Welfare Tax Intercept Program

The California Department of Social Services, in conjunction with the Treasury Offset Program, the Food and Nutrition Service, the State Controller’s Office, and the Franchise Tax Board, administer a federal and state Income Tax Refund Intercept Program.  The Welfare Tax Intercept Program is designed to assist counties in the collection of delinquent CalWORKs overpayments and CalFresh overissuances.

The counties maintain all debt records and make all decisions regarding the debt including removal from the Welfare Tax Intercept program, if necessary.  If you have been intercepted for a public assistance debt, and know the county to which the debt is owed, please contact the appropriate county office listed below for more information.  The telephone numbers listed below are for Tax Interception questions only.

Public Contact Information for Intercepted Tax Refunds

If you do not know the county to which the debt is owed please contact the California Department of Social Service's Fraud Bureau Tax Intercept line via email at TaxIntercept@dss.ca.gov.