CalFresh benefit dropped to $10/month after changing to stay-at-home mom status - Help for family with 3 kids!
Just completed my CalFresh recertification and I'm freaking out. When I checked my BenefitsCal account today, it's showing I'm only approved for $10 a month in CalFresh benefits!!! How am I supposed to feed my three boys on that? I have twin 3-year-olds and a 5-month-old baby. I recently updated my status from working part-time to stay-at-home mom since childcare costs were eating all my income. Could this status change be why my benefits are so low? We were getting $825/month before this change, and I can't understand why it would drop so dramatically. My husband still works full-time making about $3,800/month before taxes. Do I need to appeal this or is this normal? My newborn goes through so much formula and the twins are ALWAYS hungry.
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Chloe Zhang
probably ur husbands income is too high now that ur not working. they look at total household income and the number of ppl. 3800 might put u just at the edge of qualifying thats why u got minimum benefits
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Sophia Carter
•But we still have the same expenses and another mouth to feed with the new baby! How can they just cut us off like that? Is there anything I can do to get more? I'm seriously worried about how we'll manage. We're already behind on utility bills.
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Brandon Parker
What you're seeing is called the "minimum benefit" which happens when your income is just under the gross income limit but your net income (after deductions) is too high to qualify for more. With $3,800/month for a family of 5, you're right at the edge of eligibility. Make sure you reported ALL your deductions during recertification: - Child care expenses (even occasional care counts) - Full housing costs (rent/mortgage + utilities) - Medical expenses for anyone disabled or over 60 - Child support payments if applicable Missing even one deduction can dramatically change your benefit amount. Call your county worker and ask for a benefit calculation breakdown to see exactly how they determined the $10 amount.
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Sophia Carter
•Thank you for explaining! I did include our rent ($2,450/month) but I didn't know what utilities to include. We pay about $380 for electricity, $105 for water, and $95 for garbage separately from rent. Could that make a difference? I also didn't mention that my husband pays $320/month for his health insurance through work because I thought that didn't count.
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Adriana Cohn
This happened to my sister too!!! She went from working to staying home with her kids and they cut her benefits to almost nothing. The system is designed to punish moms who want to raise their own children I swear. She ended up having to go back to work part time just to get better benefits which is CRAZY when you think about it.
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Jace Caspullo
•That's not entirely accurate. The system isn't punishing anyone - it's designed to supplement households with less income. When household income changes, benefits adjust accordingly. It can feel unfair, but that's how the calculation works. The deductions mentioned above are really important though - they can make a huge difference!
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Melody Miles
Did they count your husbands income correctly? Sometimes they make errors durig recertification and might have doubled his income or something. I'd definitely request a benefit calculation breakdown ASAP. Also make sure you're actually approved for CalFresh and not CalWorks - they're different programs and sometimes people confuse them on BenefitsCal.
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Sophia Carter
•I'm pretty sure it's CalFresh because that's what I applied for. I'm going to try calling tomorrow to get that calculation breakdown. Do you know how long it usually takes to get through? Last time I called I waited for over an hour and got disconnected.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
If you're having trouble getting through to your CalFresh worker, you might want to try using Claimyr. I was in a similar situation with a benefits issue and spent days trying to reach someone. With Claimyr, they called the county office for me and got me connected to a real person in about 20 minutes. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Definitely ask for a full benefit calculation when you get through. Your utility costs should absolutely be included as deductions, and you can request a recalculation if they weren't considered the first time.
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Adriana Cohn
•Is that service legit? Sounds too good to be true honestly. The county never answers their phones!
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•Yes, it's legitimate. I was skeptical too, but it saved me hours of frustration. They just facilitate getting you through to a real person at the county office faster. You still talk directly with the county worker. It's especially helpful for urgent situations like this where benefits got reduced unexpectedly.
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Eva St. Cyr
Your EBT amount is related to your NET income after all allowable deductions, not just gross income. Since your husband makes $3,800/month, for a family of 5 you're under the gross income limit (which is about $5,100 for 2025), but after they subtract your standard deduction, housing costs (up to a cap), and possibly childcare, they calculate how much CalFresh you qualify for. THIS IS IMPORTANT: Did you provide income verification for your husband during recertification? If you didn't send recent paystubs, they might be using old income info AND not including all your deductions. You should: 1. Call your county office ASAP 2. Request an income reassessment with CURRENT paystubs 3. Ask for a "shelter deduction" review including ALL utilities 4. See if you can claim any dependent care deduction 5. Ask if there were any verification documents missing The minimum benefit of $10 typically means you're just barely eligible. Better to act fast before your next reporting period!
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Sophia Carter
•Thank you SO MUCH for this detailed explanation! I did submit my husband's paystubs, but I honestly don't remember if they were the most recent ones. I'll gather all our utility bills and his latest paystubs and call tomorrow. Should I also bring these documents to our county office in person, or is calling enough?
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Eva St. Cyr
•Calling is a good first step, but be prepared to submit the documents electronically through BenefitsCal or by fax. If you go in person, you'll avoid potential mail delays, but you might wait for hours. Whatever you do, get a receipt or confirmation that they received your documents! Too many times they claim they "never received" something that was submitted.
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Melody Miles
lol $10 is basically insulting like why even bother giving that amount??? The system is so broken
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Brandon Parker
•The $10 minimum benefit exists because it keeps people connected to the program. Even with minimal food benefits, being enrolled in CalFresh can qualify you for other benefits like reduced utility costs through CARE/FERA programs, free school meals for the children, and discounted phone/internet services. That $10 benefit can indirectly provide hundreds in other assistance programs.
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Sophia Carter
UPDATE: I finally got through to my county worker today! Turns out they had calculated our rent but NOT included any utility costs at all. They also had my husband's old income which was higher because he was working overtime last month but isn't anymore. The worker said I qualify for a utility allowance of about $450 and she's updating our income information. She's going to recalculate our benefit amount and said it should be significantly more than $10/month. She's also backdating it to this month since it was their error. Thank you everyone for your help! I'll update again when I see the new amount.
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Chloe Zhang
•thats great! always fight for what ur entitled to. the system counts on people not knowing their rights or giving up too easy
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Eva St. Cyr
•This is exactly why reviewing your Notice of Action carefully is so important. They often miss deductions or use outdated information. Good job advocating for your family! For future reference, you can request a detailed breakdown of how your benefits were calculated anytime - it's your right as a CalFresh recipient.
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Jace Caspullo
FINAL UPDATE: Just wanted to share that after the recalculation, my benefits went from $10/month to $625/month! Such a huge difference. The worker explained that with our corrected income and proper utility allowance plus the standard deduction for a family of 5, we were entitled to much more. They'll be issuing the additional benefits for this month within 3 days. I'm so relieved and grateful for everyone's advice here. Don't give up if your benefits seem wrong!
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Brandon Parker
•That's wonderful news! This is a perfect example of why it's so important to understand how your benefits are calculated and to make sure all your deductions are properly counted. For anyone else reading this, remember that CalFresh should always include: 1. Standard deduction (varies by household size) 2. 20% earned income deduction 3. Shelter costs (rent/mortgage + utilities, either itemized or using the standard utility allowance) 4. Dependent care costs if applicable 5. Medical expenses over $35 for elderly or disabled household members If even one of these is missing, it can dramatically change your benefit amount.
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