CalWORKs denied our family of 7 despite high expenses and $300 gas costs biweekly - how is this right?

The system is BROKEN!!! They use this stupid 'income disregard' formula that doesnt reflect REAL LIFE at all!! I'm a family of 5 and got denied too even though after bills we have like $50 left for the WHOLE MONTH. They claim gas and most bills aren't 'necessary expenses' which is BS because how is my husband supposed to get to work?? The worker told me 'thats what CalFresh is for' when I said we couldn't afford food. Did you apply for CalFresh at least??

I've been through this exact situation with my family. CalWORKs has income limits that don't account for the high cost of living, especially transportation costs. For a family of 7, the income limit before deductions is around $2,756 monthly in 2025. They only deduct certain things: - $450 + 50% of remaining earned income - Some childcare costs if you have receipts They DON'T consider: - Your actual rent amount (only a small standard deduction) - Transportation/gas costs - Utility costs beyond a basic allowance - Most regular bills Did the worker give you a Notice of Action explaining the exact calculation? That would show how they determined you're over income.

apply for calworks again and ask if ur husband can get the earned income disregard, its like they dont count some of his income bc hes working. also get on calworks homeless assistance if ur rent is more than like 80% of income. they can help with security deposit too if u might need to move to somewhere cheaper

I experienced something similar with my family of 6 last year. The worker should have explained that CalWORKs uses a very specific formula to determine eligibility. Unfortunately, they don't consider all your actual expenses like gas, full rent amount, or utilities when calculating eligibility. Based on what you shared, your husband's income of $3,600/month is likely what pushed you over. Here's how they probably calculated it: $3,600 - $450 (standard deduction) = $3,150 Then they subtract 50% of that: $3,150 ÷ 2 = $1,575 $3,600 - $1,575 = $2,025 (countable income) For a family of 7, I believe the maximum countable income is around $1,900-2,000 in 2025, so you're just over the limit. It's incredibly frustrating because they don't factor in your actual living costs or transportation expenses.

I know you're focused on CalWORKs right now, but definitely make sure you're getting ALL the CalFresh benefits you're entitled to. With 7 people and your income situation, $275 sounds too low - especially if any of your kids are school-aged. Did you make sure to tell them about all your housing costs and childcare expenses? Those deductions can increase your CalFresh amount significantly. Also, try contacting your county office again to request a detailed breakdown of your CalWORKs denial calculation. I've had luck using Claimyr.com to get through quickly instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Sometimes getting a different worker can make a huge difference in how your case is handled.

ur husband makes too much money thats y they denied u. my friend is single mom with 4 kids and she gets like $1400 a month cash aid but she dont work. system wants ppl to not work i swear

After reviewing your situation more, I strongly recommend requesting a redetermination and specifically asking about these options: 1. Verify they're applying the correct earned income disregard (the $450 + 50% of remaining) 2. Ask about the Housing Support Program or Homeless Assistance Prevention - even if you're not homeless, if your housing costs exceed 80% of your total household income, you might qualify for some temporary assistance 3. Check if your children qualify for the diaper stipend (if any are under 3) 4. Make sure you're receiving the maximum utility allowance in your CalFresh calculation Also important: they should have given you a written breakdown of why you were denied. If you didn't get this, request it immediately as it's your right to understand exactly how they calculated your eligibility.

Update: I finally got through to my county office after trying for days! The worker I spoke with was much more helpful than the first one. They explained that they didn't apply the childcare deduction correctly - we pay my mother-in-law $300/week to watch our younger kids while we work, but the first worker didn't count it because it's paid to a relative! The new worker said they CAN count it if we provide the right documentation. They're reopening our case to recalculate! Also found out we qualify for more CalFresh than they initially approved. Fingers crossed this works out better!