This brief summarizes findings from early-implementation focus groups with participants in an evaluation of the California Guaranteed Income Pilot Program. The program is designed to support low-income pregnant individuals and youth aging out of foster care at age 21— two populations experiencing critical life transitions. Urban Institute researchers are evaluating the program using randomized controlled trial and quasi-experimental designs to measure outcomes in the seven sites and focus groups to understand implementation and outcomes. Focus group participants talked about their experiences with program outreach, enrollment, and disbursement, and shared how they anticipated receiving cash assistance might affect their lives.

Why This Matters

Unconditional cash payment programs are growing in popularity as a method to support well-being by alleviating financial strain. Under the California Guaranteed Income Pilot Program, the California Department of Social Services is testing this by funding seven sites across the state to provide unrestricted monthly guaranteed income payments of $600 to $1,200 for 12 or 18 months. Understanding the early participant experiences and identifying their challenges and successes has been instrumental in making midcourse corrections by the state team, evaluation teams, and local program staff.

What We Found

Several notable lessons emerged from speaking with program applicants.

• Outreach: Two pilot programs recruited potentially eligible applicants from among their existing service populations while other pilot programs relied on partnerships with other community providers, advertising through social media and community listservs. To overcome initial impressions of skepticism around the program, pilot program staff connected directly with potential applicants to allay concerns about the program being a scam.
• Enrollment: Applicants shared that they found program enrollment was fast, straightforward, and easy. The application required minimal documentation, and the questions did not feel invasive or judgmental.
• Benefits counseling: Applicants were offered benefits counseling to identify if they were eligible for other public benefits and how receiving guaranteed income might affect their eligibility for those benefits. Few participants recalled receiving benefits counseling, which suggests program planners should consider what strategies might be more effective for informing applicants about public benefits eligibility and risk.
• Disbursement: Participants reported a mostly smooth disbursement process with a few hiccups around payment delays and unexpected fees associated with using and viewing balances on debit cards. There was great relief associated with knowing the benefit was secure for 18 months (or 12 months in one pilot).
• Anticipated effects: Focus group participants anticipated the additional cash would enable them to pay down debt, support ongoing expenses, and make decisions about employment and education that would support their personal goals and set them up for the future. Recipients in both groups expressed relief that this income would help support them while they continued their educational pursuits.

How We Did It

We conducted 14 in-person focus groups (approximately two per site) with a total of 60 participants in the first year of program rollout. We held separate focus groups for control and treatment group participants and provided a participation incentive.