CalWORKs only giving $713 for family of 7 - way below maximum benefit? Help!

They're definitely calculating something wrong! For 2025, a family of 7 with no income should get around $1,781 in CalWORKs. But the amount goes down if anyone in your household has income. Did you or your husband report any earnings from jobs? Even part-time work will reduce your grant amount dollar-for-dollar after the first $450 of earned income. They also count other benefits like unemployment or disability as income.

The $713 actually sounds right if your husband makes $1,800/month. Here's how they calculate it: 1. Take the maximum aid payment for 7 people ($1,781) 2. Subtract the income disregard (first $450 of earnings) 3. Subtract the remaining income dollar for dollar So: $1,781 - ($1,800 - $450) = $1,781 - $1,350 = $431 Wait, that's even less than what you're getting... Did you report any exempt income like the Child Tax Credit? Something doesn't add up here.

you need to call ur caseworker ASAP and ask for the 'notice of action' that explains how they calculated your benefit amount. sometimes they make mistakes or dont count all exemptions. my friend had similar issue and ended up getting backpay when they fixed it. also make sure they counted how many ppl are eligible in ur family - sometimes not everyone counts for the calculation if some kids get SSI or somethin

I had this EXACT same issue!!! I have 6 in my family and they gave us only $840 when it shouldve been like $1600!!! Turns out they only counted 4 people because my oldest two kids have different fathers and they said I needed to file for child support for both before they would include them. Check if they're counting all your kids in the "assistance unit" - that might be why your amount is so weird. The system is DESIGNED to confuse us 😡

Have you tried using Claimyr to reach someone at the county office? I was having the same problem - stuck on hold for hours, getting disconnected. Super frustrating. I found this service at claimyr.com that got me through to a CalWORKs worker in less than 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE that shows how it works. It saved me so much time and stress when I needed to fix my benefit calculation issue.

You also need to check if maybe they're counting your husband's income wrong. My worker counted my boyfriend's GROSS income instead of his NET income which gave us way less benefits than we shouldve got. And make sure they applied the earned income disregard correctly. Good luck dealing with them, the whole system is a mess!!

Just to clarify, CalWORKs actually DOES count gross income (before taxes), not net income. But the other points about child support cooperation requirements and possibly not counting all family members are very important to check. Make sure you: 1. Request the detailed Notice of Action showing the calculation 2. Ask specifically who is included in your "Assistance Unit" 3. Check if you have a "child support cooperation" requirement for any children 4. Verify if they properly applied the $450 earned income disregard If they're requiring child support cooperation, you can request a "good cause" exemption if pursuing child support would put you or the children at risk of harm.

After reading all these comments, I'm pretty sure it's either the child support cooperation requirement OR they calculated the earned income disregard incorrectly. When you finally reach your worker, make sure to take detailed notes of the conversation and ask them to email or mail you any documentation. And if you're not satisfied with their explanation, remember you have the right to request a fair hearing within 90 days of any action you disagree with!