CalFresh denied - how to properly report children with disabilities for eligibility?

YES! You absolutely need to report those medical expenses! CalFresh has special deductions for households with elderly or disabled members. For your children to qualify as "disabled" for CalFresh purposes, they need to be receiving disability-based benefits (like SSI) or meet certain disability criteria. But regardless, you can deduct medical expenses over $35 per month for disabled/elderly household members, which can SIGNIFICANTLY affect your eligibility calculation. Call your county office and ask for an appeal. Explain that you have unreimbursed medical expenses for your children with disabilities that weren't considered in your application. They should send you a form to document these expenses. Make copies of all medical bills, therapy costs, special transportation, etc.

same thing happened to my sister last yr. they dont tell u that disabilities matter until after u get denied!! so frustrating. make sure u call and tell them asap

The CalFresh system is RIDICULOUS when it comes to disabilities!! I spent TWO YEARS fighting with them to get them to properly account for my son's needs. The workers don't even understand their own rules half the time!!! The online application is completely inadequate for special situations like ours. You need to specifically ask for the "Medical Expense Deduction" form. And be prepared to FIGHT for your benefits because they will try to deny legitimate expenses. Also, transportation to medical appointments counts but they never tell you that!!

To clarify some confusion here: For CalFresh purposes, disability status requires one of the following: 1. Receipt of disability benefits (SSI/SSDI, VA disability, etc.) 2. Receiving disability retirement benefits from a government agency 3. Receiving interim assistance pending SSI approval 4. Meeting the SSI disability criteria but not receiving SSI due to income However, medical expense deductions are available to elderly (60+) OR disabled household members. These deductions apply to out-of-pocket medical costs exceeding $35 monthly and can include: - Medical/dental care - Medications - Health insurance premiums - Medical equipment - Transportation to medical appointments - Therapy costs You should definitely appeal the denial and provide documentation of these expenses. The standard appeal form is called "Request for State Hearing" (DPA 479). You have 90 days from your denial to file it.

I dealt with this same issue last year - calling the county office directly was IMPOSSIBLE. I'd wait on hold for hours only to get disconnected. After getting frustrated, I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helped me actually get through to a real person at the CalFresh office without the endless hold times. I explained my situation about my daughter's disability expenses, and they helped me file an appeal right over the phone and told me exactly what documentation to submit. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 After getting the right medical expenses counted, our family qualified for $750/month in CalFresh benefits compared to the initial denial.

my son has autism too and we get calfresh! what really helped was getting a note from his doctor about his condition and how it affects our expenses. bring that to ur interview!

Just to follow up on the excellent advice above - when you appeal, make sure you specifically mention "medical expense deduction" in your appeal letter. Also, gather these documents to strengthen your case: 1. Diagnosis documentation for both children 2. All medical/therapy receipts from the last 3 months 3. A list of ongoing monthly medical expenses 4. Documentation of any special dietary needs (if applicable) 5. Mileage log for medical appointments CalFresh regulations require them to consider these expenses, but you need to be proactive about presenting them. When properly documented, medical expense deductions can make a significant difference in your eligibility determination and benefit amount. The income limit is effectively raised when these deductions are applied correctly.

I went through this exact same situation with my daughter who has cerebral palsy! The key thing that helped us was requesting a "disability determination" for CalFresh purposes, even though she doesn't receive SSI. You can ask your county worker to evaluate whether your children meet the disability criteria based on their medical conditions and functional limitations. Also, don't forget about these often-overlooked medical expenses that count toward your deduction: - Special foods/supplements if medically necessary - Assistive technology or adaptive equipment - Physical/occupational therapy copays - Behavioral therapy sessions - Special transportation costs (like wheelchair-accessible vehicles) When I appealed, I submitted a detailed monthly budget showing ALL disability-related expenses, and it made the difference between denial and approval. The appeal process took about 6 weeks for us, but we received retroactive benefits back to our original application date. Definitely worth fighting for!