Can I get more CalFresh benefits due to reduced work hours? Need to contact worker ASAP

Yes, you absolutely can report this change right away! This is called a 'voluntary mid-period report' and it could definitely increase your benefits. When your income goes DOWN, you want to report it ASAP. You don't have to wait for your SAR7. Call your county office or log into BenefitsCal and report it. Just make sure you have a paystub or letter from your employer showing the reduced hours. They should increase your benefits within 10 days of reporting, and it could mean a significant increase with that big of an hour reduction.

I've been trying to call my worker about a similar situation for 3 WEEKS and keep getting stuck in that stupid automated system!!! They cut my hours too and I need more benefits but can't even talk to a human being. It's so frustrating I've literally been in tears over this. Good luck getting through to anyone. The system is broken.

This is what's called a 'change that will increase benefits' and yes, you should report it immediately. In California, you're required to report when your income goes over the IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) listed on your last approval notice, but reporting decreases in income is voluntary and beneficial to you. Since your hours are being reduced by almost 40%, you'll likely see a significant increase in your CalFresh allotment. When you report, ask them to expedite the change due to financial hardship. They should adjust your benefits within 10 days. Make sure you have documentation showing the change - an email or letter from your employer is perfect. You can upload this directly in BenefitsCal or provide it when you speak with your worker.

kinda same thing happen to me last yr. i got laid off but was only getting partial unemployment. called them and my calfresh went from like $190 to over $400 for me and my kid. took like 2 weeks to get updated but they did it pretty fast after i sent my unemployment letter thing. def call asap dont wait

I went through this exact situation in January. First, yes! Call immediately, but be prepared for potentially looooong hold times. My county office (Los Angeles) had me on hold for over an hour before disconnecting me twice. I ended up going in person to the office because I was so frustrated. They're supposed to process these changes within 10 days, but mine took almost 3 weeks. Keep calling to follow up! And SAVE YOUR CASE NUMBER and the name of whoever you talk to. That helped me when I had to follow up. BTW they did backdate my increase to when I first reported it, not when my hours actually got cut. But the increase was substantial - went from $267 to $428 for my household.

In addition to what everyone said about reporting right away (definitely do that!), make sure you also ask about emergency allotment if your situation is dire. They can sometimes issue additional emergency benefits if you're in a crisis situation. When I lost my job, they gave me an extra emergency payment within 3 days of reporting, then adjusted my regular benefits going forward. Just be very clear about your circumstances and ask specifically if you qualify for any emergency assistance.

dont forget u might also qualify for calfresh expedited service if ur income drops enough. they have to issue benefits in 3 calendar days if u qualify. happened to my sister when she lost her job and her rent was more than half her new income.

Update: I finally got through to my worker today! I tried calling early morning (right when they opened) and only waited about 20 minutes. They're increasing my benefits to $438 starting next month, which is a huge relief. The worker said since I reported it now, they can't backdate it to when my hours are actually getting cut, but at least it will be in place when I need it. Thank you all for the advice and encouragement!

That's awesome news! Really happy to hear you got through and got such a significant increase. That extra $200+ a month will make a huge difference for your family. Your experience is a great example for others - calling right when they open seems to be the key to avoiding those crazy hold times. Thanks for updating us on how it turned out!

Congratulations on getting it sorted out so quickly! That's a really substantial increase that should make a huge difference for your family's food security. I'm dealing with a similar situation myself - my employer just cut everyone's hours due to slow business, and I've been nervous about navigating the reporting process. Your experience gives me confidence that it's worth making that call. Did your worker mention anything about how long the increased benefits will stay in effect, or do they automatically review it at your next recertification? Thanks for taking the time to update us with the good news!

I'm so glad you got through and received such a significant increase! $438 is a huge jump from $237 - that extra $200+ will make such a difference for your family's grocery budget. Your success story is really encouraging for others dealing with reduced hours. I've been in this community for a while and it's always great to see someone navigate the system successfully and then come back to share the outcome. The tip about calling right when they open is gold - I'll definitely remember that for future reference. Hope your situation improves overall and that this benefit increase helps bridge the gap until things get better!

Wow, what an amazing outcome! Going from $237 to $438 is incredible - that extra $201 per month will make such a huge difference for your family. I'm really impressed that you got through so quickly by calling right when they opened. That's definitely a strategy I'll remember if I ever need to contact my worker. It's also reassuring to see that the system actually worked the way it's supposed to - sometimes you hear so many horror stories that you forget there are success stories too. Thanks for coming back to update everyone, especially those who are dealing with similar situations. Your experience proves that reporting income decreases right away is absolutely worth it, even if the process can be intimidating. Hope things improve with your work situation soon, but at least you have this extra support to help you through the tough time!