CalWORKs benefit amount changing after I started working - will I still get Cash Aid for family of 5?

They won't cut you off completely if you're still under the income limit. CalWORKs has a earned income disregard - they don't count the first $600 of your earnings. So they'll only count $250 of your income against your grant. Your cash aid will go down but not disappear completely.

I can give you a better estimate if I understand your situation correctly. You were receiving $1500 in cash aid for a family of 5 before you started working, correct? And now you're earning $850 monthly? CalWORKs uses an earned income disregard formula: they don't count the first $600 of earnings + 50% of the remainder. So they'll only count about $125 of your income against your grant ($850-$600 = $250, then 50% of that is $125). Your cash aid should only reduce by about $125, so you'd still get around $1375 in cash aid plus your earnings. For CalFresh, they use a different formula but you should still qualify for something. They'll deduct 20% of your earned income plus standard deductions before calculating your benefit amount.

u need 2 report ur income within 10 days of getting paid. did u already do that? if not u could get an overpayment that ull have 2 pay back. calworks will def go down but u should still get sumthing. check ur BenefitsCal account maybe theres a message there

Yes, definitely upload your job offer letter to BenefitsCal or take it to your county office ASAP. You're required to report new jobs within 10 days of starting work, even before you receive your first paycheck. For ongoing reporting, you'll need to report your income on your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7). One important thing: make sure you're also asking about childcare benefits if you need them! CalWORKs will pay for childcare while you're working, which is a huge help for many families.

Have you tried calling the customer service number multiple times? I was in a similar situation and couldn't reach anyone for weeks. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they have a service that waits on hold for you and calls you back when a worker is available. Saved me hours of hold time. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE that shows how it works. I was able to get clear answers about my partial benefit calculations after starting work.

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE YOU!! They WANT you to give up and stop calling. I went through this exact thing and my worker just stopped responding once I started working. Took them 3 MONTHS to adjust my benefits and then they said I had an overpayment! Had to request a hearing to get it fixed. Keep EVERYTHING - paystubs, letters, screenshots of your BenefitsCal messages, etc. You'll need all of it to protect yourself when they inevitably mess something up!

just to add on to what others said - if ur rent is due next week, ur current benefits amount should still be the same until they process ur income change. they can't reduce ur benefits without sending u a Notice of Action first. so u should still get ur usual amount this month at least.

I want to clarify something important that others haven't mentioned. The $1500 you were receiving before - was that just Cash Aid or was it a combination of Cash Aid and CalFresh? They're separate programs with different income calculations. For a family of 5, the maximum CalWORKs grant in 2025 is around $1,357 (the exact amount depends on your county), so if you were getting $1500 total, that likely included some CalFresh benefits too. Make sure you understand which benefits make up your total so you can better plan your budget going forward.

Congratulations on getting the job! That's a big step. Just wanted to add that you should also ask about transportation assistance when you talk to your worker. CalWORKs can help with gas money, bus passes, or even car repairs if you need them to get to work. A lot of people don't know about this benefit but it can really help when you're transitioning to working. Also, keep track of any work-related expenses like uniforms or supplies - some of those can be deducted from your income calculation too. You're doing great by working and staying on top of reporting your changes!