Do I have to pay back CalWORKs when my child gets approved for SSI?

Yes, you absolutely need to report this change to your CalWORKs eligibility worker within 10 days of receiving the SSI approval letter. Your daughter will need to be removed from your CalWORKs case once she starts receiving SSI since you can't get both benefits for the same person (though you can still receive CalWORKs for yourself if you qualify). As for repayment - technically the county has the right to recover Cash Aid paid for your daughter during the same months she receives SSI backpay for. This is called "interim assistance reimbursement." Usually what happens is that SSI will pay the county directly from the backpay amount before sending the remainder to your daughter. The good news is you're not personally responsible for paying it back - it comes out of the backpay automatically.

I went thru this last year with my son. DONT WAIT to report it!!!! They'll find out anyway and then ur in trouble. they took the backpay from his SSI but i didnt have to pay anything myself. my cash aid went down after he got approved but i still get some for myself. just make sure u report it right away

When your child receives SSI approval, you need to report this to CalWORKs immediately. The county will recalculate your household size and benefits. Your daughter will be removed from your CalWORKs case, but you can continue receiving benefits for yourself if you meet eligibility requirements as a household of one. Regarding repayment: There's an agreement between Social Security and county welfare departments called "interim assistance reimbursement." This means SSA will withhold some of your daughter's backpay to reimburse the county for CalWORKs benefits paid during the same period. You personally don't have to pay anything back - it's handled between those agencies. This is actually good news because your daughter's ongoing monthly SSI payment (around $1,121 in 2025) is higher than what CalWORKs provides for a child. Plus, you might still qualify for some CalWORKs for yourself.

omg everyone is giving u different answers lol... from what i know when my nephew got SSI after being on calworks they didnt take ANY of his backpay but my sister had to report it and her calworks went down after. i dont think they can take money from disabled kids thats so wrong

Been calling my county worker all day about updating my SAR7 and no one picks up. This is the third day I've tried. Phones are a nightmare... worried I'll get cut off because I can't get through. I feel your pain about reporting changes!

Yup they gonna take it. Its called offset. My sons ssi got approved last year and they took like $3400 from his backpay for the calworks we got. make sure u ask for an accounting of exactly what they took tho. I found a mistake where they counted an extra month and had to fight to get that money back.

To answer your follow-up question: Your CalWORKs will likely be adjusted the month following your report of the SSI approval. The county should send you a Notice of Action showing your recalculated benefit amount based on a household size of 1 instead of 2. For budgeting purposes, expect your CalWORKs to decrease significantly once your daughter is removed from the case. If you're not working or have very low income, you might still qualify for approximately $550-600 per month as a household of 1. Your daughter's SSI (around $1,121/month) should more than make up for the decrease in total household income. Also, your CalFresh benefits might change too, so be prepared for adjustments there as well.

Congratulations on your daughter's SSI approval! I know how stressful that whole process can be. Just wanted to add that when you call to report the SSI approval, make sure you have the approval letter handy with the exact start date and monthly amount. The worker will need those details to process the change correctly. Also, don't panic about the interim assistance reimbursement - it's totally normal and happens automatically between SSI and the county. Your daughter will still receive a substantial backpay amount even after the offset, and her monthly SSI will be much higher than what CalWORKs was providing for her portion. One more tip: keep copies of everything! The approval letter, any notices you get from CalWORKs about the case changes, etc. It'll help if there are any questions later. You're doing great advocating for your daughter - this approval is going to make such a difference for your family's financial stability.

Just went through this exact situation with my 16-year-old son last year! You're absolutely right to report it immediately - I made the mistake of waiting a few weeks and got a scary letter from the county. The good news is that everything worked out fine once I explained the situation. Here's what happened in our case: SSI took about $4,200 from his backpay to reimburse the county for the CalWORKs we received during the overlapping months. It sounds scary but it's completely automatic - you don't have to do anything or pay anything yourself. My son still got a nice chunk of backpay after that deduction. My CalWORKs got recalculated within about 3 weeks of reporting, and I went from getting around $1,100 for both of us down to about $580 just for me (I work part-time). But his monthly SSI of $1,121 more than makes up for it, so we're actually better off financially now. One thing that really helped was asking the CalWORKs worker to walk me through exactly how they calculated everything. Don't be afraid to ask questions - they're used to this situation and it's pretty routine for them. You've got this!

I can really relate to this stress! I went through something similar with my 12-year-old son's SSI approval about 6 months ago. Everyone here has given you great advice - definitely report it right away to avoid any complications. One thing I'd add is that when you call your worker, ask them to send you written confirmation of the changes they're making to your case. Sometimes things get lost in translation over the phone, and having it in writing helped me catch an error where they initially calculated my new benefit amount wrong. Also, don't be surprised if there's a brief gap between when your CalWORKs gets reduced and when your daughter's first SSI payment actually hits your account. It took about 3 weeks for us, so just be prepared for that transition period. The backpay usually comes pretty quickly after the first regular payment though. You're doing everything right by getting ahead of this and asking questions. The interim assistance reimbursement really is standard and nothing to worry about - my son still got a substantial backpay even after they took out what we'd received from CalWORKs. Hang in there, you're almost through the hardest part!

I'm so glad to see all the helpful responses here! As someone new to navigating both CalWORKs and disability benefits, this conversation has been incredibly educational. It's clear that reporting the SSI approval immediately is crucial, and the interim assistance reimbursement process, while scary-sounding, is actually pretty routine. What strikes me most is how everyone emphasizes getting everything in writing and asking for detailed explanations from the workers. That seems like such important advice for anyone dealing with these benefit transitions. The timing gaps between benefit changes that a few people mentioned is something I never would have thought about but could really impact monthly budgeting. Katherine, congratulations on your daughter's approval! After reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like while the transition period might be stressful, you'll actually end up in a much better financial position once everything is sorted out. The fact that SSI pays significantly more than the CalWORKs portion for your daughter, plus you'll still likely qualify for some benefits for yourself, should really help your family's stability. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - these kinds of detailed, practical insights are so much more helpful than just reading the official policy documents!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm currently going through the SSI application process for my 10-year-old daughter who has cerebral palsy, and we've been on CalWORKs for about two years now. Reading everyone's real experiences has answered so many questions I didn't even know I had. The consistency in everyone's advice about reporting immediately really drives home how important that step is. I had no idea about the interim assistance reimbursement process - it's actually reassuring to know that it's handled automatically between agencies rather than something I'd personally have to navigate or pay back. Katherine, congratulations again on your daughter's approval! The stress you described about not knowing what to expect really resonates with me. It sounds like you're getting fantastic advice here. The tip about asking for written confirmation and detailed calculations is something I'm definitely going to remember for when our time comes. One question for those who've been through this - did you find that having SSI approval affected any other benefits like CalFresh or Medi-Cal? I'm trying to get a full picture of what changes to expect across all our benefits when we hopefully reach the approval stage. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space where families can share these experiences and help each other navigate these complex systems!

This entire conversation has been such a lifesaver! I'm actually in a very similar situation - my 13-year-old son with ADHD and learning disabilities just got his SSI approval letter last week, and I've been panicking about exactly the same things Katherine asked about. Reading through everyone's experiences has made me feel so much more prepared and less anxious. The consistent advice about reporting immediately, the explanation of interim assistance reimbursement, and especially the real numbers people shared about how their benefits changed - it's all exactly what I needed to hear. I called my CalWORKs worker this morning after reading this thread, and you're all absolutely right about getting everything in writing. She walked me through the process and confirmed that my son will be removed from our case, SSI will reimburse the county from his backpay for overlapping months, and I'll still qualify for some CalWORKs as a household of one. Katherine, I hope your transition goes smoothly! And thank you for asking the brave question that started this amazing discussion. To everyone who shared their experiences - you've made such a difference for families like ours who are navigating this scary but ultimately positive change. This community really shows how much we can help each other when we share our real experiences and knowledge!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently waiting for a decision on my 15-year-old daughter's SSI application (we applied 8 months ago), and reading through everyone's detailed experiences has helped me understand exactly what to expect if/when we get approved. The consistency in everyone's advice about reporting immediately really stands out - it's clear that's the most critical step. I had heard about interim assistance reimbursement before but never understood how it actually worked until reading these explanations. Knowing that it's handled automatically between SSI and the county (rather than something I'd have to navigate myself) is such a relief. Katherine, congratulations on your daughter's approval! Your question started such an informative discussion. The specific numbers people shared about benefit changes and the tips about getting written confirmation are incredibly helpful. I'm definitely saving this thread to reference when our time comes. For those who've been through this transition - did you find that your CalWORKs worker was generally knowledgeable about the SSI interaction, or did you need to educate them about the process? I'm wondering if I should come prepared with information about interim assistance reimbursement when I eventually make that call. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community where families can learn from each other's real experiences!

This thread has been such an incredible resource! I'm a single parent with a 12-year-old son who has autism, and we're about 6 months into the SSI application process while receiving CalWORKs. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has answered so many questions I didn't even know to ask. What really stands out to me is how consistent everyone's advice is about reporting the approval immediately - that seems to be the golden rule. The explanation of interim assistance reimbursement being handled automatically between agencies is such a relief too. I had been worried about potentially owing money back personally. Katherine, huge congratulations on your daughter's approval! Your question sparked such an informative discussion that's going to help so many families. The specific dollar amounts people shared really help paint a clear picture of what the financial transition looks like. One thing I'm curious about - for those who went through this process, did you find it helpful to have any documentation ready beyond just the SSI approval letter when you called your CalWORKs worker? I want to make sure I'm as prepared as possible when our time hopefully comes. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your real experiences. This community truly shows how much we can support each other through these complex systems!