Will my CalFresh benefits drop when SSDI payments increase my income to $1600?

Yes, there's actually a benefit calculator table that can help estimate your benefits! For a single-person household in 2025, the max gross monthly income limit is about $2,430 to qualify. At your current income ($800-900), you'd qualify for close to the maximum benefit. Once your income increases to $1500-1600, you'd still qualify but with reduced benefits. The basic formula is: Maximum allotment for your household size minus 30% of your net income (after deductions). CalFresh allows deductions for things like housing costs, medical expenses over $35 for seniors/disabled, and a standard deduction. Do you have significant housing costs or medical expenses? Those deductions could help you maintain a higher benefit level even with increased income.

when i got my disability last yr my calfresh went down but didnt lose it completely. still get like $78 a month which helps. u have to report it withing 10 days when ur income goes over the IRT (income reporting threshold) they tell u what that amount is on ur approval letters

Be aware that the medical deduction for CalFresh is only for expenses over $35 that aren't reimbursed by insurance, and you'll need receipts. They'll count anything over $35 toward your deduction. Housing costs definitely help though! Rent/mortgage and utilities can be deducted up to a cap. I know it's stressful waiting for SSDI and worrying about CalFresh too. The BenefitsCal website has a benefits calculator that gives rough estimates, but it's not always 100% accurate.

DONT WORRY SO MUCH!! Even with $1600, you'll still qualify for SOMETHING most likely. When I was on SSDI ($1300) & working part time ($400) I still got $75 CalFresh. IMPORTANT: When SSDI kicks in they'll count it as UNEARNED income which affects benefits differntly than earned income. Make sure to tell them its SSDI not just regular income!!!

Have you tried calling your county CalFresh office to ask about this? I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to ask about a similar situation. Then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that connects you directly to a CalFresh worker without the hold time. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Got through in 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. The worker was able to run a benefit calculation estimate based on my future income to help me budget.

My SSDI is $1544 and I still get Calfresh but only $23/month. Better than nothing I guess. Make sure u report it correctly when it starts or they'll say u got an overpayment and make u pay it back!!!

To answer your original question more specifically: Unfortunately, there's no simple public chart showing exactly what you'll get at each income level because the calculation involves multiple factors (household size, income, deductions, etc.). But here's a rough estimate for a single person in 2025: - At $800-900 income: Approximately $240-270 in CalFresh - At $1500-1600 income: Approximately $40-90 in CalFresh These are just estimates though. Your exact benefit will depend on your specific deductions. When your SSDI is approved, you'll need to report it within 10 days if it puts you over your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold).

Don't forget that when you start receiving SSDI, you'll also qualify for the medical expense deduction on CalFresh, which can help offset some of the income increase. Make sure to keep ALL medical receipts - even small copays and over-the-counter medications prescribed by your doctor count! I help clients with CalFresh applications, and proper documentation of medical expenses can make a significant difference for disabled recipients.

One thing that might help ease your stress is knowing that CalFresh has what's called "transitional benefits" - if your benefits do get reduced significantly when your SSDI starts, you won't just suddenly lose everything overnight. The county will send you a notice explaining the change and give you time to adjust. Also, since you mentioned waiting so long for SSDI approval - when it does get approved, you'll likely receive back pay (retroactive payments). Just be aware that any lump sum payment over $3,000 could temporarily affect your CalFresh eligibility if it's counted as a resource. But SSDI back pay has special rules, so definitely ask your worker about how to handle that if it applies to your situation. The good news is you're planning ahead, which puts you in a much better position than people who get surprised by these changes!

I went through something similar last year when my SSDI got approved! The anxiety about losing CalFresh is totally understandable, but from what I experienced, you'll likely still get some benefits even with the higher income. One thing that really helped me was keeping a detailed log of ALL my expenses before reporting the income change - not just medical costs, but also things like transportation to medical appointments, special dietary needs if you have any health conditions, and utility costs. The more legitimate deductions you can document, the better your final benefit calculation will be. Also, when you do report the SSDI income, make sure to emphasize that it's disability income, not regular earnings. The worker needs to code it correctly in the system. I've seen people get miscategorized and it affected their benefits calculation. You're smart to plan ahead - it made such a difference for me to know roughly what to expect rather than just hoping for the best. Hang in there, the approval will come and you'll figure out the new budget!

Hey Sean! I'm actually going through the SSDI approval process right now too, so I totally understand the stress about how it'll affect CalFresh. What's been helpful for me is creating a spreadsheet with my current benefits vs. estimated future benefits so I can see the actual numbers instead of just worrying about unknowns. One thing I learned from my caseworker is that California has something called the "excess shelter deduction" - if your housing costs (rent + utilities) are more than half your income, you can deduct the excess amount. With your $950 rent, this could really help your benefit calculation when your income increases. Also, have you looked into other programs you might qualify for once you're on SSDI? Sometimes there are food pantries or other assistance specifically for disabled folks that can supplement whatever CalFresh you end up getting. The disability community center in my area has a whole list of resources. Fingers crossed your approval comes through soon - the waiting is honestly the worst part!

I'm in a similar situation and have been researching this extensively! One resource that might help is the CalFresh Policy Manual (available online) which has the actual income limits and calculation formulas. For 2025, the gross income limit for a 1-person household is $2,430/month, so you'll definitely still qualify at $1600. What really helped me was calling 211 (dial 2-1-1) - they have CalFresh specialists who can walk you through benefit estimates over the phone for free. They're usually much easier to reach than the county office and really know their stuff. Also, since you mentioned medical costs - if you're approved for SSDI, you might also qualify for Medicare, which could actually reduce your out-of-pocket medical expenses and potentially help with your CalFresh calculation in the long run. Just something to keep in mind as you're planning! The fact that you're thinking ahead shows you're being really responsible about this. Even if your benefits do drop, having that SSDI income security will be such a relief after waiting so long for approval.

I'm also waiting for SSDI approval and really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here! One thing I wanted to add that helped me prepare is that you can request a "benefit estimate" from your county CalFresh office before your income actually changes. I called and explained my situation (waiting for SSDI approval) and they were able to run a hypothetical calculation based on my expected new income. This gave me peace of mind because I could see the actual numbers instead of just guessing. In my case, they showed me that even with a significant income increase, I'd still qualify for benefits - just reduced from my current amount. Also, @Sean, since you mentioned being stressed about the change - remember that if you do end up getting less CalFresh than expected, you have the right to request a fair hearing if you think there was an error in your calculation. I learned this from a legal aid workshop for disability recipients. Hope your approval comes through soon! The uncertainty is definitely the hardest part, but it sounds like you're doing all the right things to prepare.