Inland SoCal United Way (ISCUW) is leading one of California’s state-funded Guaranteed Income (GI) pilots for Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The program provides unconditional, recurring cash payments to two groups that research shows face heightened financial instability: pregnant individuals and former foster youth. As part of California’s broader GI initiative overseen by the Department of Social Services (CDSS), the Inland SoCal pilot is designed not only to deliver short-term financial relief but also to rigorously evaluate impacts on health, education, employment, and overall well-being.
While program details evolved during implementation, public materials from ISCUW outline a design that pays $600 per month for 18 months to pregnant participants and $750 per month for 18 months to former foster youth, with randomized selection and a research control group to support rigorous evaluation. CDSS’s program page confirms the Inland SoCal launch in January 2024, describing $600 per month for pregnant participants and $750 per month for former foster youth, with cohorts and durations aligned to the statewide research framework.
Program Goals and Rationale
The pilot’s central aim is to test whether modest, predictable cash, free of work or spending conditions, can reduce financial volatility and improve outcomes during pivotal life stages. For pregnant participants, the program targets better maternal and infant health by helping cover essentials (nutrition, transport to prenatal care, time off work). For former foster youth, it aims to stabilize housing, education continuity, and early career steps at the transition to adulthood when many lose system supports. California’s GI pilots also examine how guaranteed income interacts with existing safety-net benefits, with evaluators documenting early participant experiences across the seven state-funded sites.
Who the Inland SoCal Pilot Serves
ISCUW’s pilot focuses on two populations across the Inland Empire:
- Pregnant individuals, primarily in Riverside County, facing significant barriers to stable income during pregnancy. ISCUW materials describe eligibility such as being within the first six months of pregnancy and a Riverside County resident at application.
- Former foster youth, residing in Riverside or San Bernardino County—during the narrow window around age 21 (typically up to 90 days before or 30 days after the 21st birthday in the 2024 intake), when many lose extended foster care supports and confront steep costs for rent, transport, and schooling.
Across California’s seven pilots, the state reports unconditional monthly payments of $600 to $1,200 for 12–18 months, with Inland SoCal providing $600 (pregnant participants) and $750 (former foster youth). Inland SoCal United Way’s own program page additionally highlights the randomized controlled trial design and the inclusion of a non-payment control group that receives modest incentives to support research participation and comparison.
Payment Amounts, Duration, and Structure
ISCUW’s published materials describe $600/month for 18 months (pregnancy cohort) and $750/month for 18 months (former foster youth). CDSS confirms the monthly amounts and 18-month structure for former foster youth statewide, with the Inland SoCal site operating within that framework. The pilot’s design includes randomized weekly selection among eligible applicants, which helps preserve research integrity while moving funds to participants on a rolling basis.
Because California’s GI pilots are research-driven, the Inland SoCal program also includes a control group that does not receive monthly payments but may receive small incentives to complete surveys. That contrast enables evaluators to isolate the effect of guaranteed income from other trends affecting similar residents in the region.
Application Windows and Current Status
Applications opened in 2024 with a publicized window through October 25, 2024, or until capacity was reached, using a “first-come, first-chance” intake consistent with the randomized selection protocol. As of 2025, CDSS indicates that all seven state-funded pilots have launched and enrollment has concluded, with disbursements and data collection underway. Inland SoCal’s site and news posts confirm the application period and eligibility specifics used during intake…