CalWORKs benefit dropped to $66 after reporting new job income - is this calculation correct?

This is actually correct based on how CalWORKs calculates your grant amount. They use something called the "income disregard" where they don't count the first $450 of your earned income, then they reduce your grant by 50 cents for every dollar you earn above that. So with $1367 income: $1367 - $450 = $917 (income after disregard) $917 × 0.5 = $458.50 (what they subtract from your grant) $1342 - $458.50 = $883.50 But wait, that's not $66. Something seems off with their calculation. Did you report any other income or have any changes in your household size recently?

thye probly counted ur income twice happen to me las year. u gotta call ur worker ASAP cuz theyll keep givin u the wrong amount til u fix it. took me 3 months to get mine fixed n i was broke AF the whole time

There are a few possibilities here: 1. They may have accidentally counted your income twice (like someone mentioned) 2. They could have applied an incorrect income disregard amount 3. Your Semi-Annual Report (SAR 7) calculation might be off 4. There might be a mid-period change that triggered a recalculation I strongly recommend requesting a detailed breakdown of how they calculated your grant amount. You have the right to receive this information. Also, remember that if you disagree with their calculation, you can file for a state hearing within 90 days of receiving the Notice of Action.

I've gone through this exact scenario. What you need to check is if they properly applied your Earned Income Disregard and if they're following the rules for when income is first reported mid-period. When you first report new income, they shouldn't reduce your benefits until the following SAR period UNLESS your income exceeds the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). Call and ask if they determined you exceeded your IRT - that would explain the immediate reduction.

Try using Claimyr to get through to an actual CalWORKs worker faster. I was in the same situation last month with a calculation error and spent DAYS trying to get through on the regular line. With Claimyr (claimyr.com), I got through to a worker in about 15 minutes who fixed my case. They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Totally worth it because they fixed my benefits the same day instead of waiting weeks. The worker told me the system sometimes applies mid-period changes incorrectly when you first report employment.

To follow up on what others have said, there's also something called Supplemental Payment that should kick in if your CalWORKs drops because you started working. It's designed specifically to help during the transition to employment. Ask your worker about it when you reach them - it could provide extra support while you're getting established at your new job.

As a follow-up, I wanted to add that the math also wouldn't work out if they counted your income as Monthly Income instead of Semi-Monthly (if you get paid twice a month). Some workers make this mistake with new employment. If you only received one paycheck but they calculated as if that's what you make every two weeks, it would explain the dramatic reduction.

DID U GET A NOTICE OF ACTION IN THE MAIL TELLING U ABOUT THE CHANGE??? If not thats illegal they HAVE TO send u something explaining benefit changes!!! happened to me and i filed for a fair hearing and got backpay from when they messed up. DONT LET THEM SCREW U OVER!!!!!

Just wanted to say congrats on the new job though! I went through something similar last year and it was rough at first but after a few months I was actually doing better overall than when I was just on aid. Hang in there while you get this sorted out.

Update us after you talk to them! I'm curious what the actual issue was. Based on your income, the $66 amount definitely seems incorrect unless there are other factors involved.