CalWORKs income limits for family of 4 - how much can I earn before losing benefits?
I just got a job offer that pays $18/hr for about 30 hrs a week. Currently on CalWORKs with my 3 kids and worried about hitting the income reporting threshold. Does anyone know how much I can make before they cut off my benefits completely? My caseworker is impossible to reach and I need to decide about this job by next week. Don't wanna lose healthcare for my kids but really need the extra money.
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Zainab Ahmed
CalWORKs has an Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) that depends on your family size. For a family of 4 in 2025, your IRT should be around $3,400-$3,600 monthly (varies slightly by county). You need to report if your income goes above that amount. But that's just reporting! The actual CUTOFF is different - it's based on your Maximum Aid Payment (MAP) and a formula where they don't count all your earnings. With 3 kids, you can generally earn significantly more than your current benefits before losing them completely. At $18/hr for 30hrs/week, that's about $2,160/month before taxes. You'll definitely see a reduction in cash aid, but shouldn't lose benefits entirely. Your SAR7 form shows your exact IRT limit. Check the last one they sent you!
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Miguel Diaz
AuthorThanks! I found my last SAR7 form and my IRT is $3,420. So I'm under that with the new job. But will they reduce my cash aid a lot? Currently getting $1,198/month and can't afford rent without it.
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Connor Gallagher
congrats on the job!! they don't cut u off completely right away. they do that thing where they dont count like the first $225 of ur income and then take away 50 cents for every dollar u earn after. so u still keep some cash aid with the new job plus ur earning more overall. its called the earned income disregard i think
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AstroAlpha
This is correct! It's the $225 disregard + 50% of remaining earnings. So with $2,160 monthly income, they'll disregard $225, leaving $1,935. Then they only count 50% of that ($967.50) against your grant. So from your current $1,198, you'd still get around $230 in cash aid plus all your earnings from work. You'll be financially better off taking the job! And you'll keep Medi-Cal for at least 12 months under transitional Medi-Cal even if your cash aid eventually ends.
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Miguel Diaz
AuthorOmg that's such a relief! So I'll actually have MORE total money by taking the job, not less. And we keep Medi-Cal too? That was my biggest worry.
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Yara Khoury
Take the job!!!! I was scared 2 when i started working but my worker told me I would MAKE MORE MONEY WORKING even with lower cash aid. And u still get childcare assistance for like 2 years after CalWORKs if ur still working. Just make sure u report the job on time. They give u 10 days after u start.
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Miguel Diaz
AuthorDo you know if the childcare benefits stay the same? I have my youngest in daycare right now and CalWORKs pays for it.
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Keisha Taylor
Just to add some important info: When you start working, make sure you submit your childcare forms ASAP. You'll qualify for CalWORKs Stage One childcare while on cash aid, then transition to Stage Two when your income increases. Your childcare coverage should remain the same, just different funding sources. Another benefit: You'll qualify for more CalFresh (food stamps) as your cash aid decreases, so you won't lose food assistance either. Also, working hours count toward your Welfare to Work (WTW) requirements, so you'll be fulfilling that obligation with your job.
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Miguel Diaz
AuthorThank you so much! This is all really helpful. Last question - do I need to send in a copy of my first paycheck as soon as I get it, or just report it on the next SAR7?
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Paolo Longo
I was in your exact situation last year. Had 3 kids, got a job at Target making about $17/hr. My cash aid went down but my total monthly income was like $800 more than before! The benefits phase out gradually, they don't just cut you off. My caseworker explained something about the EITC too - earned income tax credit. When you file taxes next year, you'll get a big refund because of your kids and having earned income. It's like thousands of dollars extra. The ONLY annoying thing was trying to reach my worker to update everything. Took me 3 days of calling and getting disconnected before I finally got through.
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Amina Bah
For anyone struggling to reach their CalWORKs worker by phone, I've been using Claimyr.com and it's been a gamechanger. They basically wait on hold for you and call you back when a real person answers. Saved me hours of frustration last month when I needed to update my address. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - totally worth checking out if you're constantly hitting those automated phone systems.
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Connor Gallagher
omg thank u!! the phone thing is the WORST part of dealing with calworks. gonna try this next time i need to call
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Oliver Becker
be carefull though if u go over the IRT and dont report it within 10 days they can hit u with an overpayment and make u pay it back. happend to my sister when she didnt tell them about overtime pay. but yeah at ur income level ur totally fine ur not even close to the cutoff
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Zainab Ahmed
Good point about reporting! Just to clarify for everyone: You must report within 10 days when your TOTAL household income goes above your IRT (the amount printed on your SAR7 form). But small increases below that threshold only need to be reported on your regular SAR7 every 6 months.
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Miguel Diaz
Thank you everyone for all this amazing info! I'm definitely taking the job now. I was so worried about losing benefits but it sounds like I'll actually be in better financial shape. Will report the new job right away and make sure to keep track of my income for the IRT limit. Really appreciate all the help!
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Keisha Taylor
Congratulations on the job opportunity! Don't forget that your first 12 months of employment also count toward your 48-month CalWORKs time limit exemption under the Earned Income Disregard, so that's another benefit. Wishing you and your kids all the best!
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Chloe Taylor
So happy for you Miguel! You made the right choice. Just one more tip - when you do your income reporting, keep copies of everything you submit (paystubs, forms, etc.). I learned the hard way that sometimes paperwork gets "lost" in the system. Having your own records saved me when there was a mix-up with my case last year. Good luck with the new job!
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