CalFresh benefits reduced to $11 - extreme decrease with no warning
Just checked my EBT card balance and nearly had a heart attack. My CalFresh went from $327 last month to just $11 this month!!! No warning, no letter, NOTHING. I've got 2 kids to feed and rent just went up $200. I reported my part-time job increase on my SAR7 (went from 20 to 25 hrs/week) but that shouldn't cause such a huge drop. Called the county office but got stuck in that stupid automated system for 45 mins before getting disconnected. Has anyone dealt with a sudden benefit cut like this? Is there emergency assistance while I figure this out? My recertification isn't due until September so I'm totally confused why this happened.
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Carmen Ortiz
same thing happen to me in january. they said i had "unearned income" that wasnt reported. turned out they counted my tax refund as monthly income lol. u need to talk to a actual worker not the robot.
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Yuki Yamamoto
AuthorHow did you actually get through to them? I tried calling 5 times today!
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Andre Rousseau
When you reported your income increase, did you include your paystubs for verification? Sometimes they automatically reduce benefits if the verification documents aren't received with your SAR7. Also, did you have any other changes in your household expenses that you didn't report? The $11 amount sounds like what happens when they calculate your income exceeding the Net Income Limit but you still qualify for the minimum benefit amount. Check your mail carefully - they should have sent a Notice of Action explaining the calculation.
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Yuki Yamamoto
AuthorI did include my paystubs! That's what's so frustrating. My income only went up by about $300/month before taxes. With 2 kids our gross should still be way under the limit. I've checked all my mail including junk mail folder and nothing from them. This feels like a mistake but I CANNOT get through on the phone.
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Zoe Papadakis
I think they might be counting some other income. Sometimes they automatically check against other systems like unemployment or child support databases. Do you receive any other benefits or income that might have been reported to the county? My sister once had her benefits cut because her ex finally started paying child support and the system flagged it as unreported income.
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Yuki Yamamoto
AuthorOH MY GOD. I bet that's it. My ex finally got a job and they took child support directly from his check starting last month. But that was only $425 and I thought child support wasn't counted against CalFresh?? This is so confusing...
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Andre Rousseau
You're right - child support received is NOT supposed to count as income for CalFresh. This definitely sounds like an error in their calculation. You need to speak with a worker to get this corrected ASAP. Since your benefits have already been reduced, you should ask for an expedited correction once you reach someone. Bring up specifically that they may have incorrectly counted child support as income, and request that they review the "income exclusions" in your case.
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Jamal Carter
When I had a similar issue, I used Claimyr to get through to a real person at the CalFresh office. It's the only thing that worked after days of trying. The service calls their line for you and holds your place in line, then calls you when a human actually picks up. Saved me hours of waiting. Here's their website claimyr.com and they have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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AstroAdventurer
THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US!!!!! As soon as you start getting ANY extra money they SLASH your benefits!!!! This is why people stay stuck in poverty - try to do better and they PUNISH YOU. I had a similar thing happen and even when I got through they gave me the runaround for WEEKS. Kept saying "your worker will call you back" but NOBODY EVER CALLED. Had to go physically stand in line at the office for 3 HOURS with my kids to get it fixed!!!!
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Yuki Yamamoto
AuthorI'm so afraid of this. I literally can't afford to take time off work to go to the office, and I can't keep my kids fed on $11 for the month. This is so stressful.
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Mei Liu
If you can't get through to your caseworker, you should also consider filing for a state hearing. You have 90 days from when your benefits were reduced to request one. Even if you get the issue resolved before the hearing date, it's good to have that request in the system. It sometimes motivates them to resolve issues faster. The form is called DPA 479 or you can request it online through the state Appeals Portal.
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Carmen Ortiz
hearings take forever tho. i waited like 2 months for mine last year
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Zoe Papadakis
Just a thought but check if they accidentally removed one of your kids from your household count. When my sister moved in with me briefly, they somehow removed my daughter from my case instead of adding my sister. Dropped my benefits from $250 to $20 overnight.
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Yuki Yamamoto
AuthorI never thought of that! How would I even check that without talking to a worker though?
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Mei Liu
You can check your household composition on BenefitsCal.com if you have an account. Log in and look at your case summary - it should show all household members currently on your case. While you're there, also check if there are any electronic notices you might have missed. Sometimes they send communications through the portal without sending a paper copy.
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Yuki Yamamoto
AuthorI just checked BenefitsCal and both kids are still listed in my household. But I did find a Notice of Action in my messages that wasn't mailed! It says there was an "income change" but doesn't specify what changed. Shows my work income correctly but has an additional $425 listed as "other unearned income" - that's definitely the child support being counted wrong!
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Andre Rousseau
That confirms it - they're incorrectly counting your child support as income. Per CalFresh regulations (MPP Section 63-502.2), child support received is specifically excluded from countable income. When you get through to a worker, direct them to that regulation. Also, since you've found the error, you have a right to request retroactive benefits for any months you received less than you were entitled to. Make sure to specifically ask for that when they fix the error.
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Zoe Papadakis
this same thing happened to my cousin last year! the worker tried to say child support counts as income but her advocate showed them the regulations and they had to fix it and give her back benefits for 3 months. dont let them tell you its right when its clearly wrong!
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Tyrone Hill
@Andre Rousseau Thank you SO much for that regulation number! I m'writing this down to reference when I finally get through to someone. I m'going to try the Claimyr service that @Jamal Carter mentioned tomorrow morning. This gives me hope that I can actually get this fixed and get my benefits restored. I really appreciate everyone s help'- this community has been more helpful than the actual county office!
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Keisha Jackson
@Yuki Yamamoto I just went through something similar last month! My benefits got cut from $289 to $23 because they counted my tax refund as monthly income. When I finally got through took (6 phone calls over 3 days ,)the worker admitted it was a data "match error where" their system automatically flagged child support payments as unreported income. She fixed it in like 10 minutes once I explained the situation and referenced that regulation number @Andre Rousseau mentioned. They restored my full benefits retroactively and it showed up on my EBT card within 48 hours. Definitely try the Claimyr service - that s what'finally got me through to a real person. Stay strong, you ve got'all the documentation you need to prove this is their mistake!
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