California is rich in immigrant diversity, where one of four residents was born outside of the United States, but many remain unaware of benefit entitlements afforded to them by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Among these benefits is the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), which is available to many immigrants residing in California that are not eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This is important to know as, according to the Urban Institute, in 2020, 1 in 6 immigrant families in California were not aware that they qualify for CAPI or were afraid to apply because of their immigration status. Learn if you are eligible and how you can easily apply for your financial entitlements.
What Is CAPI?
Through CAPI, the state of California provides a monthly cash payment to legal immigrants who are low-income seniors or have a disability but can't get SSI benefits because of their immigration status. Immigrants who are receiving SSI benefits are not eligible for CAPI.
Who Is Eligible For CAPI?
To qualify for CAPI, immigrants must be meet the following criteria:
Be a US non-citizen and meet the immigration status criteria in effect for SSI/SSP as of 8/21/96.
Be considered a qualified immigrant. This includes lawful permanent residents (LPRs); refugees; persons granted asylum, withholding of deportation, or withholding of removal, or conditional entry; persons paroled into the U.S. for at least one year; Cuban and Haitian entrants; certain battered spouses and children; and certain victims of trafficking. Seniors (65 years or older), and persons with disabilities who are “permanently residing in the U.S. under color of law” (PRUCOL) may also be eligible.
Be a resident of California
Be at least 65 years of age or disabled
Meet all other SSI/SSP eligibility criteria except for immigration status. This means a CAPI applicant must apply or SSI/SSP or submit proof of ineligibility from the SSA.
Comply with the federal SSI income and resource rules. This means your income is less than $840.00 per month for an individual or $1407.20 for a couple, and you have less than $2,000 in property ($3,000 for a couple), not including home, car, and household goods. However, if you are at least 65 years old and work, you may be eligible even if your income is twice as high.
How Can I File A CAPI Claim?
Benefits Access Support (BAS) are multi-lingual (Spanish and English speaking), experienced CAPI claims experts who assist residents nationwide to file Social Security claims through the SSA. Statistically, less than 40% of claims filed independently directly with SSA are successful, whereas BAS maintains an 80% success rate of all claims submitted. In addition, many residents don’t realize that if their claim has been denied, BAS can successfully appeal the claim and receive benefits in record time.
Is It An Easy Process To File A Claim?
Accessing Social Security benefits or CAPI is often overwhelming and time-consuming, preventing many from receiving these life-changing benefits. BAS advocates efficiently do all the work for clients to ensure the best outcome. This includes contacting doctors to obtain the necessary medical records and navigating complex Social Security communication.
How Quickly Can I receive Social Security Benefits?
This varies on a case-by-case basis for Social Security claims, but CAPI claims filed via BAS are awarded in the month following filing. Through BAS, 71-year-old Rosa Gonzalez processed her CAPI retirement application on 6/29/21 and received her benefits of approximately $700 per month on 7/1/21. Carmen Cobian, 80 years old, never worked in the U.S. and receives a similar monthly amount when her application was processed via BAS on 4/8/21 and awarded 5/1/21.
Are There Any Fees When Using BAS Services?
There are no fees via BAS for Social Security claims enrollment until a claim is awarded. As a non-profit, BAS fees are greatly reduced and are less than 70% of others. The small fee is taken out of the awarded claim.
How Do I Get Started?
Simply complete a quick case review at helpmehelpu.org/bas and one of our expert advocates will contact you within 24 hours to assist you with your claim and answer any questions. Each client is matched with a personal advocate to manage the claim.