for different coverage?

Yes. A single health coverage application can result in different programs for members of the same family or tax household. For example, parents may qualify for tax credits through Covered California while their children qualify for Medi-Cal. Children’s Medi-Cal eligibility rules differ from adult rules, so a parent’s eligibility result does not establish the child’s result.

What if higher income ends my Medi-Cal?

If Medi-Cal ends because your income increased or your household became smaller, losing that coverage qualifies you for a Covered California special enrollment period. You do not have to wait for regular open enrollment. According to the county’s guidance on coverage after Medi-Cal ends, you will receive a notice explaining how to enroll. Review that notice promptly and follow its enrollment instructions; you may also request county assistance with enrollment.