CalFresh reduced my benefits by $85 after minimal income increase - doesn't match 2025 food costs!

Unfortunately, this is exactly how the CalFresh benefit calculation works. For every $3 increase in countable income, your benefits decrease by about $1. It's called the 30% reduction rule - they expect that 30% of your income should go toward food. So your $72 increase in SSDI would reduce benefits by roughly $24 (not $85 though, that seems off). You can request a breakdown of the calculation from your eligibility worker to make sure it was done correctly. Also make sure they're applying all your deductions - medical expenses over $35/month, housing costs, and utility costs. Those can make a huge difference in your benefit amount.

omg same thing is happening to me!!! my ssi went up $65 and they cut my food stamps by like $70!!! how are we supposed to survive when everything at the store costs twice as much as last year?? its like they WANT us to starve

I've been through this exact situation and discovered there was an error in my calculation. When I finally got through to a CalFresh worker, they had forgotten to apply my medical expense deduction which was causing my benefits to be much lower than they should be. The problem is getting through to anyone! I spent 3 days calling and getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at the CalFresh office in about 15 minutes. They basically call for you and when they reach a real person, they connect you. Saved me hours of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video that explains it: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Once I got through and had them review my case, my benefits went back up by $67 because they correctly applied my deductions. Definitely worth pushing back on this!

I HATE how the system punishes ppl for even tiny increases in income!!! My cousin got a $50 raise at her job and lost $100 in CalWorks AND $75 in food stamps. The whole thing is DESIGNED to keep people trapped!! And you know what else? The income limits haven't been adjusted for REAL inflation. Official numbers say 3-4% but REAL food inflation is more like 15-20%!! The govt doesn't WANT us to have enough to eat.

have you tried checking with ur worker if ur on the standard utility allowance for the calculation? i forgot to tell them i pay for cooling in my apartment and they gave me way less benefits. once i told them they had to give me the full sua deduction (like $450 i think?) and my benefits went up like $30

You should file for a fair hearing! You have the right to appeal any benefit decision you disagree with. There's a form on the back of your Notice of Action, or you can call the state hearing division directly. I did this last year when they calculated my benefits wrong and I won - got back benefits too. Don't just accept what they say!

One thing that really helped me was going to my local food bank while I was fighting with CalFresh about my benefits. Most don't even ask for income verification, and it helped bridge the gap while I got things sorted out. Also, make sure you're getting the CA Utility Assistance credit on your power bill - that freed up some money for me to buy more food.

After reviewing all the comments here, I think there might actually be a calculation error in your case. A $72 increase in unearned income should only reduce your CalFresh by about $22-24, not $85. It sounds like either they're not applying all your deductions correctly or there might be another change they're factoring in that you weren't aware of. Specifically ask for these things when you call: 1. A complete breakdown of your benefit calculation 2. Confirmation that all your medical expenses over $35 are being deducted 3. Verification that your shelter costs (rent/mortgage) are correctly recorded 4. Confirmation that you're receiving the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) 5. Whether there were any other changes to your case besides the $72 SSDI increase If they can't explain the large reduction, definitely request a fair hearing as another commenter suggested.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's incredibly frustrating when you're already struggling and then they make it even harder! I went through something similar last year when my part-time job gave me a small raise. What really helped me was keeping detailed records of everything - my income changes, benefit notices, and all my expenses. One thing I learned is that sometimes the timing of when changes get processed can affect multiple benefit periods at once, which might explain why your reduction seems so much higher than expected. Also, make sure they're using the current year's income and expense limits - sometimes workers accidentally use outdated numbers. The other thing that saved me was connecting with a local legal aid office. Many have attorneys who specialize in CalFresh cases and can help review your situation for free. They know all the rules and can spot errors that regular people like us might miss. You can find one at lawhelp.org by entering your zip code. Hang in there - you deserve to have enough food, and there are people who can help you navigate this broken system!

I'm new to this community but dealing with the exact same issue! My SSI went up $48 last month and they cut my CalFresh by $62 - how is that even possible?? I've been putting off calling because I know it'll be hours on hold, but reading everyone's experiences here is giving me the push I need to fight this. @Grace Durand - please keep us updated on what happens when you call! I'm taking notes on all the questions people have suggested asking. This whole thread has been more helpful than anything the county office has told me. The thing that really gets me is that my rent went up $150 this year but my tiny SSI increase doesn't even cover half of that, and now they're taking away food money too. It's like they expect us to live on air. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps to know I'm not alone in this mess!

I'm going through something very similar and it's so disheartening! My disability benefits increased by $58 last month and my CalFresh dropped by $73. Like you, I'm spending way more on groceries than I was a year ago - even basic staples like bread, eggs, and milk have gone up so much. What's really frustrating is that when I called to ask about it, the worker acted like I should be grateful for any benefits at all. But when your total monthly income is still well below the poverty line and food costs keep rising, every dollar of food assistance matters! I'm definitely going to try some of the suggestions people have shared here - especially getting a detailed breakdown of the calculation and making sure all my deductions are being applied. It sounds like calculation errors are pretty common. Has anyone had luck getting retroactive benefits if they find an error? I'm wondering if it's worth pushing for back payments if they've been calculating wrong for months.

I'm dealing with this exact same problem and I'm honestly shocked at how many people are experiencing benefit reductions that are higher than their income increases - that should be mathematically impossible under the 30% rule! Reading through all these comments, it's clear there are widespread calculation errors happening. What really stands out to me is that almost everyone here is mentioning medical expenses and utility deductions that might not be properly applied. It seems like the county workers either don't know how to calculate these correctly or they're using outdated information. For everyone dealing with this: document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots of your benefit notices, keep records of all your reported expenses, and don't accept "that's just how it works" as an answer when the math clearly doesn't add up. The fact that multiple people here have gotten their benefits corrected after pushing back proves that these aren't isolated cases. Also, I want to echo what others have said about food banks and 211 for immediate help while you're fighting these calculation errors. And definitely look into legal aid - many of us don't realize we have free legal resources available for exactly these situations. This system is supposed to help people meet their basic need for food, but it seems like it's designed to trip people up with complex calculations and inadequate customer service. Don't give up - you all deserve accurate benefit calculations and enough food assistance to actually survive!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's incredibly frustrating and you're definitely not alone! I just started receiving CalFresh a few months ago and had no idea about most of these deductions and calculation rules until reading this thread. What really caught my attention is how many people are experiencing reductions that seem way higher than the 30% rule would suggest. That $85 drop on a $72 income increase definitely doesn't sound right mathematically. I'm taking notes on all the great advice here about asking for detailed calculation breakdowns and making sure medical expenses and utility allowances are properly applied. I also wanted to mention that some community colleges have student legal services that help with benefits issues - I found this out when a classmate had CalFresh problems. They might be another resource to consider alongside the legal aid offices people have mentioned. The whole situation really highlights how broken this system is. People are already struggling financially and then they have to become experts on complex benefit calculations just to get what they're legally entitled to. It shouldn't be this hard to access basic food assistance! I really hope you get this resolved quickly and get your benefits restored to the correct amount.