CalWORKs Cash Aid dropped from $281 to $251 in January - why did my dad's benefits decrease?

This happened to my cousin too! Her payment went down $25 this month and she had no idea why. CalWORKs is always changing things without telling people first smh

wait is ur dad on CalWORKS or SSI? cuz CalWORKS is usually for families with kids. might be SSI or CAPI if hes elderly. or maybe general relief? the benefits r different for all of those

It sounds like your father is probably receiving General Assistance/General Relief (GA/GR), not CalWORKs. CalWORKs is specifically for families with children, while GA/GR is for single adults without dependent children. As for the decrease, counties typically adjust GA/GR payment amounts annually in January. Some counties in California implemented new payment standards for 2025. The maximum grant amount varies by county, and they sometimes reduce the amount if the person receives other income like Social Security. Two things to check: 1. Did his Social Security amount increase in January? Even a small increase can trigger a proportional reduction in GA/GR. 2. Did he complete and return all required paperwork? Missing a semi-annual report can cause benefit reductions. I'd recommend requesting an "Action Letter" from the county explaining the exact reason for the change. They're required to provide written notice before reducing benefits.

I work for a community organization that helps people navigate benefit issues, and this is definitely related to the 2025 Social Security COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) that went into effect in January. When Social Security benefits increase, it often triggers a decrease in other income-based benefits like GA/GR because they count as income. The county should have sent a Notice of Action explaining the change, but these often get lost in the mail or are confusing to read. You can request a copy of this notice through your online BenefitsCal account or by calling the county. One thing to check - if the decrease amount is larger than the Social Security increase, there might be an error in their calculation or another factor at play.

Yes, there is a formula, and it's not always a dollar-for-dollar reduction. Many counties use what's called a "disregard" for the first portion of income, then reduce benefits by a percentage of remaining income. For example, they might disregard the first $10 of income, then reduce benefits by $1 for every $2 of additional income. So an $18 increase might lead to a reduction of more than $18 in some cases. However, a $30 reduction for an $18 increase does seem high. I'd recommend requesting a benefit calculation breakdown from your county worker to verify it's correct.

I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM last year with my GA benefits!!! Called and called for WEEKS and couldn't get through to anyone who could explain why my check suddenly dropped by $35!!! The automated system is a JOKE and they NEVER call back when they say they will. The whole system is designed to make us give up!!! I finally got through to someone after using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they got me connected to a real person in under 10 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Turns out they had made a calculation error on my case and I got back-paid once I could actually TALK to someone. Worth it when every dollar counts!!!

They fixed it going forward AND gave me backpay! The worker said if I hadn't called in they probably wouldn't have caught the error until my next renewal in six months. The system is completely broken - they make mistakes and then make it impossible to reach anyone to fix them.

This happened to my brother too. His check went from $274 to $247 in January. When he finally got through to someone (took like 3 days of calling), they explained it was because of the COLA adjustment to his Social Security. But here's the weird part - even though the Social Security only went up like $20, they reduced his county aid by more than that amount. The worker explained that there's some complicated formula they use where they don't count the first part of his income, but then they count more than dollar-for-dollar after that. So basically the government gives with one hand and takes away more with the other. Make it make sense lol.

Unfortunately my brother just had to accept it. The worker showed him how they calculated it and everything was technically right according to their rules. The only suggestion they had was to apply for CalFresh if he wasn't already getting it. Not super helpful but better than nothing I guess.

You mentioned your dad is elderly - is he on CalFresh (food stamps) too? If not, he should definitely apply. The income limits are higher than for cash assistance, and they don't count all of his Social Security income when determining eligibility. My mom gets $298/month for food which really helps when the cash benefits are so low. Also, if he's on Medicare, he might qualify for a Medicare Savings Program that could cover his Part B premium, giving him an extra $170+ each month. Worth checking into if you haven't already.

I'm new to navigating these benefit systems but reading through everyone's experiences here is really eye-opening. It sounds like what happened to your dad is unfortunately pretty common with the annual Social Security COLA adjustments. The fact that people end up with less total money after a "cost of living increase" seems backwards to me. From what I'm gathering from the other comments, it might be worth: 1) Getting that Action Letter to understand exactly how they calculated the reduction, 2) Double-checking if there were any other changes (like missed paperwork), and 3) Looking into additional programs like the Medicare Savings Program that Aisha mentioned. It's frustrating that the phone system makes it so hard to get answers. Has your dad tried going to the county office in person? Sometimes that works better than calling, though I know that's not always possible for elderly folks.

I'm dealing with a similar situation with my grandmother's benefits. What really helped us was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all her income sources and benefit amounts each month. That way we could clearly see the patterns and have documentation when we called the county. Also, if your dad has trouble getting through on the phone, many counties now have online portals where you can submit questions or request documents. It's not always faster, but at least you get a paper trail. You might also want to check if there are any senior advocacy organizations in your area - they often have direct contacts at the county offices and can help navigate these issues. The whole system is definitely frustrating, but don't give up! Sometimes it takes multiple attempts to get the right person who can actually explain what's happening and fix any errors.

I work at a local senior center and we see this exact issue constantly after every Social Security COLA adjustment. The way most counties calculate General Assistance benefits means that seniors often end up worse off financially even when Social Security increases - it's a really broken system. A few practical suggestions based on what's worked for other families: 1. Request a "Notice of Adverse Action" in writing - the county is legally required to explain benefit changes and you have appeal rights if there's an error 2. Ask specifically for a "benefit calculation worksheet" that shows exactly how they arrived at the new amount 3. If your dad has any medical expenses, make sure those are being properly deducted as they should reduce his countable income 4. Check if he's eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) - it provides utility assistance and sometimes the county doesn't automatically screen for this Many counties also have Senior Information and Assistance programs that can advocate directly with the benefits office. In my experience, having an advocate call often gets better results than families calling on their own. You can find local programs through your Area Agency on Aging. Don't let them brush you off - if the calculation seems wrong, keep pushing for answers!

This is such a common and frustrating issue! I went through something similar with my mom's benefits last year. The Social Security COLA adjustment sounds like it's definitely the culprit here - when SS goes up, county assistance goes down, often by more than the increase. A couple things that helped us: First, we found that going to the county office in person was way more effective than trying to call. If your dad can't make the trip, you might be able to go as his authorized representative if you fill out the right paperwork. Second, we discovered my mom wasn't getting all the deductions she was entitled to - things like medical expenses and Medicare premiums that should have reduced her countable income. The other folks here have given great advice about requesting that Action Letter and benefit calculation breakdown. It's worth double-checking everything because they do make mistakes sometimes. Also definitely look into that Medicare Savings Program - it can make a huge difference for seniors on fixed incomes. Hope you can get some answers soon! The system shouldn't be this hard to navigate, especially for our elderly family members.

I'm really sorry to hear about your dad's situation - this is unfortunately such a common problem that many families face during the annual Social Security COLA adjustments. Reading through all these responses, it's clear that what happened to your dad is part of a systemic issue where the "cost of living increase" actually leaves people worse off financially. From everything shared here, it sounds like you have a solid plan of action: getting that Action Letter, requesting the benefit calculation breakdown, and looking into whether medical expenses are being properly deducted. The suggestion about finding a senior advocate through your Area Agency on Aging seems especially valuable - having someone who knows the system advocate for your dad could make all the difference. It's also worth noting that while this reduction might be "correct" according to their formulas, it doesn't make it any less frustrating or unfair. The fact that seniors end up with less total income after a supposed cost-of-living increase really highlights how broken these systems can be. Hang in there and don't give up - it sounds like you're being a great advocate for your dad, and hopefully you can get some clarity and maybe even find additional programs he's eligible for that could help offset this loss.

I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar situation with my elderly neighbor who asked me to help figure out what happened to her benefits. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational - I had no idea how the Social Security COLA adjustments could actually leave people worse off financially. What strikes me most is how many people are experiencing the exact same issue but struggling to get clear answers from the county systems. The phone system sounds absolutely broken, and it's concerning that so many elderly folks are left confused and frustrated trying to understand changes to their only source of income. The advice here about requesting Action Letters, getting benefit calculation breakdowns, and connecting with senior advocacy organizations through the Area Agency on Aging seems really solid. I'm definitely going to help my neighbor pursue these options. It's also eye-opening to learn about programs like LIHEAP and the Medicare Savings Program that might provide additional support. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and practical advice - this thread should honestly be bookmarked as a resource for anyone dealing with these benefit calculation issues. The community support here is amazing!