The SOC 814 CAPI application is California’s Statement of Facts for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, a roughly 20-page form that collects your identity, immigration history, living situation, income, and assets so your county can decide whether you qualify for monthly cash benefits.1California Department of Social Services. Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants You can download it in English, Spanish, Armenian, or Chinese from the California Department of Social Services website, or pick one up at your county social services office. To get benefits, you file the completed form, along with supporting documents, with the county where you live.
Before You File: Confirm You’re Eligible
CAPI exists for people who would qualify for federal Supplemental Security Income except for their immigration status. If you were denied SSI for any other reason — too much income, too many resources, or a finding that you are not disabled — CAPI will not help. You must meet all of the following:
- Age 65 or older, legally blind, or disabled under the program’s medical standard.
- Classified as a Qualified Alien or Permanently Residing Under Color of Law (PRUCOL).
- Ineligible for SSI/SSP solely because of your immigration status.
- A California resident.
- Countable resources under $2,000 as an individual or $3,000 as a couple.2California Department of Social Services. Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants
The SSI step is the one that catches applicants off guard. You have to apply for SSI at a Social Security office first and give your county a formal or informal denial letter issued within the past six months showing the denial was based on immigration status. If your SSI claim is still open, you can file for CAPI in the meantime, but you need proof the SSI application has been submitted. If the county tells you to go to Social Security and you don’t follow through within 30 calendar days, your CAPI application can be denied.3Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. 49-030 Ineligibility for SSI or SSP
Applicants under 65 who claim eligibility through disability or blindness go through a separate state medical determination based on records you submit. The county worker does not decide disability, and this review adds time to processing.4Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. 49-025 Age and Disability
Documents to Gather First
Missing paperwork is the single most common reason CAPI applications stall. Pull these together before you sit down with the form:
- Proof of immigration status: Permanent Resident Card, I-94, or other federal immigration documents.
- Your SSI denial letter from Social Security (issued within the last six months), or proof your SSI claim is pending.
- Proof of age and identity: birth certificate, passport, or government-issued ID.
- Proof of California residency: a lease, utility bill, or similar document with your address.
- Financial records: statements for every bank account, vehicle registration if you own a car, and documentation of any other assets.
- Income verification: pay stubs, benefit award letters, pension statements, or tax returns. If a relative sends you money, get a signed statement describing how much and how often.
- Medical records if you are under 65 and applying based on disability or blindness.
- Sponsor information if someone signed an Affidavit of Support for you: the affidavit itself plus any records of the sponsor’s income and resources.1California Department of Social Services. Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants
Make copies of everything before you hand anything in. Originals get lost, and copies on hand let you respond quickly when a caseworker asks for something.
Filling Out the SOC 814
Personal and Immigration Information
Start with full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security Number if one has been issued. The immigration section asks for your date of entry into the United States, your Alien Registration Number from your federal immigration documents, and your current immigration status. This part sets up both your identity and your eligibility category, so blanks or inconsistencies here will stall your case.
If anyone signed an Affidavit of Support (federal Form I-864 or its predecessor) when you immigrated, you have to report that sponsor’s name, address, and income. California applies sponsor deeming, meaning part of the sponsor’s income and resources counts as yours for eligibility — whether or not the sponsor actually gives you money.5California Department of Social Services. Initial Statement of Reasons – CAPI Sponsor Deeming Regulations Under the newer affidavit, deeming lasts ten years from whichever is later: the sponsor’s signature date or your date of arrival. Older affidavits can run as short as three years from your admission as a permanent resident. Deeming ends if the sponsor dies or you naturalize.6Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. 49-037 Sponsor Deeming
Living Arrangements
Report where you live, who else lives there, and what you pay for housing. CAPI adjusts your benefit by living situation. Paying your own rent or mortgage puts you in Independent Living, which uses the full payment standard. Living in someone else’s household where that person covers your food and shelter, or where you pay less than your fair share, puts you in Household of Another, which uses a lower standard.7Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. 49-050 Living Arrangements and Benefits Categories Free food or shelter from anyone counts as In-Kind Support and Maintenance and can reduce your benefit. If you live in a board and care facility, list the cost of those services so the county applies the right payment category.
Resources
List every financial resource you own: checking and savings accounts, cash on hand, real estate other than the home you live in, and any other property with cash value. Your primary residence does not count toward the resource limit, and one vehicle is also excluded. If your disability began before age 46, up to $100,000 in a CalABLE account is excluded as well.
Income
Report gross monthly income from every source: pensions, disability payments, wages, and regular help from family or friends. CAPI uses the SSI income rules: the first $20 per month of most unearned income is excluded, and for earnings from work, the first $65 plus half the rest is excluded. Whatever countable income remains reduces your benefit dollar for dollar.
Fill in every field, even when the answer is zero. Blank fields read as skipped and almost always trigger a request for more information that pushes your approval back by weeks.
Submitting the Form
Send your completed SOC 814 and supporting documents to the county social services office where you live. You can submit in person, by mail, by fax, or by email, and you can also call your local county office to start the process by phone with a worker’s help.1California Department of Social Services. Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants
Your filing date is the date the county receives the application, and that date controls when benefits can start. If you mail the package, use a method with tracking or delivery confirmation. If you drop it off, ask for a date-stamped receipt. Many offices have an after-hours drop box, but those don’t give you a receipt. Send it to the right county the first time; applications filed in the wrong county have to be transferred, which adds delay.
After You File
A county eligibility worker is assigned to your case and may schedule an interview in person or by phone, depending on your county’s procedures and your ability to travel.1California Department of Social Services. Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants The worker goes through your SOC 814, asks about anything that looks incomplete, and may request additional documents.
Most applications are processed within 30 days. Two situations commonly take longer: cases that need a disability determination for an applicant under 65, and cases that need sponsor-deeming screening because the applicant arrived in the U.S. within the past ten years.8County of San Mateo. Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants You will get a Notice of Action by mail telling you whether your application was approved, denied, or is waiting on more information.9County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency. Get Financial Assistance for Aged, Blind, or Disabled Immigrants With Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants The notice will also show how your payment was calculated if you were approved.
If You’re Denied
The Notice of Action explains the reason for a denial or reduction. You have 90 days from the date of that notice to request a state hearing from the California Department of Social Services. You can still ask after 90 days, but you’ll have to show good cause for the delay.10California Department of Social Services. State Hearing Requests
If you are already receiving CAPI and the county notifies you of a cut or termination, requesting the hearing before the effective date on the notice can keep your current benefits coming while you appeal — this is called aid paid pending. Read the notice closely for the specific deadline, because missing it by a day can stop your payments while you wait. At the hearing, an administrative law judge reviews the county’s decision and you can present documents and testimony. If the judge rules against you, you can still take the matter to court.