Can college students get CalWORKs or Cash Aid while living with me? I have no income due to medical issues
Hey everyone, I'm in a really tough spot and need advice! I have these college students living with me (they're family) and they're full-time students. I'm not able to work right now because I have a tumor that's being treated. Currently I have ZERO income coming in - no disability, nothing. I don't receive any CalWORKs/Cash Aid or even CalFresh/food stamps. Would the college students qualify for any benefits since they're living with me? Or could I qualify for some help even with them in the house? We're seriously struggling with food and bills. Do full-time students even qualify for CalWORKs? I don't know how the household rules work when it comes to students...
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Anna Kerber
The eligibility for college students depends on several factors. For CalWORKs, full-time students need to meet specific requirements. Are these students related to you (your children)? If they're your children under 24 and full-time students, you might qualify as a family unit. If they're not your children, they likely wouldn't be included in your CalWORKs household. For yourself - with no income due to medical issues, you should absolutely apply for benefits. You might qualify for: 1. CalFresh (food stamps) - medical exemptions often apply for work requirements 2. Disability benefits through SDI or SSI depending on your situation 3. CalWORKs if you have children under 18 in your care I strongly recommend applying through BenefitsCal.com right away. Make sure to mention your medical condition and provide any documentation about your tumor and inability to work.
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Roger Romero
•There my nephews actually. So they wouldnt count as my household for CalWORKs? I didnt know if they could get benefits themselves since there in college or if that makes them not eligible. I tried applying before but got confused with all the questions about household members and gave up halfway thru :( Do i need to list them on my application even if there not my kids?
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Niko Ramsey
College students usually CANT get food stamps unless they work 20 hrs a week or have small kids or meet some other exemption. Its super strict for students! My daughter tried and got denied cuz of being in school full time. But YOU should definitely apply for yourself separately!! You having a tumor is a medical exemption and you should qualify with no income!!! Don't include the students if there not your dependents.
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Seraphina Delan
•This isn't entirely correct. College students have specific eligibility rules for CalFresh, but the rules are different for CalWORKs. For CalWORKs, it depends on the relationship and household composition. If they're not the OP's dependent children, they wouldn't be in the same CalWORKs household unit. OP - you should absolutely apply for benefits for yourself. With your medical condition and no income, you'll likely qualify for some assistance. When you apply, you'll need to list everyone who lives with you, but explain they're students and not your dependent children. The eligibility worker will determine who's in your "assistance unit" versus just household members.
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Jabari-Jo
when i was strugglin to get thru to the benefits office couple months ago i used this service called Claimyr that got me connected to a real person in like 5 mins! saved me so much frustration after days of trying. i know how hard it is when ur sick and dont have the energy to sit on hold for hours. checkout claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE it helped me finally get my calworks situation figured out when i needed to explain my medical stuff.
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Roger Romero
•Thank you!!! I'll definitely check it out. I get so exhausted waiting on hold and then I just hang up most times. Being sick makes everything 100x harder.
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Kristin Frank
have u applied for disability??? with a tumor u should def qualify for that before calworks even. my cousin got disability for her cancer treatments and it paid more than cash aid would have
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Micah Trail
•This is important advice. You should definitely apply for State Disability Insurance (SDI) if you've worked recently and paid into the system, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for longer-term disability. With a tumor preventing you from working, you would likely qualify, and disability benefits are typically higher than CalWORKs benefits. However, while waiting for disability approval (which can take time), it's still worth applying for CalFresh (food stamps) separately as that's specifically for food assistance and has different eligibility requirements than CalWORKs. You should qualify with zero income regardless of your housing situation or the students living with you.
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Nia Watson
everyone here is making it SO COMPLICATED!!! just go apply and be honest! the county worker will figure out who qualifies for what. trying to figure it all out before applying just wastes time when u could be getting help. and FYI they gonna ask for medical proof of ur tumor so have that ready. good luck!!!!!
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Roger Romero
•Your right, I'm probably overthinking it all. I'll gather my medical paperwork and just apply. The worst they can say is no right?
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Anna Kerber
Here's what you should specifically do: 1. Apply for CalFresh separately as an individual (you should qualify with no income) 2. Apply for disability based on your medical condition 3. For the college students, they can apply for CalFresh separately if they work 20+ hours weekly, receive work-study, have dependents, or meet other exemptions When listing your household on applications, include everyone who lives with you, but explain they're not your dependents. The system will determine who's in your "assistance unit" versus just household members. Make sure to submit verification of your medical condition, and don't miss any appointments. If you get confused on the application, call and ask for help - that's literally their job!
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Seraphina Delan
•This is excellent advice. I'd add that you should apply as soon as possible because benefits aren't retroactive - they only start from when you apply. And don't forget about emergency CalFresh, which can be expedited if you have less than $150 in monthly income and less than $100 in resources. You could get benefits within 3 days if you qualify for expedited service.
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Niko Ramsey
my aunt was in a situation kinda like urs and she got approved for CalFresh in like a week cause she had zero income. they can do emergency approval when ur in crisis. dont wait!!!
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Roger Romero
•That's good to know. I really need help with food right now. Going to apply for emergency benefits today!
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Natasha Orlova
Just wanted to add - when you apply for CalFresh, make sure to mention that you're dealing with a medical condition that prevents you from working. This can help you get an exemption from any work requirements they might try to impose later. Also, since you have zero income and are struggling with food, you should definitely qualify for expedited CalFresh benefits (within 3 days) if you have less than $100 in cash/bank accounts. For your nephews - even though they're full-time students, they might still be eligible for CalFresh if they work at least 20 hours per week, participate in work-study, or meet other student exemptions. Have them check if their school has any programs that could help with their eligibility. Don't give up on the application process this time - you really need and deserve this help while you're dealing with your health issues!
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Brianna Muhammad
•This is really helpful info! I didn't know about the expedited benefits thing. I have like $30 in my bank account right now so I should qualify for that 3-day approval. And yeah, one of my nephews does work part-time at a restaurant, so maybe he can apply too. I'm definitely not giving up this time - I really need this help and you all have given me the confidence to push through the application process. Thank you so much!
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