CalFresh monthly benefit amount for household of 3 in Los Angeles County

The amount varies based on your household's net income after deductions, not just the county you live in. $658 could be correct, but it depends on your specific situation. The max for a household of 3 in 2025 is $785, but that's only if you have very low or no income after deductions. Here's what affects your amount: - Housing costs (rent/mortgage) - Utility costs (using the standard deduction) - Dependent care expenses - Medical expenses over $35 for elderly/disabled members Your combined income of about $3,050 will definitely reduce your benefit from the maximum. Your sister-in-law might have different deductions or lower income than you.

we get $704 for 3 people in LA county but our incom is only like $2400 total so thats probly why its different. did u tell them about all ur expenses? my worker said the rent and utilities make a big difference in wut u get

The 2025 maximum CalFresh allotment for a 3-person household is $785, but that's ONLY if your net income after deductions is zero. Based on your gross monthly income ($3,050), you'd have deductions for: - 20% earned income deduction (approx $370) - Standard deduction ($198 for 1-3 person households) - Excess shelter costs (rent minus half your adjusted gross income) - Possibly childcare deductions if applicable The formula is basically: Maximum allotment minus (30% of your net income after deductions). So if your net income after all deductions is about $1,400, your benefit would be around $785 - ($1,400 × 0.3) = $785 - $420 = $365. If you're getting $658, that suggests your worker calculated a lower net income, which is good for you. Without seeing all your exact expenses and deductions, it's hard to verify, but it doesn't sound unreasonably low.

DONT TRUST THE CALCULATION they always try to give u less!!! when i first applied they gave me only $430 for 3 people then i demanded they review it and suddenly it went up to $720!!! they "forgot" to count my childcare expenses which was $800/month!!! u should appeal and ask for retroactive benefits too!!!

Have you tried calling the LA County DPSS to ask about your specific calculation? I got so frustrated trying to reach someone about my CalFresh amount last month. Kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a live person in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 The worker explained every deduction and why my amount was different from my previous calculation. Turned out they hadn't applied my utility allowance correctly. Got it fixed and my benefits increased by about $120/month!

Your amount sounds correct based on what you shared about your income. Don't compare your benefit amount to your sister-in-law's situation because even small differences in circumstances can change the benefit amount significantly. Things that would make her get more than you: 1. Lower income 2. Higher rent/mortgage 3. More utility costs 4. Childcare expenses you didn't claim 5. Medical expenses for disabled household members If you want to double-check, fill out the "Self-Assessment Calculator" on the BenefitsCal website. It's not perfect but gives you a rough estimate.

Thank you everyone for the helpful replies! I'm going to call my eligibility worker tomorrow to make sure they included my son's after-school program costs ($800/month) in the calculation. Based on what everyone is saying, it sounds like my amount might actually increase if they include that. I'll also check out that self-assessment calculator to understand the math better.

my neighbor gets almost $800 for her and her 2 kids but she doesnt work at all so thats probably y yours is less. my amount changes all the time depending on how many hours i get at my job. some months i get $600 sometimes $500 its so annoying to predict

After reading through everything, it sounds like you might qualify for more benefits if they include your childcare expenses. The $200/week after-school program ($800/month) is definitely a deductible expense that would lower your countable income. Just remember that when you call tomorrow: 1. Be prepared with documentation of the childcare costs 2. Ask for a detailed breakdown of how they calculated your benefit 3. If they did miss the childcare expense, request a benefit adjustment going back to your application date 4. If you have any receipt or proof you mentioned the childcare during your interview, have that ready Good luck! Let us know how it goes.