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Ruby Blake

CalFresh IRT income limits for family of 4 in Stanislaus County - 2025 thresholds?

Been trying to figure out what the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) is for CalFresh in Stanislaus County for 2025. My household has 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 6 and 9). I just got a part-time job offer and need to know if I'll have to report it mid-period or can wait till my next SAR7. The county website is super confusing and when I called the automation system just kept transferring me to nowhere. Does anyone know the current IRT limits? My approval letter from 3 months ago had something but the paper got damaged when my kid spilled juice on it 😫

The CalFresh IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) is actually the same across all California counties since it's a state-administered program. For a household of 4 in 2025, your IRT should be 130% of the Federal Poverty Level, which comes out to about $3,475 per month in gross income. This should be printed on your most recent Notice of Action or approval letter. Any income change that puts your household ABOVE this amount needs to be reported within 10 days - even between SAR7 reporting periods.

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Thank you!! This is exactly what I needed. So if the job I'm taking will put us at about $3,100/month total (combining with my partner's income), I don't need to report until my next SAR7, right?

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Its diffrent depending on your situation bc mine says $2843 or something for 3 people but my friend has 3 people too and hers is higher so i think it depends on your exact situation and benifits and stuff

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You're partly right - the IRT can vary between households of the same size based on specific circumstances and benefit amounts. However, the general guideline is still 130% FPL, but your actual IRT is specifically calculated and should be listed on your individual approval notices.

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I just went through my recertification in Stanislaus last month for my family of 4 and our IRT is $3,475. But honestly, if you're close to that amount, I'd report it anyway to be safe. I had a situation where I didn't report a small income increase because I thought it was under the IRT, but it turned out they calculated my IRT differently than I expected. Ended up with a $675 overpayment that they're now deducting from my benefits every month. The system is DESIGNED to trip us up I swear.

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Ugh, that's exactly what I'm afraid of! I'm sorry that happened to you. Maybe I will report it just to be safe. I definitely can't afford to pay back benefits right now.

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This happened to my sister too! The IRT on her paperwork was different than what they actually used when they audited her case. So frustrating.

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To add to what others have said, you should find your exact IRT on your most recent Notice of Action under the

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Does that claimyr thing really work? I spent literally 3 hours on hold with Stanislaus last week and then got disconnected when they transferred me. Been afraid to call back and waste another afternoon.

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Yes, it does. I was skeptical too but it saved me from spending another day on hold. Got through to a worker in about 20 minutes instead of hours. They basically navigate the phone tree for you and secure your place in line.

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The IRT is the most confusing thing about CalFresh honestly!! My caseworker told me to just report ANY income changes to be safe, but then another worker said that was wrong and I should only report if I go over the IRT. Like which is it?!?! 🤦‍♀️

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Technically both are correct in different ways. You're only REQUIRED to report mid-period if you go over the IRT. However, you're ALLOWED to report any changes that might increase your benefits. The confusion happens because some changes that seem positive might actually reduce benefits due to complex calculation rules.

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When i did my recert last month the worker specifically told me that YOU HAVE TO CHECK YOUR LATEST PAPERWORK for the IRT because they calculate it speciffically for each household based on your exact circumstances and its not just a standard number for everyone with the same household size. its very important you look at YOUR specific IRT on your paperwork because if you go over it and dont report you could get in big trouble!!!

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Thanks for the warning. My paperwork got ruined (kid spilled juice all over it) which is why I'm asking here. I'm going to try to get through to the county office to get my specific number just to be safe. Better to waste time on the phone than deal with an overpayment later!

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Also remember if you're getting CalWorks too, that program has a DIFFERENT IRT than CalFresh! I got so confused because I thought they were the same and ended up reporting late for CalWorks but on time for CalFresh. Total mess to sort out.

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Oh wow I didn't know that! We only get CalFresh right now, not CalWorks, but that's good info to have in case we ever apply for that too.

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just call the office and ask them they should be able to tell you

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I've been trying to call them for 3 days! Either busy signal or the automated system keeps transferring me to departments that don't answer. Stanislaus County office is the worst.

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I feel your pain with the Stanislaus County phone system! I had the same issue last year. One thing that helped me was calling right at 8 AM when they open - I got through in about 15 minutes instead of hours. Also, if you have your case number handy, you can sometimes check your benefit details online through the C4Yourself portal (c4yourself.com). Your IRT should be listed there under your case information. I know it's frustrating but definitely worth getting that exact number before you start the new job - the peace of mind is worth it!

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