CalFresh income limits for family of 3 in California 2025 - how much can we make?
I just got a job offer that pays $3,800/month before taxes but I'm worried we might lose our CalFresh benefits if I accept it. Currently my spouse works part-time making about $1,500/month. We have a 6-year-old daughter and rent is killing us at $2,200/month in San Diego. Does anyone know what the current income limit is for a family of 3 to qualify for CalFresh in California? I heard there's a gross and net income test? I'm confused about which one applies to us and how they calculate it. We really need the food assistance but I also need this job. Would appreciate any info!
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Emma Johnson
The 2025 CalFresh gross income limit for a household of 3 in California is $3,625 per month. That's 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. There's also a net income limit of $2,790 after deductions. However, if your household has an elderly or disabled member, only the net income test applies. Based on what you shared, your combined income would be $5,300/month which exceeds the gross limit. But before you panic - there are deductions that might help: - 20% deduction from earned income - Standard deduction ($193 for 1-3 person households) - Dependent care costs - Medical expenses over $35 for elderly or disabled - Legally owed child support payments - Shelter costs that exceed 50% of your income after other deductions I'd recommend reporting the income change on your next SAR7 or calling your county office to discuss how the new job would impact your benefits. They can do a calculation based on your specific situation.
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Leila Haddad
•Thank you so much for the detailed info! I'm definitely going to exceed the gross limit then. We do pay about $500/month for after-school care for our daughter - would that count as dependent care? Also, does health insurance that gets deducted from my paycheck count as a deduction too?
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Ravi Patel
the income limt changes every year so make sure ur looking @ the right numbers. i think its actually $3,749 for 2025 for 3 ppl. also depends if anyone disabled or elderly in ur house cuz thats different rules
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Emma Johnson
•You're right that the limits adjust annually! The $3,625 figure I quoted is for standard households. If anyone in the household receives SSI or has a disability, different rules apply. In that case, only the net income test would apply, not the gross income test.
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Astrid Bergström
When I got my promotion last year, I was in the same boat - worried about losing benefits. I ended up calling the county for HOURS trying to get a straight answer. I was on hold for over 2 hours before getting disconnected... THREE TIMES! Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at the CalFresh office in like 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 The worker ran the calculations with my specific situation and it turned out my rent and childcare expenses gave me enough deductions to still qualify for some benefits even though my gross income was over the limit. Worth checking out your specific situation!
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PixelPrincess
•does that service actually work? ive been on hold for like 3 days trying to reach my caseworker about my recertification!!!
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Astrid Bergström
•Yes! That's exactly what I used it for - was trying to get info before my recertification was due. Saved me hours of frustration. The worker told me exactly what documentation I needed to maximize my deductions.
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Omar Farouk
DONT TRUST WHAT THE COUNTY TELLS YOU!!!! They always try to cut people off. I was making $3400 with my husband and 2 kids and they said we made too much. Then I found out they weren't counting our rent right!!! We pay $2450 and only after I COMPLAINED MULTIPLE TIMES did they fix it. Fight for your rights! Always appeal if denied!!! The system is BROKEN!!!!
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Chloe Martin
•This happened to me too! They didn't count my childcare expenses at first, and when they fixed it, I got backpay for 3 months. Always double-check their math.
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Diego Fernández
wait im confused... so is the limit $3625 or $3749?? and how do they calculate the net income? do they just take your paystubs and subtract taxes or what??
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Emma Johnson
•The exact 2025 income limit for a family of 3 is $3,625 for gross income (before deductions). For net income, they don't just subtract taxes - they apply specific CalFresh deductions. First they take 20% off your earned income, then apply the standard deduction ($193), then child care expenses, then eligible medical expenses, then child support payments if applicable. After that, they calculate your shelter deduction (rent/mortgage + utilities - 50% of remaining income). The final amount after ALL these deductions is your net income for CalFresh purposes, which needs to be under $2,790 for a family of 3.
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Chloe Martin
Just to share my experience - I make about $3800 for me and my two kids and still get $281/month in CalFresh. But that's because my rent is $2300 and I pay $650 for childcare. The housing deduction is HUGE in California. When I reported my income went up on my SAR7, my benefits went down but didn't stop completely. Definitely worth applying regardless of your income if your housing costs are high.
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Leila Haddad
•That's really helpful to know! Our situation sounds similar. Did you have to provide any special documentation for the childcare expenses? I only have Venmo receipts since we pay our neighbor for after-school care.
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PixelPrincess
my sister got calfresh with 2 kids and she makes like 4grand a month so try anyway!! she said the secret is reporting all ur expenses lol
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Leila Haddad
Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I'm going to accept the job and make sure I document all our expenses carefully on the next SAR7. I'll try calling the county to get a calculation with our specific situation, and if I can't get through, I might try that Claimyr service that @profile5 mentioned. Really appreciate all the advice!
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Emma Johnson
•Good luck with the new job! One last tip: keep ALL your pay stubs and receipts for rent and childcare. If you submit everything with your SAR7, they're more likely to process your case correctly the first time. And remember that if your income goes over the IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) listed on your last approval notice, you need to report that within 10 days, not wait for your next SAR7.
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LunarLegend
Just wanted to add that your health insurance premiums that are deducted from your paycheck DO count as a deduction for CalFresh purposes! This is often overlooked but can make a real difference in your net income calculation. Also, make sure to report any utilities you pay separately from rent - if you pay electric, gas, water, or trash separately, there's a standard utility allowance that gets added to your shelter deduction. With your rent at $2,200 plus utilities, you'll likely qualify for the maximum shelter deduction which could keep you eligible even with the higher income. Don't give up hope!
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Libby Hassan
•This is really good info about the health insurance premiums! I had no idea those counted as deductions. @LunarLegend do you know if dental and vision premiums that come out of my paycheck also count, or is it just medical? And for the utility allowance - we pay electricity and gas separately from rent but water/trash is included. Would that still qualify us for the standard utility allowance or do we need to pay all utilities separately?
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