CalFresh decreased our benefits after turning 18 - No food money for college student?

There's actually special rules for students in CalFresh. Your son might qualify under one of the student exemptions if he meets any of these: - Works at least 20 hours per week - Participates in work-study - Has a dependent under 6 - Is enrolled in certain job training programs - Receives CalWORKs - Is in EOP or EOPS program Since he's at a community college, check if he qualifies for EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs & Services) which would make him eligible. Also, have him apply for work-study, even if he doesn't use it right away - just being approved for it counts for the exemption.

omg this EXACT thing hpnd to me last yr!!! my benefits got cut when my daughter turned 18 even tho she was still in high school!! had to fight with them for 3 MONTHS to fix it. so dumb.

I ran into this when my son turned 18 and started at Sacramento City College. I spent 2 weeks calling the CalFresh office every day and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally I used Claimyr.com and got through to someone right away. They have this system where they wait on hold for you and call when a worker answers. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Anyway, once I actually talked to someone, they added my son back as an eligible household member using his student status. Had to provide verification of his enrollment and EOPS participation, but our benefits were restored the next month.

The way BenefitsCal works now is that anyone 18 or older who isn't disabled is counted differently in the household. It's really frustrating!! The student exemptions the other commenter mentioned are your best bet. When you report the exemption, make sure to upload proof like enrollment verification AND something showing the program they're in (like EOPS acceptance letter). I work at a college and see families struggle with this all the time.

this is why the system is BROKEN. they expect 18yr olds to somehow be independent when theyre still in school?? my nephew had to drop out and get a full time job because of this exact issue. so much for education being important!!! 🤬

have u checked if he can get calfresh on his own? my daughter got her own case when she started college and she got more $ that way then when she was on our case. shes getting almost $300 a month just for herself

wait does he get financial aid?? my caseworker said some of that counts as income now in 2025 so maybe that affected ur benefits too???

UPDATE: I finally got through to our county worker! My son qualified for EOPS at his community college, and we submitted the verification documents through BenefitsCal. They're restoring our full benefit amount for next month AND giving us back the amount we lost this month! The worker said it was an automatic system thing when he turned 18, but the student exemption fixes it. Thanks everyone for your help!!

So glad you got this resolved! This is such a common issue that catches families off guard when their kids turn 18. For anyone else reading this thread who might face the same situation, here are the key takeaways: 1) Check if your student qualifies for EOPS or other exemption programs ASAP, 2) Upload all required documentation through BenefitsCal with confirmation numbers, 3) Follow up with your caseworker to ensure documents are processed, and 4) Don't give up if you can't get through by phone - there are services like Claimyr that can help. The system automatically changes benefits when someone turns 18, but the student exemptions can restore them if you know what to ask for!

As someone who just joined this community, I wanted to say how impressed I am with the helpful responses here! I'm currently helping my younger brother navigate college applications and had no idea about these CalFresh student rules. The information about EOPS and the other exemptions is so valuable - I'm definitely going to save this thread for future reference. It's really unfortunate that families get blindsided by these automatic benefit changes when kids turn 18, but at least there are solutions available if you know where to look. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful to have found this thread! My cousin is about to turn 18 and start at a local community college, so this information is incredibly timely. I had no idea that CalFresh benefits could be affected when someone turns 18, especially if they're still living at home and dependent on their family. The detailed explanations about EOPS and other student exemptions are so helpful - I'm definitely going to share this with my aunt so she can be prepared and maybe even get her son enrolled in EOPS before his birthday hits. It's wonderful to see how this community comes together to help each other navigate these complex systems. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

Wow, I just joined this community and this thread has been such an education! I had no idea that CalFresh benefits automatically change when someone turns 18 - that seems like such a harsh policy for families with kids who are still completely dependent and in school. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has been incredibly valuable. The information about EOPS, work-study exemptions, and resources like Claimyr is amazing. It's so frustrating that the system seems designed to trip families up with these automatic changes, but I'm grateful there are knowledgeable people here willing to share what they've learned through their own struggles. I'm definitely saving this thread and will be sharing it with other parents I know who have teenagers approaching 18. Thank you to everyone who contributed - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes navigating these complex benefit systems more manageable!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how helpful and detailed everyone's responses have been! This thread has been incredibly educational - I had absolutely no idea that CalFresh benefits could be automatically reduced when someone turns 18, even if they're still living at home and completely dependent on their family. It seems like such a harsh policy that catches families off guard during an already stressful time when kids are starting college. The information about EOPS, work-study programs, and other student exemptions is invaluable - I'm bookmarking this entire thread to share with other parents in my network who have teenagers. It's also really helpful to learn about resources like Claimyr for actually getting through to caseworkers. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge - this is exactly the kind of community support that helps families navigate these complex benefit systems successfully!

As someone who just joined this community, I'm blown away by how supportive and knowledgeable everyone is here! This thread has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea that CalFresh benefits automatically drop when someone turns 18, even if they're still living at home and dependent on their parents. That seems like such a cruel policy that hits families right when college costs are starting to pile up. Reading through all the solutions and resources everyone shared (EOPS, work-study exemptions, Claimyr for getting through to caseworkers) has been invaluable. It's amazing how Lukas was able to get his benefits restored so quickly once he knew what to ask for! I'm definitely saving this entire thread to share with other parents - the step-by-step advice could prevent so many families from going through this same stressful situation. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your experiences and help solve this problem!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this thread! I'm currently helping my sister navigate the transition as her daughter is about to turn 18 and start college in the fall. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both alarming and reassuring - alarming because I had no idea these automatic CalFresh reductions happened at 18, but reassuring because there are clearly solutions if you know where to look. The detailed information about EOPS, work-study exemptions, and the step-by-step advice from people who've actually been through this is invaluable. I'm particularly impressed by how quickly Lukas was able to resolve his situation once he had the right information! I'll definitely be sharing this thread with my sister so she can get her daughter enrolled in EOPS proactively before the 18th birthday hits. It's wonderful to see such a supportive community where people genuinely help each other navigate these complex systems. Thank you all for your generosity in sharing your knowledge and experiences!