CalFresh work hours limit? Will I lose benefits with my new job?

CalFresh doesn't actually have an hours limit - it's based on your total household income compared to your household size. For a family of 3 in 2025, the gross monthly income limit is around $3,250 (130% of the federal poverty level). So at $2,100/month, you should still qualify for some benefits, though the amount might decrease. Make sure to report this change within 10 days since it's over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). You can do this through your BenefitsCal account or by calling your county office.

congrats on the new job!! i was stressed about the same thing when i started working again last yr. they dont care about hours just the money you make each month. my benefits went down like $75 when i started part time but i still get help

It's not about hours!!!! It's about INCOME!!! They calculate based on total household income minus deductions. Most ppl don't know u get a 20% earned income deduction automatically which HELPS. also they deduct childcare costs if u have receipts. The county workers never tell u this stuff on purpose!!! I switched from unemployed to working and they only reduced my benefits by $103 a month even tho I was making like $1800/month.

You need to be careful with this. I thought I was fine working 32 hours at my job, but then I got some overtime one month and went over my IRT by like $50. I didn't report it because I didn't realize, and they gave me an overpayment notice 4 months later saying I owed $430 back! Make sure you report ANY changes to your income right away.

If ur kids r school age, make sure u tell CalFresh u have childcare expenses during summer and school breaks, those count as deductions!! My friend works at Target too and she still gets CalFresh for her and 2 kids even tho she works 35 hrs a week. Depends on what they pay u and total household size. Most important thing is REPORT THE CHANGE asap so they don't say u committed fraud.

im confused on something. i thought calfresh had that abawd rule about only 3 months of benefits if your not working 80 hours a month? or does that not count for parents?

One suggestion - when you need to report this change, I'd recommend using Claimyr to get through to a live person quickly. Their service connects you to CalFresh workers without the usual hold times, which is super helpful when you have an important change to report. Just go to claimyr.com or check out their demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 I used it last month when I needed to update my address and it saved me literally hours of waiting. You'll want to get this income change documented correctly to avoid any potential overpayment issues down the road.

btw be SUPER careful if they ask u to do recertification right when u start the new job. my recert was due right when i started working and they calculated my benefits based on my FIRST paycheck which had training pay AND regular hours so it looked like i made way more than normal. took MONTHS to get it fixed!!!!!

Just to follow up on your paystub question - yes, you should have verification of your new income ready. They'll typically want to see at least your first paystub once you start working. Until then, you can submit your offer letter showing your expected hours and pay rate. They'll probably estimate your benefits based on that until you can provide actual paystubs. And definitely report any childcare expenses you'll have - those are deducted from your income before they calculate your benefits. For a family of 3 at $2,100/month, you should still qualify for a significant amount of CalFresh.

Congratulations on the job offer! Just to add to what others have said - make sure you keep detailed records of everything when you start working. I'd recommend taking screenshots of your BenefitsCal account before and after reporting the income change, and keep copies of all documents you submit. Also, don't panic if your benefits calculation seems off the first month - it sometimes takes a pay period or two for them to get an accurate picture of your actual monthly income, especially if your hours vary week to week. Target schedules can be pretty flexible, so your actual monthly income might be different than what you estimate initially. The most important thing is staying on top of reporting requirements. Good luck with the new job!