CalWORKs income limits confusion - I don't qualify but my kids and husband do?

Yes, this is called being an "excluded member" or sometimes they call it a "non-needy caretaker relative." When one parent's income exceeds the limit for themselves but the rest of the family still qualifies, they just exclude that person from the assistance unit. So instead of a family of 5, they calculate benefits for a family of 4 (your husband and kids). Your income still counts against the family, but they don't include you in the benefit calculation. It's actually better than being completely denied - at least your kids and husband can get something.

same happened to me!! i was sooo confused. they said im over income but my 2 kids could get cash aid. the worker explained but i didnt really understand what she was saying about "assistance units" and stuff. but hey we got something atleast right?

This is a standard procedure for CalWORKs. When one person's income exceeds the limit for the entire household, they can exclude that person and recalculate eligibility for the remaining family members. It's called the "excluded parent" rule. Your income is still counted (with some deductions), but you're not included in the grant amount calculation. This means your family gets a grant for 4 people instead of 5. It's actually beneficial because otherwise your whole family might be denied. You should also check if you qualify for the Working Family Tax Credit since you're working. And make sure your worker applied all possible deductions to your income like the $90 work expense deduction and 50% earned income disregard.

You need to double check they calculated right!!! My worker messed up our case THREE TIMES and kept saying I was over income but they weren't doing the 50% earned income disregard right!!! I had to fight for 2 months to get it fixed and then they had to give us back payment. Ask for the income calculation worksheet and check the math!!!

I had the EXACT same situation last year. I work at Amazon and my income was too high for me to be included, but my husband and our 3 kids qualified. It's frustrating because they still count your income against the family but don't give you benefits. Make sure they're giving you the correct deductions though - they should deduct $90 for work expenses and then 50% of your remaining earned income before comparing to the income limit. Also double check they're using the right family size for the income test. If you're having trouble reaching your worker to verify all this, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to my county office. They got me connected in about 10 minutes when I had been trying for days. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Saved me so much frustration with the phone system.

Not to be rude or anything, but why are you complaining? At least your family is getting SOMETHING. My husband and I both work minimum wage jobs and we make just $50 over the limit so our ENTIRE family gets NOTHING. The system is completely broken. You should be grateful they're at least helping part of your family instead of telling you all to just suffer.

To directly answer your original question: Yes, they are calculating correctly if they're excluding you but including your husband and children. Your income is counted against the family with certain deductions applied, but you don't count as a person when they determine the benefit amount. Here's how they should be determining eligibility: 1. They look at gross income for the whole family 2. They apply deductions (work expense, earned income disregard) 3. They compare the result to the income threshold for your family size 4. If one person's income makes the family ineligible, they can exclude that person 5. They recalculate for the remaining family members This is a standard procedure and actually helps families get partial benefits rather than nothing at all.

Wait so u still get CalWORKs for ur husband?? My worker told me if either parent works full time they count both parents income against just the kids?? I'm so confused now

I went through something similar when I first applied for CalWORKs. The "excluded member" rule is actually pretty common but they don't explain it well. What helped me understand it was thinking of it like this: they're trying to help as many family members as possible, so if your income disqualifies you but not the rest of your family, they'll exclude you to keep benefits flowing to your husband and kids. One thing I learned is that even though you're excluded from the grant, you might still be eligible for other support services through CalWORKs like job training or childcare assistance. Have you asked your worker about those? Also, being excluded from CalWORKs doesn't automatically exclude you from other programs - you might still qualify for things like WIC or reduced-price school meals for your kids. The key is making sure they calculated your income correctly with all the proper deductions. If you're not sure, definitely ask for that income calculation worksheet someone mentioned earlier!

This is a really good thread with lots of helpful info! I'm new to CalWORKs and had no idea about the "excluded member" rule before reading this. It actually makes sense when you think about it - they're trying to help as many family members as possible rather than denying the whole family. One thing I wanted to add is that you should also make sure your worker is using the most current income limits. The limits did increase at the beginning of 2025, so if your case was processed using old limits, you might want to ask for a redetermination. Also, if your income changes (like if you get a raise or your hours get cut), make sure to report it because it could affect whether you're excluded or not. It sounds like you're asking all the right questions though - definitely get that income calculation worksheet and double-check their math!