Assisted Living Waiver
How to pay for assisted living in California
Paying for assisted living in California with little money: Social Security only, SSI only or other help. The seven routes, which to start with and where the 2026 figures are.
This page is for paying for assisted living in California with little money: a person whose only income is Social Security, or only SSI, or who has some other help and nothing else. For most of them two routes do most of the work: Medi-Cal's Assisted Living Waiver pays the home for care, and the person's own income, usually SSI/SSP, pays the room and board. The others are IHSS at home, the HCBA waiver, VA Aid and Attendance for veterans and survivors, CalAIM community supports through some Medi-Cal plans, and private pay. None of them is "free assisted living"; together they are how most low-income Californians pay. The 2026 dollar figures are on what ALW costs.
The seven routes, side by side
Not sure which applies? Which program fits? asks six questions and names the one to look at first.
| Route | What it pays for | Who qualifies | The 2026 figure | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) | Care in a participating assisted-living home, in 15 counties | Adults 21 and over with full-scope Medi-Cal and no share of cost who need a nursing-home level of care | A daily care rate paid to the home by tier: what ALW costs | How ALW works |
| SSI/SSP in a licensed home | Room, board and basic services, paid by the resident from the benefit | People 65 and over, blind or disabled with little income and few assets | The benefit amount, the most a home may charge and what the resident keeps: what ALW costs | Costs and room and board |
| In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) | Hours of a caregiver's help at the person's own home, not in a licensed facility | Medi-Cal members who need help to stay safely at home | Hours set by the county's assessment | IHSS or ALW |
| Home and Community-Based Alternatives (HCBA) waiver | Care management by a nurse and social worker, and waiver services, at home | Medi-Cal members at risk of nursing home placement; DHCS has kept a waiting list since July 12, 2023 | Services, not a cash amount | HCBA or ALW |
| VA Aid and Attendance | A monthly addition to a VA pension that can go toward assisted-living costs | Wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities and meet the pension rules | The current rates are on the VA's pension rates page | VA pension rates |
| CalAIM Community Supports | Some Medi-Cal managed care plans offer assisted-living transition and nursing-facility transition supports | Plan members who meet the plan's criteria; it varies by plan and county | Set by the plan | CalAIM or ALW |
| Private pay and long-term care insurance | The whole monthly fee, or the gap the programs leave | Anyone | The home's own rates | Private pay or ALW |
Medi-Cal's Assisted Living Waiver: care paid, room and board not
The waiver is the only Medi-Cal route that pays an assisted-living home for care. It runs in fifteen counties, through a Care Coordination Agency such as Beta, after a waitlist and a nurse assessment. It never pays room and board. Does Medi-Cal pay for assisted living? answers the question most people start with.
SSI/SSP: the room and board for most waiver residents
Most people on the waiver pay the home from SSI/SSP, and a person who does not get SSI pays from other income under the same standard. The 2026 benefit amount, the most a home may charge and what the person keeps are on what ALW costs.
IHSS: when staying at home is the plan
IHSS pays for a caregiver's hours in the person's own home, and a family member can be the paid caregiver. It stops when the person moves into a licensed home, so it is the alternative to assisted living rather than a way to pay for it. IHSS or ALW.
The HCBA waiver: care management at home
For a person at risk of nursing home placement who wants to stay home, the HCBA waiver provides care management by a nurse and a social worker, through the waiver agency assigned to the person's area, and coordinates IHSS and other services. DHCS has kept a waiting list for HCBA since July 12, 2023, with priority for people leaving a health care facility after 60 days. A person cannot be on HCBA and ALW at the same time. HCBA or ALW.
VA Aid and Attendance: for veterans and survivors
A wartime veteran, or the surviving spouse of one, who needs help with daily activities may qualify for Aid and Attendance, a monthly addition to the VA pension that many families put toward an assisted-living fee. The VA sets the income and asset rules and publishes the current rates; a county Veterans Service Officer helps with the claim at no cost. VA Aid and Attendance. Can you use Aid and Attendance and ALW together?
CalAIM Community Supports: ask your Medi-Cal plan
Some Medi-Cal managed care plans offer Community Supports that help a person move from a nursing facility into assisted living, or avoid a nursing facility, for a set period. What is offered depends on the plan and the county. CalAIM or ALW.
Private pay: what the programs do not cover
A home's private rate covers everything; most families who use the programs above still pay something privately, for a private room, for extras the home charges separately, or for the months before a program starts. Private pay or ALW.
What if the person lives outside the fifteen waiver counties?
They can move to a home in a waiver county, or use a program that runs where they live. The options outside the waiver counties.
Is there free assisted living in California?
No. The closest thing is the waiver plus SSI/SSP: Medi-Cal pays the care, the benefit pays the room and board, and the person keeps a personal needs allowance each month (what ALW costs). There is no program that pays a private home's full rate for someone who does not qualify for those two.
Is there a $3,000 senior assistance program?
Not one we could find. What is real and what is a scam.
Living on Social Security or SSI only? Can assisted living work on Social Security?
What people ask
Is there financial assistance for assisted living in California?
Yes, through the programs on this page. For most low-income Californians the combination is the Assisted Living Waiver for the care and SSI/SSP for the room and board.
Can you get into assisted living with no money?
With no income at all, a person usually applies for SSI/SSP first, which becomes the room and board, and for Medi-Cal, which can lead to the waiver for the care. Beta's ALW team can say which to start with.
Does Medicare pay for assisted living?
No. Medicare does not cover custodial care or room and board in assisted living. Medicare and ALW.
Can IHSS and the waiver be combined?
No. IHSS is for the person's own home and ends when they move into a licensed home; the waiver is for the licensed home.
How long does the waiver take?
The average wait is 11 to 12 months for someone leaving a nursing facility and 3 to 4 months with an APS or Ombudsman referral, by DHCS's own account; others wait longer. The waitlist.
Request a callback and Beta's ALW team will tell you which of these routes fits the person you are asking for, and what to apply for first.
About this informationUpdated October 26, 2026. Reviewed October 19, 2026. Program details may change. View official sources and page limitations.
Written by Beta's ALW team and reviewed by Sergio B., Program Coordinator, against the official sources this page lists; facts checked through October 19, 2026. Where this page and an official source differ, the source controls.
This page gives general California ALW information. DHCS decides eligibility after the nurse assessment and releases openings. Each home decides its own admissions. Nothing here is an eligibility decision or a promise of enrollment, and it does not guarantee a place in a home. You may choose any Care Coordination Agency listed by DHCS and any participating home.
Something out of date? Tell Beta's ALW team.