Accidentally missed reporting cash gift on SAR7 - Will CalFresh cut me off completely?

omg this happened to my sister last yr... they cut her benefits for 3 months as a penalty. u should call ur worker ASAP and explain it was an honest mistake!!

This is actually a common misunderstanding. One-time gifts over $1,000 DO need to be reported on your SAR7 because they count as lump sum income. But don't panic yet - there's a difference between an honest mistake and an Intentional Program Violation (IPV). You should immediately: 1. Call your county worker and explain it was a misunderstanding 2. Submit a statement explaining why you didn't report it (you genuinely didn't know gifts needed to be reported) 3. Provide documentation showing it was a birthday gift (if possible, like a card or note from your uncle) 4. Ask about a 'client error' determination rather than an IPV They probably won't cut you off completely for a first-time mistake, but they might reduce your benefits for a few months and ask you to repay the overpayment amount.

I had almost the same thing happen but with a $2000 insurance payout i didnt report. They didnt completely cut me off but they reduced my benefits for 2 months and i had to pay back like $300. call them right away and be super apologetic, dont argue with them at ALL even if ur frustrated. the nicer u are the more they might help u.

I've been dealing with similar issues trying to reach my CalFresh worker to fix reporting errors. After days of waiting on hold and getting disconnected, I found this service called Claimyr that actually works - they hold your place in the phone queue and call you back when a real person answers. Saved me hours of wait time. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Since this is about potential benefit discontinuance, you really need to talk to someone ASAP instead of waiting days.

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO PUNISH POOR PEOPLE!!! They KNOW most people don't understand all these complicated rules and then they trap you with these "violations" so they can kick you off. My cousin lost benefits for 6 MONTHS because she didn't report her boyfriend staying with her. They called it "fraud" even though he wasn't helping with any bills!!! The whole system is RIGGED against us!!!! Fight this!!!

Some accurate information here: For a first-time error like this, you'll likely face: 1. An overpayment claim (you'll need to repay the difference between what you received and what you should have received) 2. A possible 1-3 month benefit reduction (not elimination) The most important thing is to respond to the letter by the deadline and request a hearing if needed. Also make sure to clarify whether they're treating this as an Administrative Error (AE), Inadvertent Household Error (IHE), or Intentional Program Violation (IPV). Only an IPV would result in disqualification from the program. They have to prove you intentionally tried to defraud the program for an IPV, which is hard to do for a first offense like this.

Just to clarify for everyone - the current rules for CalFresh income reporting in 2025 are: - You must report any income change over $125 on your SAR7 - One-time payments/gifts over $1,000 must be reported, even if they're gifts - You must report if your income goes above the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) at any time, not just on your SAR7 Your IRT should be listed on your last Notice of Action letter. For a household of 3 in 2025, the gross monthly IRT is typically around $3,850.

Have u checked ur EBT card balance recently? Sometimes they don't actually stop benefits even when they send those scary letters. My benefits kept coming even after i got a warning about income reporting problems. Check your balance before panicking.

u should know that if they do decide its an overpayment u can setup a payment plan for like $10/month which is way better than losing benefits. also u can ask for a 'compromise' sometimes where they reduce what u owe if u can prove financial hardship. i had a $780 overpayment reduced to $390 after i showed them my bills and low income.

I'm a benefits advocate and see cases like this regularly. The good news is that for a first-time reporting error involving a gift, they rarely impose an IPV (Intentional Program Violation). Here's what you should do immediately: 1. Document everything - get a written statement from your uncle confirming it was a birthday gift 2. When you finally reach your worker, emphasize that you genuinely didn't know gifts over $1000 needed to be reported 3. Ask them to classify this as an Inadvertent Household Error (IHE) rather than an IPV 4. Be prepared that they may recalculate your benefits for the months since you received the gift The overpayment calculation isn't based on the full $1500 - they'll figure out how much less you should have received if you'd reported it correctly. For a household of 3, a $1500 lump sum might have reduced your monthly benefits by $50-100, so the overpayment could be much less than you're fearing. Stay calm and be honest - this happens more often than you think, and most counties are understanding about genuine mistakes.

I went through something very similar last year when I didn't report a $1,200 settlement check from a minor car accident. The county initially sent me a scary letter about potential fraud, but after I called and explained it was an honest mistake (took me 3 days of calling to finally get through!), they classified it as an Inadvertent Household Error instead of an IPV. I ended up with a $180 overpayment that I'm paying back at $25/month, and my benefits were only reduced for 2 months. The key things that helped me were: 1) Being super polite and apologetic on the phone, 2) Emphasizing that I genuinely didn't understand the reporting requirements, and 3) Providing documentation showing it was a one-time payment, not regular income. Don't give up trying to reach your worker - it's worth the frustrating phone calls because resolving this directly with them is way better than letting it go to a hearing. You've got this! 💪

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress! As someone who's navigated CalFresh for years, I want to reassure you that this situation is more common than you think and it's very unlikely they'll cut you off completely for a first-time mistake like this. The most important thing right now is to get in touch with your worker ASAP to explain this was an honest misunderstanding. When you do reach them, emphasize these key points: - You genuinely didn't know birthday gifts over $1000 needed to be reported - This was a one-time gift, not regular income - You used the money for necessary car repairs, not luxury purchases - You're willing to cooperate fully to resolve this Also, make sure to ask them to classify this as an "Inadvertent Household Error" rather than an "Intentional Program Violation." The difference is huge - an IHE might mean a small overpayment and temporary benefit reduction, while an IPV could mean disqualification. Don't panic about the overpayment amount either. They calculate it based on how much your benefits would have been reduced if you'd reported correctly, not the full $1500. For most households, this ends up being much less scary than it initially seems. Hang in there - you're going to get through this! 💙

I just want to say how grateful I am for everyone who's shared their experiences and advice here! As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how supportive and knowledgeable everyone is. Reading through all these responses has taught me so much about CalFresh rules that I never knew - like the fact that gifts over $1000 need to be reported (I had no idea either!). For anyone else who might be in a similar situation, it's really reassuring to see that honest mistakes like this usually don't result in complete benefit termination, especially for first-time issues. The distinction between Inadvertent Household Error vs Intentional Program Violation that several people mentioned seems really important to understand. I'm bookmarking this thread because the advice about documentation, being polite with workers, payment plan options, and the hearing process is incredibly valuable. Thank you all for taking the time to help someone navigate what could have been a really scary situation alone! 🙏

I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this thread has been! I'm currently dealing with a similar reporting issue (forgot to report a $800 tax refund on my SAR7) and reading everyone's experiences has really calmed my nerves. The distinction between IHE vs IPV that several people explained is something I had never heard of before but seems crucial to understand. @LunarEclipse I hope you're able to get through to your worker soon! Based on what everyone has shared, it sounds like your situation with the birthday gift is exactly the type of honest mistake that gets classified as an IHE rather than fraud. The advice about getting documentation from your uncle and emphasizing that you genuinely didn't know the reporting rule seems spot on. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex benefit rules that aren't always clearly explained. Thank you to everyone who takes time to share their knowledge and experiences to help others! 🙏

As someone who's been on CalFresh for about two years, I just wanted to add that this community has been such a lifesaver for understanding all the confusing rules! Reading through this thread has been incredibly educational - I had absolutely no idea that gifts over $1000 needed to be reported either. It seems like such an easy thing to miss, especially since most people think of gifts as separate from "income." @LunarEclipse your situation sounds really stressful, but honestly based on everyone's responses here, it seems like you're handling it exactly right. The fact that you're being proactive about trying to reach your worker and that you have a clear explanation (birthday gift used for necessary car repairs) should work in your favor. One thing I learned from my own CalFresh journey is that the workers really do see a difference between people who are trying to follow the rules but made an honest mistake versus people who are intentionally trying to game the system. Your genuine concern and effort to fix this will likely be obvious to them. I'm definitely going to be more careful about checking what needs to be reported going forward - this thread has been a real wake-up call about how detailed the reporting requirements actually are. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the advocates who explained the IHE vs IPV distinction. This kind of real-world knowledge is so much more helpful than trying to figure out the official forms and letters on your own!