Will a large unexpected tax refund disqualify me from CalFresh or WIC? IRS audit just resolved

You're asking about two different programs with different rules, so let me break it down: For CalFresh: Tax refunds are considered non-recurring lump sum payments and are excluded as income for CalFresh. They do, however, count as a resource (asset) in the month received. The resource limit for most households is $5,750 in 2025, but if someone in your household is elderly or disabled, the limit is $8,500. So if your bank account goes over the limit in the month you receive it, you could potentially be ineligible - but only for that month if you spend it down. For WIC: Even better news - WIC doesn't have asset limits at all. They only look at your regular income. A one-time tax refund isn't counted as income for WIC eligibility. And yes, you should report the refund to your CalFresh worker within 10 days of receiving it, as it's a change in resources.

Tax refunds dont count as income for calfresh!!! But they do count for cash on hand so if you got more than like 5k sitting in your account it might be a problem. But honestly just spend some of it before the end of the month and you'll be fine. Thats what my cousin did when she got a big insurance payout and she kept her benefits.

I had something similar happen but it was a smaller refund (about $3,200). I did report it to my county worker because I was worried, and they told me it doesn't count as income but does count toward resources/assets. They asked me if I had more than the resource limit in my account and I didn't, so it didn't affect my benefits at all. But definitely call and report it - I've learned the hard way that not reporting things can lead to overpayments and having to pay money back.

Just want to clarify something important: Tax refunds are EXEMPT from resource consideration for 12 MONTHS after receipt for CalFresh. This is under federal SNAP rules. So even if the refund puts you over the resource limit, as long as you can identify those funds as your tax refund, they shouldn't count against your resource limit for a full year after you receive them. Also, many counties have moved to simplified reporting, so if you're not at your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) or Annual Recertification, you might not even need to report it depending on your county's specific rules. WIC is completely unaffected by tax refunds - they only look at regular income. Source: I'm a benefits eligibility worker.

If ur EBT card is about to refill for the month u might want to wait til after that happens to deposit the check just in case. That's what I'd do. I heard they check ur bank account balance right before they load benefits. But idk if it's actually true or not lol. Just seems safer.

Hey, if you're having trouble reaching your county CalFresh office by phone (which is common - I used to wait HOURS), try using Claimyr. It's this service that waits on hold with the county office for you and calls you back when a real person is on the line. Saved me so much time when I had a similar question about a one-time payment. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 I was seriously about to give up on getting through to ask about my income reporting question until a friend told me about this.

My sister works for WIC and always tells people not to worry about tax refunds. They don't count for WIC eligibility AT ALL. For CalFresh the rules are different but from what I understand as long as you spend the money and don't keep it all in your account you should be fine. The important thing is to be honest if they ask about it.

NONE OF THIS MATTERS THE COUNTY ALWAYS FINDS A WAY TO CUT YOUR BENEFITS ANYWAY!!! sorry but im so sick of this system. i reported my tax refund honestly last year and they still tried to say i committed fraud somehow and cut me off for 3 months before admitting they made a mistake. no apology nothing. just "benefits restored" after my kids went hungry. document EVERYTHING and get names of workers you talk to!!!

I just wanted to update everyone - I was able to reach someone at the county office (used that Claimyr service someone suggested - it actually worked!). The worker confirmed that tax refunds are exempt from resource counting for 12 months for CalFresh, exactly like someone mentioned above. She said I still need to report it on my next SAR7, but it won't affect my eligibility as long as I can show it was a tax refund. For WIC, she said I don't need to report it at all since they only care about regular income. Such a relief! Now we can use the money for our car repairs without worrying. Thanks everyone for your help!

This is such great information for everyone! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with a much smaller refund (~$2,400) and was also worried. Reading through all these responses really helped clarify things. It's so confusing trying to navigate these rules on your own. One thing I learned from my case worker last year is that it's also helpful to keep documentation showing the refund came from taxes - like a copy of your tax return and the refund check/deposit slip. That way if questions come up later during recertification, you have proof it was a tax refund and not other income. Thanks Sean for posting this question and thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge, especially the eligibility worker who explained the 12-month exemption rule!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm also expecting a tax refund soon (around $4,200) and had the same exact worries about losing benefits. Reading everyone's experiences and especially hearing from the eligibility worker about the 12-month exemption rule has been so reassuring. One thing I wanted to add - for anyone in a similar situation, I found it helpful to take screenshots of official government websites that explain these rules. I kept getting conflicting information when I googled it, but having official sources saved helped when I talked to my worker. The CalFresh website has a section about excluded resources that mentions tax refunds specifically. Sean, thanks so much for asking this question! It's exactly what so many of us needed to hear. And the tip about Claimyr is gold - I'm definitely going to try that next time I need to reach my county office.

This entire discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently waiting on a tax refund of about $5,200 and was absolutely terrified about how it might impact our family's benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences - especially learning about the 12-month exemption rule for CalFresh - has been such a relief. What really stands out to me is how much confusion there is around these rules. I spent hours trying to research this online and kept finding contradictory information. Having an actual eligibility worker explain the specifics made all the difference. It really shows how valuable this community is for getting real, accurate guidance from people who've been through similar situations. I'm definitely going to save copies of my tax documents like Zoe suggested, and I'll probably try that Claimyr service too since my county office is notorious for long hold times. Sean, thank you so much for asking this question - it's helping way more people than just you! And thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences. This is exactly the kind of support families need when navigating these complex benefit systems.