CalWORKs benefit amount dropped from $510 to $19 after adding new household member - is this a mistake?

did u report a change in income too? they prolly calculating ur grant based on that. when i added my nephew last year my grant went up not down so something def wrong

Sounds like they're calculating you at Maximum Family Grant or hitting your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold). When you add a household member, your IRT goes up but so does the amount they expect you to contribute to household expenses. Did they mention anything about your income being over a certain amount in the notice? Sometimes they count child support as income even though they're not supposed to if it's being collected through the county.

This is 100% an error. Adding a household member should INCREASE your grant, not decrease it (especially not by that much). The most common reason for this type of dramatic drop is that the caseworker accidentally entered income information incorrectly or double-counted some income. Here's what you need to do: 1. File for a hearing immediately (you have 90 days from the date on the Notice of Action) 2. Request aid paid pending so your benefits continue at the previous amount while they investigate 3. Call your eligibility worker for clarification Since your letter still shows only 2 people, it sounds like they didn't actually process the addition of your third household member correctly but somehow still recalculated your benefits. This needs to be fixed ASAP.

Omg the EXACT same thing happened to me when I added my daughter last year!! My benefit went from like $620 to $43 and I was freaking OUT. Turns out they had accidentally entered my part-time job income as if I was working FULL time (like 40 hours instead of 20). It took 3 weeks to fix but I eventually got backpay for the difference. Check your NOA carefully for the income they're counting.

I work as an eligibility assistant, and this sounds like one of two things: 1. The worker may have entered the new household member but forgot to update the "assistance unit" - basically they added the person to your case but not to the actual CalWORKs benefit calculation 2. There might be an income calculation error where they're applying too much of your income against your grant Either way, you need to contact your worker immediately. The fact that the letter still shows only 2 people is the big clue here - the new person isn't being counted in your CalWORKs benefit calculation. Make sure to request a budget breakdown that shows exactly how they calculated the $19 amount.

ur prolly over the income limit for 2 ppl but not for 3. thats why u need them to fix it fast cuz diff household sizes have diff limits. when they update to 3 ppl ur benefit should go back up. also if u have a teenager did they turn 16? sometimes they start counting their income different when kids turn 16 even if they dont have a job lol the system is so broken

This is an OUTRAGE!! The CalWORKs system is designed to KEEP US POOR!!! Every time there's a change they find a way to cut benefits. I've been fighting with them for YEARS and they always make "mistakes" that somehow lower my grant and never in my favor!!! DEMAND A SUPERVISOR immediately, don't waste time with regular workers. And FILE THAT APPEAL TODAY, not tomorrow, TODAY!!! The system is hoping you'll just accept the $19 and not fight it!!!

One important update: when you request the appeal, make sure you specifically say you want "aid paid pending" in writing. This means they have to continue your old benefit amount until the hearing if you request it within 10 days of the notice date. It's your right, but they don't always tell you about it! Also, double-check if they're incorrectly counting any exempt income. Child support that's assigned to the county shouldn't count against your grant.

let us know what happens! this stuff makes me so nervous cuz i might need to add someone to my case next month