Can I have a leased car on CalWORKs Cash Aid and CalFresh? Confused about vehicle limits

I was in this exact situation last year! Yes, you CAN have a leased car while on CalWORKs and CalFresh. For CalFresh, vehicle values don't count toward your resource limit at all anymore. For CalWORKs, leased vehicles aren't counted as an asset because you don't own them - the leasing company does. The lease payment amount matters for your budget, but there's no specific maximum. Just make sure the monthly payment is something you can handle with your income and benefits. What you DO need to be careful about is reporting the lease when you complete your SAR7 or recertification.

WRONG INFORMATION ABOVE!!! You absolutely MUST report the leased car right away as a change in property!!! Don't wait for your SAR7 or they could hit you with an overpayment! Any time you get a new vehicle (owned or leased) you have to tell your worker within 10 days. I learned this the hard way and ended up owing $620 back.

u can have any car u want on CalFresh they dont count vehicles at all anymore. for calworks its more complicated, something about equity value over $10k? but leased should be fine cuz u dont own it. just make sure u can afford the payment with ur budget

The previous responses have some good information, but I want to clarify a few things about vehicles and CalWORKs/CalFresh: 1. For CalFresh, vehicles are completely exempt as resources regardless of value or whether leased or owned. 2. For CalWORKs, leased vehicles are not counted as a resource because you don't own them. However, the monthly lease payment is considered in your budget as an expense. 3. For owned vehicles, CalWORKs exempts one vehicle per household completely. Additional vehicles have an equity exemption of $25,000 in 2025. 4. You should report the lease at your next SAR7 or recertification. Mid-period reporting is only required if your income goes above the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). Hope this helps clarify things!

When I got a new car last year, my worker told me I had to include the car payment in my monthly expenses on my SAR7. They don't care about the total lease value, just how it affects your monthly budget. As long as you can still meet your basic needs with the lease payment, you should be fine. But definitely report it on your next SAR7 form.

I'm having a similar issue but with CalWORKs and trying to call my worker for DAYS with no answer. Has anyone else had trouble reaching their worker about vehicle questions? I keep getting put on hold for hours then disconnected. So frustrating!!

Thank you everyone for all this helpful info! To summarize what I understand now: 1. Leased cars don't count as resources for CalWORKs or CalFresh 2. I should report it on my next SAR7 but don't need to call immediately 3. The payment amount matters for my budget but not for eligibility This is such a relief because we really need reliable transportation and I was afraid we'd lose our benefits. Thanks again!

Great summary @Elijah Brown! You've got the key points down. Just one small addition - when you do get the lease, keep all your paperwork (lease agreement, payment records, etc.) organized for your case file. Some counties like to see documentation even though leased vehicles aren't counted as resources. Also, if your lease payment is pretty high, you might want to mention to your worker that it's necessary transportation for work/school - they're usually understanding about that. Hope you find a good reliable car!