CalFresh approved us for only $89/month with family of 4 and income of $3000 - is this normal for San Bernardino County?

That actually sounds about right based on your income. CalFresh benefits are calculated based on your household income minus certain deductions like housing costs and childcare expenses. With $3000/month income (which is $36,000 annually), you're probably at the higher end of the eligibility range for a family of 4. Did you make sure to report all your expenses during the application? Things that can increase your benefit amount include: - Rent/mortgage payments over $500/month - Utility costs (if you pay for heating/cooling) - Child care expenses for your children - Medical expenses for your 3-month-old if applicable If you didn't include all these deductions, you should contact your eligibility worker to report them. Also, have you considered applying for CalWORKs (Cash Aid) since you're unemployed with children? You might qualify for additional assistance there.

WE GOT THE SAME THING!! family of 3 and only $95 in benefits. its a JOKE. how are we supposed to feed our families on that?? the system is broken. my neighbor gets like $600 and has similar situation. i think it depends on who processes your case tbh. some workers actually try to help u get the max benefits and others just dont care.

That seems really low! When I applied last year my family of 3 got around $400 with similar income. Did they count all your household members correctly? Sometimes they miss people on the case. Also make sure they know the baby is only 3 months old because I think that matters somehow with the calculations.

I had a similar issue last year and it turned out they had calculated our income wrong. When I submitted my paystubs, they counted my gross income instead of net, AND they accidentally doubled one of my partner's paychecks in their system. Took me THREE WEEKS of calling every day to finally speak with someone who could fix it. Honestly, I got nowhere until I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they helped me get through to an actual person at the county office instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE showing how it works. After I finally got through, my benefits went from $75 to $341 once they fixed the income calculation. Definitely worth checking into because small mistakes in their calculations can make a huge difference in benefit amounts.

Yes, there's a fee, but it was worth it for me since I was literally losing hundreds in benefits each month because of their mistake. After trying for weeks on my own and getting nowhere (kept getting disconnected after waiting 45+ minutes), it was either use the service or keep losing money. The increased benefits more than made up for it in my case.

The $89 might be correct depending on your exact situation, but it's definitely worth double-checking. CalFresh benefits are calculated using this basic formula: Maximum benefit for household size - (Net income × 0.3) = CalFresh allotment For a family of 4, the maximum benefit is around $973 (in 2025). Your net income is calculated after several deductions: 1. 20% of gross income is deducted automatically 2. Standard deduction (about $193 for a household of 4) 3. Dependent care deduction (your after-school program costs) 4. Medical expenses over $35 for elderly or disabled members (likely doesn't apply) 5. Child support payments (if applicable) 6. Excess shelter costs (the amount by which your rent/utilities exceed 50% of your adjusted income) If your worker didn't apply all these deductions correctly, you could be getting less than you qualify for. Since you have a newborn, also check if you're receiving the Newborn Supplement if you're on CalWORKs, or if you qualify for WIC if you're not already enrolled. Definitely call to review your calculation - and mention specifically that you want to verify all deductions were applied.

have u applied for WIC too? since u have a 3 month old u definitely qualify! WIC helps alot with formula and food for the baby and some basic stuff for u too since ur nursing (if u are). they usually approve u right away same day and u can use benefits immediately. its separate from calfresh so ur income might not matter as much. just another option to help with the food situation 👍

I just saw your reply about CalWORKs eligibility. Even with your partner working, you might still qualify for some cash assistance through CalWORKs - especially if you're unemployed with two young children. The income limits are higher than many people realize. For San Bernardino County, a family of 4 can have income up to about $3,800/month (after certain deductions) and still potentially qualify for some level of cash assistance in 2025. What's nice is that once you're approved for CalWORKs (even a small amount), you typically get a higher CalFresh allotment automatically. Also, CalWORKs provides access to other benefits like: - Childcare assistance while you look for work or attend school/training - Medi-Cal coverage if you don't already have it - Job training and employment services - Diaper stipend for children under age 3 Definitely worth applying! Just be aware that unlike CalFresh, CalWORKs does have work requirements for adults (WTW - Welfare to Work), though you might qualify for an exemption with a 3-month-old.

I'm in a similar situation in LA County with a family of 3 and got around $120/month, so your $89 for a family of 4 does seem unusually low. A few things that helped me increase my benefits: 1. Make sure they're using your NET income, not gross - some workers accidentally use the wrong number 2. Report ALL your housing costs including utilities separately if you pay them 3. The childcare deduction you mentioned ($320) should definitely increase your benefits significantly 4. If you're breastfeeding, there might be additional deductions available One thing that caught my attention - you said your partner brings home $1500 twice a month "before taxes." Are you reporting $3000 as your gross income or net? Because if that $3000 is actually gross income, your net (after taxes and deductions) might be closer to $2400-2500, which would qualify you for more benefits. Also, since you have a newborn, you're in what they call the "immediate need" category, so they should be prioritizing your case if you need to make changes. Don't hesitate to push for a supervisor if the first worker isn't helpful!