Do I need to report a new car purchase to CalWORKs? Asset limits confusing me

Yes, you need to report the car, but don't worry too much. CalWORKs allows one vehicle per household that's exempt from the resource limit if it's used for transportation. Your 2018 Toyota should be fine. You'll want to report both the car and the loan since the loan affects the equity value. Just call your worker and let them know about the purchase - they'll tell you what verification docs they need. Usually they want to see the purchase agreement and loan docs. PS- That dealer was talking nonsense about higher registration fees for people on assistance. DMV fees are the same for everyone regardless of whether you receive benefits.

EVERYONE LISTEN UP! The county workers will absolutely use ANY info against you! I bought a car last year and reported it like I was supposed to and they DISCOUNTED my entire case saying I was over the resource limit! Turns out my worker counted the FULL car value not just my equity!!! Took me 3 MONTHS to get my benefits back after I proved the loan amount. They are TRAINED to find reasons to cut ppl off!!

my sister got a new car and didnt report it and nothing happened but idk maybe different counties have different rules? shes in san bernardino

To directly answer your question - yes, you need to report the car purchase, but not for the reason you might think. CalWORKs has a property reserve limit of $10,000 for most families (it increased recently). Your car is exempt from this limit if it's your primary vehicle, but you still need to report it. The important thing to understand is that they look at the EQUITY value (what the car is worth minus what you owe on it). In your case: - Car value: $13,800 - Loan amount: $11,800 - Your equity: $2,000 So only $2,000 would count toward your resource limit, and that's below the $10,000 limit. You should report this within 10 days since it's considered a change in property. Just call your worker and tell them you purchased a vehicle.

i tried calling my worker about something similar last month and was on hold for 2 HOURS before getting disconnected. tried again next day, same thing. total waste of time.

also they might ask for ur registration papers so have those ready when u call

Just to give you a bit more detail on the vehicle exemption policy: 1. One vehicle per family is exempt regardless of value if used for transportation (employment, education, etc.) 2. For additional vehicles, only the equity value (market value minus amount owed) counts toward your $10,000 resource limit 3. You should report this change within 10 days, even if your SAR7 isn't due soon 4. Documents they'll likely request: purchase agreement, loan documents showing amount financed, vehicle registration The dealer was incorrect about registration fees being higher for benefit recipients. However, if you received a tax refund through the Earned Income Tax Credit and used that for your down payment, you might want to mention that since EITC refunds are exempt resources for 12 months after receipt. Best of luck with your new car!

Congrats on the new car! Just wanted to add that when you call your worker, it's also helpful to have the VIN number ready since they might ask for it to verify the vehicle information. Also, if you're working part-time like you mentioned, make sure your car insurance shows you're using it for work commuting - that helps solidify the "transportation" exemption. Some counties are pickier about proving the vehicle is actually being used for approved purposes. Good luck with the call!