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!