CalFresh income limits for 2-person households in 2025? Getting conflicting info from county

The income limits for 2025 are based on your gross monthly income (before taxes). For a household of 2 people, the gross monthly income limit is $2,525. Since you said you make $1950 and your sister makes $1400, that's a total of $3,350, which is above the threshold. That's probably why the county worker said your income was too high. BUT! Don't give up yet. If you have certain expenses like rent, utilities, or childcare, those might be deducted from your income. What's your rent situation like? If it's high enough (which it probably is in Oakland), you might still qualify under the 'net income test' after deductions.

The previous commenter is almost right, but the income limits for 2025 for a household of 2 are actually $2,987 for gross monthly income and $2,298 for net income after deductions. With your combined income of $3,350, you're over the gross limit, but you might qualify for something called 'Categorical Eligibility' depending on your circumstances. And yes, sisters count as a household if you buy and prepare food together. For your deductions, with that Oakland rent of $2300, you can get a Standard Shelter Deduction, plus a Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) for your utilities. Those two together could potentially get you under the net income limit. I recommend applying through BenefitsCal.com and listing ALL your expenses. Make sure to include your rent, utilities, any medical expenses if either of you are over 60 or disabled, and any child support payments if applicable.

To clarify for everyone - CalFresh uses BOTH tests: 1. First, they check your gross monthly income (before taxes) 2. Then, if you pass that, they apply deductions to calculate your net income 3. Your net income determines your benefit amount There are exceptions like 'Categorical Eligibility' where you might qualify even if your gross income is slightly over the limit. This usually happens if someone in the household receives certain other benefits or services.

For CalFresh purposes, what matters is who buys and prepares food together, not how you split bills or handle bank accounts. If you and your sister shop for groceries together and cook/eat together, you're one household regardless of how you split finances. BTW, when dealing with the county office, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person quickly instead of waiting on hold forever. I used it last month when I needed to update my info and it saved me literally hours of waiting. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. Especially useful since you might need to discuss your specific situation with a worker to see if those deductions will help you qualify.

Yes, it's totally legit. I was skeptical too, but it actually works. They just connect you to the same CalFresh office you'd call anyway, but they wait on hold for you and call you back when they get a real person. Saved me from having to redial a million times after getting disconnected.

I HATE THE STUPID CALFRESH PHONE SYSTEM!! I've been on it for 17 years and it's ALWAYS been terrible!!! I called last month about my recertification and got hung up on FOUR TIMES after waiting 45+ minutes each time!!! The workers are fine when you finally reach them but the system is GARBAGE! Also for the original question - they DO count sisters as one household. My sister moved in with me last year and we had to combine our cases. It actually helped us get more benefits because of the rent deduction thing people mentioned.

just wanted to say i was in a similar situation with my roommate (not related tho) and they told us we could apply separately since we buy and cook food separately. maybe that's an option for you and your sister? might help if your combined income is too high. just a thought!

Thank you all SO MUCH for the helpful information! I'm going to go ahead and apply through BenefitsCal and make sure I list all our expenses, especially that high rent. And I'll definitely try that Claimyr service if I need to call in. I think I got confused because my friend who gets CalFresh is a single mom with two kids, so her income limits are different. Really appreciate everyone explaining how the household and income rules work! I'll update once I hear back from the county about our application.

kinda off topic but does anyone know if they're still doing those emergency allotments? i used to get the maximum amount during covid but now im back to getting like $23 a month which is basically useless lol

Just wanted to add that if you're still having trouble getting through to the county office, you can also try visiting in person if there's an office near you. I know it's a pain, but sometimes they're more helpful face-to-face and you won't have to deal with the phone system nightmare everyone's talking about. Also, make sure when you apply that you mention your hours got cut recently - that might help your case since it shows a change in circumstances. And if you have any documentation of the hour reduction (like a text from your manager or something), keep that handy in case they ask for it during the interview. One more tip - when calculating your income, make sure you're using your current reduced hours, not what you were making before the cuts. That could make a big difference in whether you qualify!

Hey! I work as a benefits counselor and just wanted to add a few things that might help. First, definitely apply even though your combined gross income is over the initial threshold - with Oakland rent prices, you'll almost certainly qualify after deductions are applied. One thing I don't see mentioned yet is that you should also ask about the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) when you apply. Since you mentioned paying $180 for utilities, you can claim either your actual utility costs OR the SUA (whichever is higher). The SUA for 2025 is usually around $400+ for heating/cooling, so that alone could save you a significant amount in the income calculation. Also, if either of you has any medical expenses (prescriptions, copays, etc.), make sure to include those too - they're deductible for everyone, not just elderly/disabled applicants. Even small medical costs can add up and help lower your countable income. The reduced hours situation Justin mentioned is super important - make sure to emphasize that this is a recent change when you apply. Sometimes they can even backdate benefits if your income dropped significantly in recent months.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through a similar situation with my brother last year in SF. We were also over the gross income limit initially, but ended up qualifying after all the deductions. A few things that really helped us: - Make sure you bring documentation for EVERYTHING when you apply (pay stubs from both jobs, lease agreement, utility bills, any medical receipts) - Ask specifically about the "excess shelter costs" deduction - with your $2300 rent in Oakland, this will probably be your biggest deduction - If you get denied initially, don't give up! You can request a hearing and sometimes they missed deductions the first time around Also, even if you only end up qualifying for a small amount (like $50-100/month), it's still worth it because you'll also get access to other programs and discounts. We only get about $80/month but it helps, especially with prices being so crazy right now. The whole process is honestly confusing and the rules seem to change constantly, but stick with it. Having that financial cushion for groceries has been a huge relief for us, especially during months when work is slow.