Do CalWORKs Cash Aid payments reduce my CalFresh benefits? Just approved for both

That makes sense but it's frustrating they didn't mention this when I applied. Do you know how soon the change happens? Will they reduce my CalFresh immediately or wait until my next reporting period?

Thats right its not a dollar for dollar reduction. They reduce CalFresh by 30% of your countable income after deductions. So if CalWORKs gives you $900, your CalFresh might only go down by $270-ish depending on your specific case. Still better off with both!

THEY ALWAYS DO THIS!!!!! Wait til u get ur Medi-Cal and then they change things again without telling u! I hate how the system NEVER EXPLAINS anything clearly. My worker gives different answers every time I call. So frustrating!!!!

Thank you for explaining this so clearly! I was really confused about how they calculate it. Do I need to report the CalWORKs approval to the CalFresh office myself, or do the systems automatically update?

No, I haven't tried calling yet but was planning to tomorrow. Thank you for the tip! The wait times are always ridiculous and I've been hung up on automatically so many times. I'll check this out.

yea good point about WIC! i get that too for my 2yr old. the cheese and milk and cereal helps alot when calfresh runs low at end of month

That's a great point! The Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) is $533 in California for 2025. If you pay heating or cooling separate from rent, you qualify. This can make a big difference in your CalFresh amount because it affects your shelter deduction. Definitely worth mentioning to your worker!

Thank you! I just got the Notice of Action today actually. My CalFresh is going down to $276 next month. Not as bad as I feared! And yes, I have an appointment with my WTW worker next week to discuss childcare options while I look for work. Really appreciate everyone's help!

That's really smart advice about treating part of the CalWORKs cash as grocery money! I hadn't thought about budgeting it that way but it makes total sense. Do you have any recommendations for food banks in the LA area? I'm in the San Fernando Valley and haven't really looked into that option yet. Also wondering - did you find it hard to adjust your shopping habits when your CalFresh amount changed? I'm used to buying certain things and quantities with the $435, so I'm trying to figure out how to make $276 work the same way.

For the San Fernando Valley, I'd definitely check out the LA Regional Food Bank - they have several distribution sites in your area. Also look into MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity) in Pacoima, they're really good and don't make you feel bad about needing help. As for shopping habits, yes it was definitely an adjustment! What helped me was switching to more store brands, buying bigger bags of rice and beans in bulk, and focusing on cheaper proteins like chicken thighs instead of breasts. I also started meal planning more strictly and cooking bigger batches to stretch meals further. The first few shopping trips felt weird but you adapt pretty quickly. And remember, you can use your EBT card at some farmers markets too which sometimes has better deals on fresh produce!

For the San Fernando Valley, check out the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank locations - they have several pantries throughout the Valley. Also look into local churches and community centers, many run weekly food distributions. As for adjusting shopping habits, I had to get creative! I started buying more rice, beans, and pasta as fillers, switched to generic brands, and learned to meal prep better. The key is stretching ingredients across multiple meals. Also, shop sales and use store apps for digital coupons - every little bit helps when your food budget gets tighter!

Hey! For the San Fernando Valley area, I'd definitely recommend checking out the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank - they have several distribution sites in the valley. The Valley Food Bank in Van Nuys is really good too, and they usually have fresh produce along with shelf-stable items. You can find locations and hours on 211la.org or just call 211. As for adjusting shopping habits, it definitely took me a few weeks to figure out! I started meal planning more strictly and switched to more generic brands. Rice, beans, and pasta became my best friends for stretching meals. Also learned to shop sales cycles - like stocking up on meat when it's marked down and freezing it. The key is thinking about cost per meal rather than just what looks good in the store. You'll find your groove!

Hey! I'm in the San Fernando Valley too! For food banks, definitely check out SOVA Community Food & Resource Program in Van Nuys - they're amazing and don't require a lot of paperwork. Also, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has mobile pantries that come to different Valley locations throughout the month. You can check their website for the schedule. As for shopping habits, what really helped me was switching to more bulk items and generic brands. I also started meal planning more carefully - like making big batches of rice, beans, and pasta-based dishes that stretch further. The dollar stores actually have decent prices on some pantry staples too. It's definitely an adjustment but you'll figure out what works! Feel free to message me if you want more specific Valley food resource info.

I'm in the Valley too! The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has several pantries out here - there's one at the Pacoima Community Center on Tuesdays and another at the Canoga Park Senior Center on Thursdays. Also check out the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission - they do mobile food distributions. For shopping adjustments, I had to get creative - started buying more rice, beans, and pasta as fillers, and I focus on manager's special meat that I can freeze. Also discovered that buying whole chickens and cutting them up myself saves SO much compared to buying pieces. It took about 2 months to really figure out the new routine, but now I actually think I'm eating healthier because I'm cooking more from scratch!

For the San Fernando Valley, I'd definitely recommend checking out the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank - they have several distribution sites in your area including one at the Pacoima Community Center. Also look into the Valley Food Bank in Van Nuys, they're really well organized and have fresh produce. As for adjusting shopping habits, it was definitely tough at first! I had to switch from name brands to generic for a lot of things, and I started meal planning more carefully. Buying rice and beans in bulk really helped stretch the budget. The trick is figuring out which CalWORKs cash you can dedicate to groceries each month - I usually set aside about $150-200 from my cash aid specifically for food to supplement the CalFresh. It takes some trial and error but you'll find what works!

For the San Fernando Valley, definitely check out the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank - they have several distribution sites throughout the valley. Also look into the Salvation Army locations in Van Nuys and North Hollywood, they usually have good pantry programs. As for adjusting shopping habits, it took me about 2 months to really get the hang of it. I started shopping at places like Food 4 Less and buying more store brands, plus I switched to buying larger quantities of cheaper staples like rice, beans, and pasta. Meal planning became super important - I plan out the whole month now instead of just shopping week by week. The key is thinking of your total food budget as CalFresh + part of CalWORKs combined, not just the CalFresh amount alone.

For food banks in the San Fernando Valley, I'd recommend checking out SOVA (Sova.org) - they have locations in Van Nuys and other areas, plus they don't require documentation which is nice. Also look into the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank - they have a food bank locator on their website that shows mobile distributions and permanent pantries near you. As for adjusting shopping habits, honestly the first few weeks were tough! I had to switch to more store brands, buy larger quantities of cheaper staples like rice and beans, and really focus on sales and coupons. Meal planning became essential - I spend Sunday mornings planning the whole week so I don't overspend. The good news is you'll figure out what works for your family pretty quickly!

For the San Fernando Valley, I'd definitely check out the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank - they have several distribution sites in your area. The one at Pierce College is really good and they usually have fresh produce too. Also look into SOVA (Sova.org) - they serve the Valley and have multiple locations. For adjusting your shopping habits, I started meal planning more strictly and buying generic brands for everything. I also switched to buying larger quantities of cheaper staples like rice, beans, and pasta with my CalWORKs cash, then use the CalFresh for meat, dairy, and fresh stuff. It took about a month to find the right balance but now I actually think I eat better because I plan more! @4d94b6a69c36 probably has more specific tips too since they mentioned having a good system now.

For San Fernando Valley, definitely check out the LA Regional Food Bank - they have several distribution sites in that area. Also look into Valley Food Bank in Van Nuys and the food pantry at First United Methodist Church in North Hollywood. Most of them don't require any paperwork, just show up during their hours. As for shopping habits, I had to completely change my approach! I started shopping at discount stores like Food 4 Less and buying more generic brands. Also switched to buying family packs of meat and dividing them up at home to freeze. Rice and beans became my best friends for filling meals. The first couple months were definitely an adjustment but now I actually think I'm a smarter shopper than before!

For the San Fernando Valley area, I'd recommend checking out the LA Regional Food Bank - they have several distribution sites in your area. The Valley Food Bank in Van Nuys is really good too, and they don't ask for much documentation. You can find locations and schedules on 211.org or by calling 211. As for adjusting shopping habits, I definitely had to change things up! I started buying more bulk items like rice, beans, and pasta with my CalWORKs cash, then used the CalFresh for fresh produce, meat, and dairy. Also started shopping at discount stores like Food4Less and looking for manager's specials. It took about 2 months to find my new rhythm, but now I actually feel like I'm getting more food for my money by being more strategic about it!

For the San Fernando Valley, I'd definitely recommend checking out the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission - they have a food pantry that's open several times a week. Also look into the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank's mobile food pantries - they rotate through different locations in the Valley. You can find their schedule on their website. As for adjusting shopping habits, it was definitely tough at first! I had to start buying more generic brands and focusing on cheaper protein sources like beans, eggs, and chicken thighs instead of breasts. Meal planning became really important too - I plan out exactly what I'm buying before I go to the store now instead of just winging it like I used to. The good news is you'll figure out what works for your family pretty quickly!

@Jean Claude For the San Fernando Valley, I d'definitely check out the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank - they have several distribution sites in your area. The one at Pacoima Community Center is really good and they usually have fresh produce too. Also look into 211 LA just (dial 2-1-1 -) they can give you a list of all the food pantries near you. As for adjusting shopping habits, it was tough at first! I had to switch from name brands to generic for most things, buy more rice and beans in bulk, and really plan my meals around sales. The food bank produce helps a lot because fresh fruits and veggies are so expensive. One trick that helped me was using the Flipp app to compare grocery store ads and plan my shopping around the best deals. It takes more time but saves money!