CalWORKs and child support payments - do you really only get $50 while the government keeps the rest?

Unfortunately, what your friend told you is correct. It's called the \

Are you kidding me? So they're basically taking money that should be going to my KIDS to pay themselves back?? This is so messed up. So I'd actually be LOSING money by getting on CalWORKs if my ex starts paying regularly again. Why would they do this?

yep its true and it makes no sense!! i got into calworks last yr and they made me cooperate with child support. my ex finally started paying but i only get the 50$ pass through. my worker said its becuz the govt is paying me cash aid so they take the rest to reimburse themselvs. but like the support is supposed to be 4 THE KIDS not the govt!!

Exactly! That support is FOR THE KIDS! Did they at least increase your CalWORKs amount to make up the difference? Or do they just expect us to live on less money overall?

When you receive Cash Aid through CalWORKs, you're required to assign your child support rights to the county. The $50 you get to keep is called the \

This is something I wish someone had told me when I first applied! It's worth doing the math to see if you're better off just pursuing child support on your own through DCSS without getting CalWORKs. Depends on your cash aid amount vs potential child support. Sometimes people are financially better off without CalWORKs if the other parent is reliable with payments.

U might wanna check if ur eligible for the CHILD SUPPORT PASS-THROUGH thats the official name of the $50 they let u keep. Also if u dont tell them whos the father than they cant go after him BUT they will reduce ur benefits by 25% for not cooperating with child support so u gotta do the math on whats better $$$

Please don't suggest intentionally withholding the father's information. That's considered welfare fraud and can lead to serious penalties including total benefit termination, repayment requirements, and potentially even criminal charges. The \

One thing to consider is that there are legitimate exemptions to the child support cooperation requirement called \

No, I haven't even applied yet. I was trying to figure all this out first. My ex isn't dangerous or anything, so I don't think I'd qualify for that exemption. It's just that sometimes he actually pays and I was counting on being able to keep that money along with whatever CalWORKs gives us. This makes the decision a lot harder.

Been dealing with this system for years and YES they take your child support except for the $50. But here's something important to know - when you eventually stop receiving CalWORKs, any arrears (back child support) that build up while you're on aid gets split. The government keeps what would have gone to them during the aid period, but any extra goes to you! My ex barely paid while I was on aid, but after I got off CalWORKs and he finally caught up, I received a decent amount. Small consolation maybe, but something to know.

That's not always true though!!! I got off calworks last year and they still kept intercepting my ex's tax returns for the

I tried calling the child support division about exactly this last month and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get through to anyone!!! Always on hold forever then disconnected. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that kept my place in line and called me back when an actual person was on the line. Saved me from pulling my hair out lol. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Found out I could potentially submit a hardship request to get some additional pass-through payments in certain situations, but doesn't sound like that would apply to you. Such a backwards system!!

Thanks for the tip. I'll probably need something like that if I decide to go forward with the application. Did they tell you anything about how they calculate the CalWORKs amount? Do they at least give you more to make up for the child support they're taking?

To answer your follow-up question - no, they don't increase your CalWORKs grant to make up for the child support they keep. Your grant amount is calculated based on your family size, income, and county of residence, regardless of child support being collected or not. The only benefit you get from the child support collection is that $50 disregard amount. This is why some parents do the math and decide not to apply for CalWORKs if they're receiving consistent child support that's higher than what the CalWORKs payment would be.

Thanks for explaining. I need to really think about this now. If my ex starts paying regularly, I might be better off just getting SNAP benefits and MediCal instead of full CalWORKs. Weird that the system is set up to potentially discourage people from getting help. Really appreciate all the info everyone.

wait i just rembered somethin important! if ur also gettin CalFresh (foodstamps) that $50 child support disregard doesnt count as income for CalFresh!!! so u get to keep that $50 AND it doesnt lower ur food benefits!! small win lol

@angry_caseworkr why u gotta make it sound like im suggesting somthing illegal?? lots of moms dont know who the father is fr and they just get the 25% penalty. im just sayin u gotta do whats best for ur situation jeez

I apologize if my response came across as accusatory. You're right that there are legitimate situations where a parent doesn't know or cannot provide information about the other parent. I just wanted to clarify that intentionally withholding information you do have can lead to serious consequences. Each family needs to make their own informed decisions within the rules of the program.

One last thing to consider - while on CalWORKs, you'll likely qualify for subsidized childcare, MediCal, and possibly other benefits that might outweigh the loss of direct child support payments. Be sure to ask about the full package of benefits you'd be eligible for when making your decision. Sometimes the total value of all services (especially childcare, which can be very expensive) makes CalWORKs worthwhile even with the child support situation.

This is such a frustrating situation and I feel for you! I went through something similar when I first learned about this policy. One thing that might help with your decision - you can always apply for CalWORKs and then discontinue it later if your ex becomes more consistent with payments. The system allows you to close your case voluntarily, and then all future child support would come directly to you. It's not ideal to have to make these calculations, but at least you have some flexibility to adjust as your circumstances change. Also, don't forget that even though they keep most of the child support, they're still actively pursuing collection from your ex through wage garnishments, tax intercepts, etc. - enforcement you might not be able to do as effectively on your own.

I've been on CalWORKs for about 8 months now and can confirm everything people are saying about the child support policy. It's definitely frustrating at first, but I wanted to add that the county's child support services are actually pretty aggressive about collecting - way more than I could ever be on my own. My ex went from sporadic payments to having his wages garnished automatically. Sure, I only get the $50 pass-through, but at least I KNOW I'm getting something every month now instead of wondering if he'll decide to pay or not. Also, like others mentioned, make sure you ask about ALL the benefits when you apply - the childcare assistance alone saved me like $800/month, which more than makes up for the child support they keep. The system isn't perfect, but when you're in a tough spot it can really help stabilize things while you get back on your feet.