Can I add my child's father with no income to my CalWORKs Cash Aid application?

Yes, you can add him to your CalWORKs case, but there are important things to understand first. Since he's the father of your child and living in the home, he's actually REQUIRED to be part of the assistance unit if you apply for your child. This is called the "family unit rule" - parents living with their children must be included in the CalWORKs case. Having him on the case means: 1. He'll need to participate in Welfare to Work activities (like job search, training, etc.) unless he qualifies for an exemption 2. Both of you will have WTW requirements since you have a child over 1 year old 3. Your part-time job hours will count toward your WTW requirement Since he has zero income, including him might increase your grant amount, but he'll need to comply with all program rules. Make sure when you apply through BenefitsCal to list him as living in the home and as the father of your child.

when i applied last year they made by bf do 32 hours per week of activities cause we had a 3yr old. he had to go to this job search place 4 days a week and sign in and everything. kinda strict tbh

just be careful!! if he doesn't do the WTW activities they can sanction your case and reduce the benefit amount. happened to my cousin and she got way less money bc her man wouldn't do the job search stuff. big headache

Something else to consider: When you add your child's father to the case, you'll need to meet Child Support requirements even though he lives with you. Sounds strange, I know, but it's because the system sees him as needing to contribute financially to the child's support. Since he's in the home, this is usually just a formality, but be prepared to fill out extra paperwork and possibly attend an additional interview about this. Also, with your part-time hours (25/week), you're already meeting most of the WTW requirements. When combined with his required hours (as mentioned above), you both need to reach 35 hours total. This means he only needs 10 hours per week of approved activities. Make sure he understands this is MANDATORY - if he doesn't comply, your entire family's grant can be reduced by his portion.

You're right that it's confusing! To clarify: When both parents are in the home, you don't have to pursue traditional child support (like court orders for payment). However, you still have to cooperate with the child support program by providing information about paternity, etc. It's more of a documentation requirement than actually collecting support in this situation. The program calls it "child support cooperation" rather than actual enforcement since you're all living together. It's basically the county making sure paternity is established for your child.

I tried calling CalWORKs for DAYS about this exact situation last month and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used Claimyr.com to get through to a worker and had my questions answered in like 20 minutes. They charged a small fee but totally worth it to not waste hours on hold. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Anyway, the worker told me that with both parents in the home, they'd be evaluated as a "two-parent AU" (assistance unit) which has slightly different rules. Both have to do WTW but your combined hours requirement is less than if you were each applying separately.

Yes, we both had to do WTW, but since I was already working part-time (like 22 hrs/week), my partner only had to do like 13 hours of activities to meet our combined 35-hour requirement. He did a mix of job search and a free certificate program at the community college that they approved. The worker actually helped us find programs that would count toward his hours.

u should just apply for urself and ur kid and not say hes living there tbh... way less hassle and u dont have to worry about him not doing his WTW stuff. thats what my sister did

FYI - I'm on CalWORKs with my boyfriend (not married) and our 2 kids. Having him on the case did increase our grant amount even though he wasn't working when we applied. BUT!!!! Be prepared for lots of appointments and paperwork. The biggest headache was he had to complete an orientation, appraisal interview, AND sign a Welfare to Work plan within the first month. He missed one appointment and they threatened to sanction us. Also ask about the diaper stipend if your child isn't fully potty trained yet - we get an extra $30/month for that which helps!

They'll reschedule if you call BEFORE the appointment to let them know. But if you no-show without calling, that's when they get strict. For sickness, sometimes they ask for a doctor's note, sometimes not - depends on your worker. And definitely ask about the diaper benefit when you apply - they don't always tell you about it automatically!

One more important thing: since both of you will be in the Assistance Unit, both of you will be using months of your 48-month time limit for CalWORKs. This is a lifetime limit. So if he doesn't really need the assistance and could find work soon, you might want to consider if it's worth adding him and using up his months of eligibility. Once those 48 months are used, they're gone forever (with some exceptions for extensions). Also, you'll need to report any income changes on your SAR7 form every 6 months, and if either of you gets a job that puts you over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), you have to report that within 10 days regardless of when your SAR7 is due.

Hey Lourdes! Just wanted to add that you should also ask about mental health resources when you apply. Since you mentioned your boyfriend has been really depressed since losing his job, CalWORKs often has connections to counseling services and mental health support that could help him. Sometimes depression can even qualify as a temporary exemption from some WTW requirements if it's severe enough and documented by a doctor. Also, when you do your interview, be honest about his mental health struggles - the worker might be able to connect you with additional resources or be more flexible with his activity requirements while he gets back on his feet. Good luck with everything!

Hi Lourdes! I'm a CalWORKs eligibility worker and wanted to give you some official guidance on your situation. Yes, your child's father MUST be included in your assistance unit since he's living in the home and is the parent of your child - this is federal law, not optional. Here's what you need to know: - Your combined household will have a 35-hour WTW requirement (since your child is over 1) - With your 25 hours of work, he only needs 10 hours of approved activities - Both of you will use your 48-month lifetime clock while receiving aid - His zero income may actually increase your grant amount During your interview, bring his ID, Social Security card, and termination letter from his construction job. Ask specifically about: - Mental health exemptions (if documented by a doctor) - Construction-related training programs that count as WTW - Supportive services for transportation/work expenses - Young child exemptions for households with children under 3 The Earned Income Disregard will help you keep more benefits while working - definitely ask about this. And don't worry about the child support cooperation requirement when both parents live together - it's mostly just paperwork. Start your application online at BenefitsCal.org and list him as "unemployed parent living in home." The extra monthly assistance (typically $150-200) can really help while you're both getting back on your feet. Good luck!