CalFresh denied because they recorded my rent as $1270 when I pay $2350 - how to fix income calculation?

omg same thing happened to me!! they put my rent at like half of what i actually pay. had to send them my lease agreement like 3 times before they fixed it 🙄

This is unfortunately a common problem with CalFresh. What's happening is that they're using the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) for your area rather than your actual utility costs, and they may have input your rent incorrectly by accident. You definitely need to request a reconsideration immediately. Call your county office and specifically ask for a "reconsideration based on expense verification" rather than a formal appeal, which takes longer. Make sure you upload or bring copies of: - Your complete lease agreement showing the $2350 amount - Utility bills from the last 3 months - A signed statement explaining the discrepancy They should be able to recalculate your eligibility based on the correct expenses. The higher housing and utility costs could make a significant difference in your eligibility calculation.

THEY DO THIS ON PURPOSE!!!! The system is designed to deny as many people as possible. Ive been fighting with them for 2 years. they always "lose" my documents or claim i didnt submit something. one time they said my landlord verification "wasnt clear enough" even though it was the EXACT FORM THEY SENT ME. its a joke.

I used to process CalFresh applications, and I can tell you what probably happened. For the rent, someone likely made a data entry error - happens more than you'd think given the caseloads. For the utilities, though, this isn't necessarily an error. CalFresh uses something called the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) in California which is currently about $500. Even if your actual utilities are higher, they often just use the standard amount. But here's what's important: make sure they're counting you for the FULL SUA and not the LIMITED SUA. Definitely call your eligibility worker and request a reconsideration. Bring documentation of your actual rent and all utility bills. If you paid more than $35 in heating or cooling costs, you qualify for the full SUA which should be counted correctly. The higher rent alone could make you eligible.

I had this exact problem last year and spent WEEKS trying to get anyone on the phone. Kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours! I finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual person at the CalFresh office in like 20 minutes. Totally changed everything - they fixed my rent amount and recalculated my benefits. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 or their website claimyr.com - saved me so much frustration!

dont forget to fill out form CF 558 'request for verification expense form' and the SAR 30 if your a new applicant. this is what I did for a client the other day who got denied. it made the difference to get approve. its not about how much u make all the time, its about the expenses you can verify that count against your income. and make sure to get a receipt for all your documents!

my worker told me they can only count rent thats under the 'reasonable accommodation' amount for your area, maybe thats why they put a lower number?? idk if thats true tho

Update us when you get this resolved! For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues, always remember to keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit to CalFresh, and always get receipt numbers for documents you upload through BenefitsCal or bring to the office in person. Document management is often where these problems occur.

This is so frustrating but unfortunately super common! I went through the exact same thing last month. They had my rent listed as $800 when I actually pay $1,950. What worked for me was going to the office in person with my lease agreement, utility bills from the last 3 months, and a written statement explaining the error. I also made sure to ask for a supervisor when the first worker seemed confused about how to fix it. The key is being persistent and having all your documentation organized. Don't let them tell you to "reapply" - insist on a reconsideration since this is clearly their data entry mistake. Good luck and don't give up!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! They recorded my utilities as way lower than what I actually pay. One thing I learned from my caseworker is that you can request what's called an "excess shelter deduction" if your actual housing costs (rent + utilities) are higher than what they calculated. You'll need to provide documentation, but it can significantly change your eligibility. Also, make sure when you call that you specifically mention this is a "data entry error" - that seems to get them to take it more seriously than just saying there was a mistake. The reconsideration process should be faster than a full appeal, but definitely get everything in writing and keep tracking numbers for any documents you submit!

I just went through this exact same nightmare! They had my rent listed as $950 when I actually pay $2,100. What's really frustrating is that I submitted my lease THREE times during the application process, so I don't understand how they got it so wrong. I ended up having to go to the office in person with printed copies of everything - lease, utility bills, bank statements showing rent payments. The worker admitted it was a "system error" but it still took them 2 weeks to recalculate and approve me. Definitely push for the reconsideration rather than reapplying from scratch. And bring EVERYTHING with you - I even brought screenshots of my online rent payments just to be safe. The whole system is broken but don't give up, you deserve those benefits if you qualify with the correct numbers!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's incredibly frustrating when they get your basic information wrong! I had a similar issue where they somehow recorded my utilities as $200 when I was actually paying over $600. What helped me was creating a simple one-page summary with my CORRECT expenses listed clearly at the top, then attaching all my supporting documents behind it. I also took photos of everything before submitting it so I had proof of what I gave them. When I called, I immediately said "I need to request a reconsideration due to incorrect expense calculations on my application" - using those exact words seemed to get me transferred to someone who actually knew what they were doing. The whole process took about 10 days but they did approve me once they had the right numbers. Don't let them discourage you - you clearly qualify if they use your actual expenses!

This happened to me too and it's SO common! The key thing that worked for me was being very specific about what type of correction I needed when I called. I said "I need to request a reconsideration for incorrect housing expense data entry" and they transferred me to someone who could actually help instead of just telling me to reapply. Make sure you have your lease agreement, utility bills from the last 3 months, and maybe even bank statements showing your actual rent payments. When they see that $1,080 difference in rent alone, plus your actual utility costs, it should definitely change your eligibility calculation. One tip: when you call, ask them to read back exactly what they have in their system for your expenses so you can confirm what needs to be corrected. Sometimes there are multiple errors and you want to catch them all at once. Good luck - don't let them wear you down, you deserve accurate calculations!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's absolutely maddening when they get your basic information wrong! I went through something similar where they somehow recorded my rent as $1,100 when I actually pay $2,200. The frustrating part is that I know I gave them the correct information multiple times during my interview. What worked for me was calling and specifically asking for a "reconsideration due to data entry errors in housing expenses." I brought my lease agreement, last 3 months of utility bills, and even my bank statements showing the actual rent payments. The worker admitted they had been looking at an old form or something - apparently these mix-ups happen more often than they should. The whole process took about 2 weeks, but they did approve me retroactively once they recalculated with the correct numbers. That $1,080 difference in your rent alone should have a huge impact on your eligibility! Don't let them tell you to start over with a new application - this is clearly their mistake and a reconsideration should be much faster. Stay persistent and document everything!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same issue right now! They somehow recorded my rent as $1,100 when I actually pay $2,800, and my utilities as $350 when they're actually closer to $650. It's like they're pulling these numbers out of thin air! What's really helped me so far is organizing all my documents into one clear packet - lease agreement, last 3 utility bills, and bank statements showing my actual payments. I'm planning to call tomorrow and use the specific language others mentioned about requesting a "reconsideration due to data entry errors in housing expenses." The most frustrating part is knowing that with the correct numbers, I would definitely qualify. That $1,080 difference in your rent alone should completely change your calculation! Don't give up - from reading everyone's experiences here, it seems like once you get to the right person who understands it's a data entry error (not your mistake), they can usually fix it within 1-2 weeks. Definitely push for reconsideration rather than starting over with a new application. Keep us posted on how it goes when you call tomorrow! I'll probably be calling around the same time and would love to hear if any particular approach works better.

This exact same thing happened to my sister last month! They had her rent listed as $1,050 when she actually pays $2,100, and somehow her utilities were recorded as only $200 when she's paying close to $500. She spent weeks trying to get through on the phone before finally going to the office in person. What really worked for her was bringing a folder with everything organized - her lease, last 3 months of utility bills, bank statements showing the actual rent payments, and a one-page summary at the front listing all the CORRECT amounts. She used the exact phrase "I need a reconsideration due to data entry errors in my housing expenses" and they took it much more seriously. The whole thing took about 2 weeks to get resolved, but they did approve her retroactively once they recalculated with the right numbers. That $1,080 difference in your rent alone should definitely change your eligibility! Don't let them convince you to start over with a new application - this is clearly their mistake and a reconsideration should be way faster. Stay persistent and document everything you submit!