CalFresh renewal form rejected due to income calculation - need help deciphering EBT benefits

Yes, the 4.33 multiplier is actually correct! The county workers use this because there are 52 weeks in a year, not 48 (which is what you get with 4 weeks × 12 months). So 52 weeks ÷ 12 months = 4.33 weeks per month on average. It sounds small but it can push some people over income limits. For your recertification, you'll need to take your weekly pay and multiply by 4.33 to get your monthly income. Make sure you're also reporting all allowable deductions like childcare expenses, rent, and utilities to maximize your benefit amount.

omg i HATE these stupid calculations!! same thing happened to me but they just cut me off completely without even giving me a chance to fix it!! county office NEVER picks up the phone either 😠😠 been trying for 3 weeks straight!

When you recalculate your income with the 4.33 multiplier, don't forget to include your deductions correctly. Many people miss out on maximum benefits because they don't report all eligible deductions. For your CalFresh recertification, you should list all housing costs (rent/mortgage), utilities (use the standard utility allowance if eligible), childcare expenses needed for work, and medical expenses over $35 for elderly/disabled household members. These deductions can significantly increase your benefit amount even with the 4.33 calculation. You have 10 days from the date on the notice to submit corrections, so don't delay.

this 4.33 thing is so confusing... I always thought a month was 4 weeks too! Is this just for CalFresh or do they do this weird math for CalWorks too??

Just wanted to share something that helped me get through to my county worker when I had a similar issue last month. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real CalFresh worker in about 10 minutes when I had been trying for days. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Since you only have 10 days to fix this, it might be worth trying instead of dealing with the constant disconnects. They connected me directly to a worker who helped fix my income calculation issue on the spot.

When I had income calculation issues for my CalFresh recertification, I just went in person to the county office with all my paystubs. Took half a day of waiting but they fixed it right there. Bring ALL your documents though - ID, paystubs, rent receipt, utility bills, etc. And you don't need to fill out a whole new SAWS 2 form - they can just correct the income part of your existing application. Make sure to ask them for a receipt or confirmation number when they fix it!

i went thru this exact thing last winter! the worker told me over the phone that the 4.33 thing is cause theres actually more than 4 weeks in most months. January has 4.42 weeks, February has 4, March has 4.42 etc....so they average it out to 4.33 for the whole year. super confusing but i just redid my calculations and sent it back with a note explaining the changes

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the county office! They explained that I need to take my average weekly income ($525) and multiply by 4.33 which gives $2,273.25 monthly instead of $2,100 that I had calculated. They're sending me a new SAR7 form to fill out with the correct calculation. The worker also told me to include my childcare expenses which I didn't know could be deducted ($850/month for my two kids). Hopefully this will keep us eligible even with the higher income calculation. Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad you got through to someone and figured out the childcare deduction! That $850/month deduction should definitely help offset the higher income from using 4.33. Just a heads up - when you get that new SAR7 form, double-check that they also applied the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) if you pay any utilities at all. Even if you only pay electric or gas, you can claim the full SUA which is $532 in California for 2025. Between the childcare and utility deductions, you should still qualify for good benefits even with the corrected income calculation. Keep all your documentation just in case!