Can kids receiving Survivor Benefits qualify for CalFresh/P-EBT when mom works full-time?

Social Security Survivor Benefits do count as income for CalFresh eligibility, but they should still apply! The current gross income limit for a household of 3 is $3,250/month (as of 2025), and it sounds like they'd be under that even counting everything. The best thing is to just apply through BenefitsCal.com - they'll calculate everything officially. Also, P-EBT is different - that's specifically tied to school meals during emergencies like the pandemic. It's not something you apply for normally. They should focus on regular CalFresh.

my cousin gets survivior benefets for her kids and calFRESH too, but they only gave her like $95 a month cuz the socil security counts as income. still better than nothing tho!!

To give you the most accurate information: Yes, they can apply for CalFresh, but Social Security Survivor Benefits are indeed counted as unearned income. Here's what they need to know: 1. The kids' Survivor Benefits + mom's income will be calculated together for household income 2. They'll likely qualify for some amount, but it might be reduced due to total income 3. They should still get deductions for housing costs, childcare expenses, and medical expenses 4. Even a small CalFresh benefit automatically qualifies the kids for free school meals They should definitely apply through BenefitsCal.com and be honest about all income sources. Many people don't realize that even a minimal CalFresh benefit ($23-95) can be really valuable because it opens doors to other programs.

they count ALL the money for calfresh thats why its barly worth applying serusly. when my husband died i was getting like $40 a month for me and 3 kids and had to report every penny we got. such a hassle for literally nothing

Did your sister ever try calling the CalFresh office directly? I had a similar situation with my nephew's survivor benefits, and trying to get someone on the phone was IMPOSSIBLE. I kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold for hours until I finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person in about 15 minutes. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE The CalFresh worker explained exactly how they'd count the income and gave me a much better estimate than what I found online. Totally worth making the call because everyone's situation is different with survivor benefits.

One thing no one has mentioned: if your sister has high rent costs compared to her income, that can help increase her CalFresh amount. When they calculate benefits, they take the shelter costs into consideration. Also, if she pays for childcare for the 8-year-old so she can work, that's another deduction that could help her get more benefits. Make sure she reports ALL expenses when applying!

One last thing to consider: if they do apply and get approved for even a small amount of CalFresh, they should also look into the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Some counties offer additional food benefits on top of CalFresh. It's not a separate application - they're automatically considered if they qualify for CalFresh.

Just wanted to add - when your sister applies, make sure she has documentation ready for both the survivor benefits AND her Target paystubs. The application process goes much smoother when you have everything organized upfront. Also, if she's denied initially, don't give up! A lot of people get approved on appeal, especially when survivor benefits are involved because the workers sometimes miscalculate the income limits. The worst thing that can happen is they say no, but at least you'll know for sure where they stand. With two growing kids and LA grocery prices, it's definitely worth the effort to apply.

As someone new to this community, I just wanted to say thank you all for sharing such detailed and helpful information! I'm in a similar situation with my neighbor who lost her husband and is struggling to navigate all these benefits with her kids. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly valuable - especially learning about the connection between CalFresh and free school meals, and how shelter costs can help increase benefits. It's clear this community really cares about helping families get the support they need. I'll definitely be sharing some of these tips with my neighbor, particularly about having all the documentation ready and not giving up if initially denied. You all are doing amazing work supporting each other through these complicated systems!

I'm new here but wanted to share something that might help - my aunt went through this exact situation in Orange County last year after my uncle passed. Her kids were getting survivor benefits and she was working part-time at a grocery store. What really made a difference was when she found out about the CalFresh "simplified reporting" option. Instead of having to report every little change in income throughout the year, she only had to report if her monthly income went up by more than $100 or if the survivor benefits changed. This made managing the benefits SO much less stressful during an already difficult time. Also, the caseworker told her that survivor benefits for kids are treated differently than other Social Security benefits in some calculations, so it's definitely worth applying even if the income seems borderline. The application might look complicated but the potential benefits (including all those connected programs people mentioned) are really worth it for families with kids.