Do CalWORKs recipients have to file taxes with no income besides Cash Aid? Will I get a refund with dependents?
First time getting on CalWORKs this year and tax season is coming up. I've been on Cash Aid and CalFresh since April but haven't had any actual job income, just the benefits. Do I need to file taxes when my only income is from Cash Aid? Never been in this situation before. For those who DO file - do you usually get anything back if you have kids? I have 2 dependents (ages 4 and 7) and wondering if I should expect a refund or if it's not worth the hassle since benefits aren't taxable income (I think?). Normally I'd use my mom's tax guy but trying to save the preparation fee if there's no point.
18 comments
Join the conversation
Mason Davis
Cash Aid (CalWORKs) is not considered taxable income, so if that and CalFresh are your only sources of income for the year, you're not required to file taxes. However, you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD file anyway because you could qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit even with no earned income for 2025. With two dependents ages 4 and 7, you could potentially get thousands back. The IRS has special provisions for families with children. Don't miss out on this money!
0 coins
Sophia Miller
•Wait really?? I thought you had to have earned income to get those credits? That would be amazing if true! Do you know roughly how much it could be for 2 kids? I don't want to get my hopes up.
0 coins
Mia Rodriguez
i dont file taxes cuz they say cash aid aint taxable income. been on it like 3 years no problems
0 coins
Jacob Lewis
•While Cash Aid isn't taxable, you might be leaving money on the table by not filing. Even with just benefits income, you could qualify for refundable tax credits with children. It's definitely worth filing - many free tax preparation services are available through VITA programs specifically for CalWORKs recipients.
0 coins
Amelia Martinez
I was on CalWORKs all last year and filed taxes even with no job. Got back almost $8,500 with my 3 kids!!! The Child Tax Credit and EITC are refundable even if you don't owe any taxes. Don't listen to anyone telling you not to file - you're leaving FREE MONEY on the table if you don't file! Used the free filing through GetYourRefund.org - they do it all online and it was super easy. Definitely file even with just Cash Aid!
0 coins
Sophia Miller
•Wow $8500?? That's amazing! Was that with 3 kids though? I only have 2 so I'm guessing it would be less. But still that would be life-changing money for us right now. Were you working at all or literally just on Cash Aid?
0 coins
Ethan Clark
Does anybody know if I have to report tax refunds to my CalWORKs worker if I do file and get money back? Will it affect my benefits? Last time I got a lump sum of money they cut my benefits for 2 months.
0 coins
Mason Davis
•Great question! Tax refunds, including EITC and Child Tax Credit, are specifically EXEMPT from income consideration for CalWORKs. This means they do NOT count against your benefit calculation and you WON'T be penalized or have your benefits reduced for receiving a tax refund. It's considered a non-recurring lump sum payment that is specifically excluded from income calculations. However, you DO need to report it on your SAR-7 or annual recertification if it happens during those reporting periods, but mark it as "tax refund" so they know it's exempt.
0 coins
Mila Walker
I tried calling my county worker to ask about this EXACT thing two weeks ago and couldn't get through to a live person at all. Spent 3 hours on hold and got disconnected twice. So frustrating because I need this info too! I finally used Claimyr.com to reach someone - it worked within 15 minutes. They have this thing where they wait on hold for you then call you when they get a worker. Used their video demo (https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE) to figure it out. The worker confirmed we should definitely file taxes even just on Cash Aid because of the tax credits for kids. She said it won't affect our benefits at all.
0 coins
Sophia Miller
•Thanks for the info! I'm going to try calling my worker tomorrow to double check about my specific situation. If I can't get through I'll check out that Claimyr thing. The county phone system is the absolute worst - I've been hung up on so many times!
0 coins
Logan Scott
Be careful tho, my sister did her taxes last year and claimed EITC but she had been working under the table some and they flagged her for audit! Had to pay everything back plus penalties. The government dont play with taxes.
0 coins
Jacob Lewis
•That's a completely different situation. Your sister was working unreported income "under the table" which is tax evasion. The original poster is asking about filing with ONLY CalWORKs benefits, which is perfectly legal since those benefits aren't taxable income. There's zero risk of audit for correctly reporting no taxable income while claiming legitimate credits you qualify for.
0 coins
Amelia Martinez
@OP - I only had 2 kids last year and got back about $5700 with no job income. And yes, literally ZERO earned income - just Cash Aid and CalFresh. The tax person explained that for 2025, the Child Tax Credit is like $2000 per kid and a lot of it is refundable even with no income. Plus there's a special provision for the EITC where families with kids can get it even with no earned income this year. Just make sure you go to someone who knows what they're doing with low-income tax situations. A lot of places offer free tax help for CalWORKs families.
0 coins
Sophia Miller
•That's amazing! I had no idea we could get that much back. I'm definitely going to file now. Do you know if the county free tax help is good? I saw they advertise it at my local office but wasn't sure if they know what they're doing.
0 coins
Mia Rodriguez
my friend said she had to pay taxes on her cash aid last year but that dont sound right to me??
0 coins
Mason Davis
•Your friend is definitely mistaken. Cash Aid/CalWORKs is classified as public assistance and is NOT taxable income according to IRS Publication 525. She might be confusing it with unemployment benefits, which ARE taxable. Or perhaps she had other income sources that were taxable. But CalWORKs benefits themselves are never subject to federal or state income tax.
0 coins
Sophia Miller
Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I'm definitely going to file taxes now - can't believe I might get a refund even without working. I called 211 and they told me about free tax help through VITA that specializes in helping people on benefits. Going to make an appointment for next month when tax season starts. Is there anything specific I need to bring besides my ID and kids' social security cards? I have the CalWORKs approval letter showing when I started getting benefits if that helps.
0 coins
Jacob Lewis
•Bring your: - Photo ID - Social Security cards for you and both children - Any Form 1099-G if you received unemployment at any point - Bank account info for direct deposit - Any W-2s if you had ANY employment - Last year's tax return if you filed - Childcare expenses documentation if you paid for childcare - Health insurance documentation You don't technically need proof of your CalWORKs benefits since they're not taxable, but bringing the approval letter can't hurt. The VITA volunteers are trained specifically to help with tax credits for families in your situation!
0 coins