Lost your job and cannot get unemployment? Other help for your family

This page is for people who cannot get unemployment. It is general information, not legal advice. If you are not sure whether you qualify for unemployment, start with Can I get unemployment after being fired or quitting?

Why can't I get unemployment?

Unemployment in California is run by the Employment Development Department (EDD). To get it, the EDD says you must:

• Have a Social Security number, or work authorization if you are not a citizen (EDD eligibility). EDD's page for undocumented workers adds that non-citizens must have a Social Security number, must have been authorized to work when they earned the wages, and must show current work authorization each week they claim.
• Show that you had satisfactory immigration status and were allowed to work in the United States when you earned the wages used for your claim
• Keep proving that you are allowed to work each time you certify for benefits

The EDD checks status and work permission with the Department of Homeland Security. So if you never had permission to work, unemployment is closed to you. Do not file using someone else's Social Security number. Talk to a free clinic instead.

If you did have a work permit when you earned some of your wages, for example through DACA, TPS or a pending case, your answer may be different. State law looks at your status when you did the work: wages count if you were lawfully present to do that work, and it names DACA with a valid work permit as one example (Unemployment Insurance Code 1264). You still need work permission each time you certify. How this works for your exact dates is a question for a workers' rights clinic. Ask one before you decide. They are listed in Who can help?

We know this news can hit hard. The rest of this page is about what you can get.

Did I get all the pay I earned?

Start here, because this money is already yours. California's labor laws protect all workers, whatever their immigration status.

• Fired or laid off? Your employer must pay all your final wages right away, including vacation you earned.
• Quit with at least 72 hours' notice? You must be paid on your last day.
• Quit without notice? You must be paid within 72 hours.
• Paid late? Your employer may owe you a waiting time penalty: one day's pay for each day you waited, up to 30 days.

Earned paid sick leave is not paid out when a job ends. But if you are rehired by the same employer within a year, your unused sick days come back.

If you are owed anything, file a wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner. You do not need a lawyer. The office does not ask about your immigration status, and the claim form does not ask for a Social Security number. Call 833-526-4636 for help with phone interpreters. Full steps are on How to file a wage claim and Your final paycheck.

Can I get State Disability Insurance instead?

Maybe, if you cannot work because of an illness, an injury or a pregnancy. State Disability Insurance (SDI) is a different EDD program from unemployment. It is paid for by money taken out of your paychecks.

• The EDD's DE 2320 says citizenship and immigration status do not affect who can get SDI.
• You can apply even without a Social Security number. The online form needs one, so ask the EDD for a paper application instead.
• The EDD says these benefits will not affect your path to citizenship.
• Apply within 49 days of the first day you stopped working because of your illness or injury.

SDI is not for a job loss by itself. It is for when your health keeps you from working. If you were hurt at work, workers' comp may cover you instead. See Hurt at work? How to get workers comp.

How can my family get food?

CalFresh. Since April 1, 2026, CalFresh is limited to citizens, U.S. nationals, green card holders and a few other groups. But parents can apply for children who are citizens, whatever the parents' status. The parent who cannot get CalFresh is left out of the household count, and part of their income still counts. Apply at BenefitsCal or call your county.

WIC. WIC helps people who are pregnant or just gave birth, and children under 5, with healthy food. The state's WIC eligibility check asks where you live, your situation and your income. It does not ask about immigration status. Getting Medi-Cal or CalFresh may also make you eligible. Call 1-800-852-5770.

School meals. Every public school student in California can get a free breakfast and lunch each school day. There is no income test.

Food banks. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley serves San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Use its food locator to find free groceries or meals near you by day and time, or call 1-800-984-3663.

More detail is on Food help for your family, whatever your status.

Can I get cash help for my children?

CalWORKs gives monthly cash aid to families with children. A parent who does not meet the immigration rules cannot be aided, but citizen children in the home can still get CalWORKs. The family's income is counted. Apply at BenefitsCal or call your county.

San Mateo County's Human Services Agency also lists General Assistance for some adults and CAPI for some noncitizens. Ask at 1-800-223-8383 whether either fits you. In East Palo Alto, the county service center is at 2415 University Avenue.

Emergency rent or bill help. In the Bay Area, call or text 211. A specialist can refer you to local help with rent, deposits, eviction prevention, utility bills, food and child care. 211 does not hand out money itself, and it is not an emergency line. In a life threatening emergency, call 911. 211 does not serve every California county, so outside the Bay Area check 211 first.

Can I lower my power bill?

If PG&E is your utility, ask for CARE. PG&E's CARE page (checked October 21, 2026) says:

• CARE takes 20% or more off gas and 35% or more off electricity each month.
• You qualify if anyone in your home gets CalFresh, WIC, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, SSI, LIHEAP or the National School Lunch Program, or if your household income is under PG&E's limits. The current limits are valid through May 31, 2027.
• The bill must be in your name, at the home where you live.
• You can apply online at energyinsight.pge.com/carefera with no documents at the time you apply, or call 1-866-743-5832.

PG&E's page does not ask about immigration status. A citizen child's CalFresh or Medi-Cal can count for the whole home. If another company serves you, ask it about a low income discount.

What about health care?

Losing a job often means losing health insurance. Here is what California offers by status:

• Children under 19 and people who are pregnant (and for a year after) can apply for full Medi-Cal, whatever their status.
• Adults 19 and over without satisfactory status cannot newly enroll in full Medi-Cal since January 1, 2026. If you already have it, renew on time to keep it. If it ends, you have three months to get it back.
• Adults with DACA can still newly apply for full Medi-Cal.
• More changes are coming in 2027 for adults without satisfactory status, including a monthly premium for ages 19 to 59 from July 1, 2027. The governor will set the exact amount in May 2027, between $30 and $50 a month (DHCS; LAO). More: Medi-Cal changes in 2027.
• Everyone who qualifies on income can get emergency Medi-Cal.
• San Mateo County residents can ask about the county's ACE program at San Mateo Medical Center or Ravenswood Family Health Center.

For help applying in East Palo Alto, call Ravenswood's Eligibility and Enrollment team at 650-330-7416. More detail: Medi-Cal for adults in 2026.

Can taxes bring money in?

Yes, they may. If you file a California tax return with an ITIN, you may be able to claim the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and the Young Child Tax Credit. Your child needs a Social Security number or an ITIN for the Young Child Tax Credit. Even a short year of work can count, so do not skip filing. See CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit with an ITIN.

Will getting help hurt my immigration case?

For most people already in the U.S., no. Public charge is an immigration test used mainly in family and job based green card cases. It does not apply to citizenship applications, DACA or TPS, and it does not apply to most immigrants already living here.

But the rule changed on September 18, 2026. For benefits used on or after that date, officers may consider any means tested benefit. Benefits a child gets are not treated as the parent's, but officers may look at them when they review the family's money and support.

So, if you or someone in your home has a green card case now or plans one soon, talk to a free legal helper before you apply or cancel anything. California's own advice is to learn whether the rule applies to you first. Read Will using benefits like CalFresh hurt my case?

Who can help?

These are free public offices and nonprofit groups. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Legal Aid at Work: free and confidential workers' rights clinic for people within its income limits, or age 60 and over, in Spanish and many other languages. East Palo Alto line: (415) 404-9093. Workers' Rights Clinic
• California Labor Commissioner: unpaid wages and retaliation, with phone interpreters. 833-526-4636.
• San Mateo County Human Services Agency: CalFresh, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal and General Assistance. 1-800-223-8383.
• Santa Clara County Benefits Assistance Center: (408) 758-3800.
• 211 Bay Area (Bay Area counties): local referrals for food, rent, utilities and more. Dial 211 or 800-273-6222, or text your zip code to 898211.
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto: for low income residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties with immigration questions. 650-326-6440, walk in at 1861 Bay Road, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Bay Area Legal Aid advice line: 1-800-551-5554, for questions about benefits and public charge.

More options: Free legal help in the Bay Area.

Questions people ask

Can I get unemployment if my children are citizens? No. Unemployment depends on the worker's own work permission. But your citizen children may get CalFresh, CalWORKs and Medi-Cal.

My boss paid me in cash. Can I still file a wage claim? Yes. Write down your dates, hours and pay as best you remember. Your own notes count. See How to file a wage claim.

I am self employed now while I look. Is that allowed? Many people earn money on their own with an ITIN. See Earn money working for yourself.

Someone offered to file an unemployment claim for me for a fee. Walk away. Do not give anyone your papers or pay for a claim you cannot make. See Warning signs of a scam.

Is there a checklist I can print?

Losing work does not erase your worth or your future. Take the next step, and let others walk with you.