Do I need to report switching from full-time to part-time work to CalFresh? Worried about losing benefits

Yes, you definitely need to report this income change! In California, you're required to report when your income goes UP significantly (when it crosses your Income Reporting Threshold/IRT), but not necessarily when it goes DOWN. However, in your case, you SHOULD report the decrease because you'll likely qualify for more benefits now. Just call your county office and let them know your hours were cut in half - they'll probably ask for a letter from your employer or recent paystubs to verify the change. They should increase your benefit amount once verified.

Thank you so much! Do you know if there's any form I need to fill out, or do I just call them? The last time I tried calling my county office I was on hold for almost 2 hours before giving up.

This literally happened to me too!! My hours got cut from 38 to 22 at my job last month. I reported it by uploading a letter from my manager on BenefitsCal and they increased my CalFresh by like $120! Def worth reporting 👍

While it's not mandatory to report a decrease in income between SAR7 reports, it's definitely in your best interest to do so. You're likely eligible for a benefit increase with that significant drop in income. You can report this change through BenefitsCal online, by submitting a written statement to your county office, or by phone. \n\nMake sure to have documentation ready - most counties want to see at least two recent paystubs showing your new reduced hours. If you've been struggling to reach someone by phone, you might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that helps you get through to a live CalFresh worker without the endless hold times. I used them during my recertification when I couldn't get through, and they got me connected in about 15 minutes. They have a demo video of how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

hmm never heard of claimyr before. seems kinda sketchy ngl. does the county actually recommend that?

It's not officially recommended by counties, but it's a legitimate service many people use when they can't get through on county phone lines. I was skeptical too, but it saved me hours of waiting on hold. You can also report through BenefitsCal or in person if you prefer.

THE SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN!! I reported my income drop last year and they STILL took 3 MONTHS to adjust my benefits! By then I was already behind on bills and had to borrow $ from family for groceries. They claim they're

same!!! they lost my docs twice when i had to report a change 🙄

I think your actually supposed to wait for SAR7. My caseworker told me to only report if income goes up not down because if its down they dont need to know till SAR7. But maybe different counties have different rules??

This is a common misunderstanding. You're only *required* to report mid-period if your income goes above your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold), which should be listed on your last approval notice. However, decreases in income are considered

Update: I called my county office this morning (waited for over an hour) and finally got through. They told me I'm not required to report the decrease, but it would benefit me to do so. I need to upload my two most recent paystubs to BenefitsCal and add a comment explaining my hours were reduced. Thanks everyone for the help! They said my benefits should increase within 10 days after they verify the change.

i switched from full to part time last year and didnt report it lol nothing happened my benefits stayed the same

That means you probably missed out on more benefits! From what everyone's saying here, I could get more EBT money if I report my income went down.

oh dang ur right i didnt even think about that i just thought reporting = bad lol

Remember to also report this to Covered California if you have health insurance through them! When my income dropped they gave me better coverage with lower copays.

Oh that's a good point! I do have Medi-Cal so I should probably let them know too. Does anyone know if Medi-Cal and CalFresh share information or do I need to report to both separately?

You need to report to both programs separately, although they're often administered by the same county office. CalFresh and Medi-Cal have different reporting requirements and separate case systems, even though they may use some of the same information. Be sure to specify which program(s) you're reporting changes for when you contact your county office.

Hope your health issues get better soon! I went through something similar when I had to reduce my hours due to medical reasons. One tip that helped me - when you upload your paystubs to BenefitsCal, make sure they clearly show the reduced hours/dates worked. Some counties are picky about documentation. Also, if your employer can write a brief letter on company letterhead stating your hours were permanently reduced (not just temporarily), that can speed up the verification process. My benefits increased by about $85/month when I reported a similar income drop. Good luck with everything!