CalWORKs cash aid increase in 2025? Anyone heard about minimum payment level changes?
Has anyone heard if California is raising the minimum payment level for CalWORKs in 2025? I got a text from my cousin saying there's some state law change that's gonna increase our cash aid amounts, but my worker hasn't mentioned anything about it during my last check-in. I'm a single mom with two kids and currently get $898/month. If they're actually increasing the payments that would be HUGE for us right now with rent being so expensive. Don't wanna get my hopes up if it's just a rumor though. Anyone's worker mention anything about this??
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Javier Mendoza
I havent heard ANYTHING about this and I just had my redetermination last week!! my worker would of told me if they were increasing payments. ur cousin probably got confused with the old covid increases or something
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AstroAdventurer
AuthorThat's what I was thinking too. But she swore it was something new that's supposed to start in July. Ugh, so confusing!
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Emma Wilson
There actually IS a CalWORKs grant increase coming in 2025! The state budget includes a 5% increase to the Maximum Aid Payment (MAP) levels starting July 1, 2025. For a family of 3 in Region 1, the maximum should go from about $1,030 to approximately $1,081. Your exact increase will depend on your family size, region, and whether you have other income. The county offices probably haven't started notifying recipients yet since it's still several months away.
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AstroAdventurer
AuthorOMG thank you!! So my cousin wasn't making it up. Do you know if they'll send us letters about this before it happens? And will the increase be automatic or do we have to apply for it?
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Emma Wilson
The increase will be automatic for all CalWORKs recipients. You should receive a Notice of Action (NOA) letter sometime before July explaining the new grant amount. You don't need to do anything special to get it - as long as you remain eligible for CalWORKs, your benefit will increase automatically when the new rates take effect.
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Malik Davis
That's so good to hear! After all the budget cuts they've been talking about, I was worried they'd actually LOWER our benefits. An extra $50 a month isn't life-changing but it's better than nothing with these crazy rent prices!!!
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Isabella Santos
Seriously dnt get ur hopes up. They did this last year too and then my worker says since i have income i only got like $12 more. its a joke!!! they act like its some big help but the aituation is completly RIGGED against us. they give us so little we can't even aford our bills but if we work more they cut our benefits!! the whole system is designed to keep us poor
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Ravi Gupta
You're right that the increase can be smaller if you have income. That's because they calculate the grant by taking the maximum aid payment for your family size and subtracting a portion of your earned income. So if the maximum increases by 5% but you already have income that's counted against your grant, the net increase will be smaller than 5%. It's definitely frustrating when they announce these increases and then the actual amount in your pocket is much less.
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GalacticGuru
wait..... does this mean we get more money for food too or just the cash aid part? because my ebt barely lasts 2 weeks with my three kids home for summer
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Emma Wilson
This increase only applies to CalWORKs cash aid. CalFresh (food stamps/EBT) is a separate program with different funding and eligibility rules. The good news is that CalFresh also got an increase in October 2024 due to the annual cost of living adjustment, so your food benefits might already be a little higher than they were last year. If you're struggling to make your CalFresh benefits last through the month, you might qualify for emergency food assistance through local food banks as well.
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Freya Pedersen
If you're having trouble getting information from your CalWORKs worker about the upcoming increase or any other issues, I recommend using Claimyr to get through to someone at the county office. I was trying for DAYS to reach someone about my SAR7 and kept getting disconnected. With Claimyr, they called the county for me and actually got me connected to a real person within 20 minutes! You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE and their website is claimyr.com. It saved me from having my benefits cut off when I needed to submit verification documents.
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AstroAdventurer
AuthorThanks for the tip! I've been trying to ask my worker about this increase but can never get through. I'll check out that service if I don't hear anything by next month.
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Malik Davis
My sister got a letter about this already!! She lives in Alameda County though so maybe different counties are sending notices at different times? She said her family of 4 is getting like $63 more starting in July. I'm in Sacramento and haven't gotten anything yet.
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Javier Mendoza
that mustve been for something else. my cousin works for the county and she says the notices for the july increase wont go out until may at the earliest.
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Ravi Gupta
Just to clarify some information here: The 5% increase to CalWORKs grants was approved in the 2024-2025 California state budget. The increase takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to the Maximum Aid Payment (MAP) levels, which determine how much cash aid a family can receive. Your exact increase will depend on: 1. Your family size 2. Which region of California you live in (high-cost counties get higher payments) 3. Whether you have other income that's counted against your grant If you currently receive $898 for a family of three, the increase might be around $45 per month, but that's just an estimate. County offices typically send out notices about 30-45 days before changes take effect, so expect to see something in late May or early June.
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AstroAdventurer
AuthorThank you for the detailed info! Is there anywhere online where I can see what the new payment amounts will be? I'm in Los Angeles if that helps with the region thing you mentioned.
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Ravi Gupta
Los Angeles is in Region 1, which receives the highest grant amounts because of the higher cost of living. The official new MAP levels haven't been published yet, but based on the 5% increase, a family of 3 in Region 1 with no income would go from approximately $1,030 to about $1,081. You can check the current rates on the CDSS website, and they'll post the new rates there before July. Just search for "CalWORKs Payment Standards" and look for the most recent chart. The new rates won't be posted until closer to the implementation date.
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Isabella Santos
its HILARIOS that they think $1,081 is enough for a family to live on in LA!!!! my rent alone is $1,800 for a ONE BEDROOM! how are we supposed to survive???
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Amina Toure
I totally feel you on this! The amounts are definitely not enough to cover basic living expenses, especially in high-cost areas like LA. That's why a lot of people are also working part-time jobs or looking into other assistance programs to help bridge the gap. Have you looked into housing assistance programs? Sometimes there are local waiting lists for subsidized housing or rental assistance that can help with that huge rent burden. It's not a perfect solution but every little bit helps when you're trying to make ends meet.
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Isabella Ferreira
This thread has been so informative! I'm a single mom with one toddler in Fresno County and I've been on CalWORKs for about 4 months now. Getting $492/month currently which is really tough to stretch, so hearing about this 5% increase gives me some hope. I was actually starting to panic because I heard rumors that they might be cutting benefits due to budget issues, so this is such a relief! My caseworker hasn't said anything about it either - seems like that's a common theme here. I'm not working right now because I'm taking care of my 18-month-old full time, so hopefully I'll get the full increase amount. Does anyone know if Fresno County is usually quick with sending out those Notice of Action letters, or do they tend to be on the slower side? I want to make sure I don't miss it!
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Yara Sayegh
I'm so glad this thread helped ease your worries about potential cuts! It's totally understandable to feel anxious with all the budget talk going around. Since you're not working and just caring for your toddler, you should get the full 5% increase on your $492 - that would be around $25 more per month starting in July. I know it doesn't sound like much, but when you're stretching every dollar it really does help! As for Fresno County, I don't have specific experience with them, but most counties seem to send the NOA letters around the same timeframe - usually 30-45 days before the change takes effect. So definitely watch your mail in late May and early June. If you don't receive anything by mid-June, I'd recommend calling your worker or using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier to make sure you don't miss any important notices. You're doing an amazing job taking care of your little one during such a challenging time!
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