Do I need to report moving from homeless to paying rent to CalWORKs? Will my $927 benefit amount change?

Yes, you absolutely need to report your new housing situation! This is considered a mid-period report because you've gone from homeless to having housing costs. Call your worker ASAP or submit the change through BenefitsCal. The good news is that your grant MIGHT increase because you now have shelter costs that are considered in the CalWORKs budget calculation. $927 sounds like the zero-shelter cost amount for a household of 2. With shelter costs, it could potentially increase, depending on your other income and county maximums.

congrats on finding a place!! i dnt think u have to report it right away tbh, ive moved 3x this yr and i always just wait for my sar7. but idk if homeless to housed is different?? curious what others say

When I got housing last year after being homeless, my cash aid went up by about $130. You definitely need to report it, but the increase wasn't enough to cover my full rent either. Have you applied for the Housing Support Program through CalWORKs? They might be able to help with move-in costs and some rental assistance for a few months. Ask your worker about it when you report your change.

I've been trying to reach my CalWORKs worker for TWO WEEKS about a similar situation and kept getting voicemail or disconnected. Finally tried using Claimyr.com and actually got through in less than 10 minutes! You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - it basically calls for you and holds your place in line. Total lifesaver when you need to report something urgent like housing changes. My benefit went up $167 when I went from homeless to housed last month.

Just to clarify some info here: The maximum CalWORKs grant for a family of 2 in 2025 WITH shelter costs is $1086 (amounts vary by county). Without shelter costs (homeless), it's lower. So yes, reporting your new housing should increase your grant, but unfortunately not by enough to cover your full rent. Definitely ask about the CalWORKs Housing Support Program and Housing Assistance when you report your change - they can sometimes help with deposits and even a portion of rent for several months while you stabilize.

OMG the exact same thing happened to me but my worker never told me I could get more money when I found housing!! I been paying rent for 4 months now and still getting the homeless amount. I'M SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW!!! Do you think I can get backpay for those months they underpaid me?? This system is DESIGNED to keep us poor and uninformed!!!!

Make sure you also apply for CalFresh if you haven't already. When I moved into housing, my CalFresh benefits actually went UP because they could factor in my utility costs with the Standard Utility Allowance. Every little bit helps when you're trying to cover rent on CalWORKs. And definitely report within 10 days - I learned that the hard way and had to pay back some benefits.

To directly answer your question: Yes, you must report this change within 10 days of moving. Your grant amount will likely increase because you now have shelter costs, but the increase won't fully cover your rent. The maximum grant for a family of 2 with shelter costs varies by county but is around $1086 in most counties for 2025. Besides reporting the change, ask specifically about: 1. CalWORKs Housing Support Program 2. Homeless Assistance payment (can help with security deposit) 3. Moving Assistance funds 4. Emergency housing vouchers And make sure your worker recalculates both your CalWORKs AND CalFresh benefits, as both can increase with housing costs.

seriuosly call ASAP! my sister waited 2 weeks to report her new apartment and they hit her with an overpayment notice later saying she should have reported sooner. such bs, like how are we supposed to know all these rules??

Congratulations on finding housing! I went through something very similar last year. You definitely need to report this change within 10 days - it's considered a mandatory mid-period report when you go from homeless to housed. When I made this transition, my CalWORKs grant increased from around $900 to about $1050 for me and my daughter. Here's what I recommend: Call your worker first thing Monday morning (or try that Claimyr service others mentioned if you can't get through). When you report, make sure to ask about ALL the housing assistance programs - not just the grant increase. I got help with my security deposit through the Homeless Assistance Program and qualified for a few months of partial rent assistance. Also, don't forget to report the change for CalFresh too - my food benefits went up significantly once I had utility costs to factor in. The system is confusing but there are more supports available than most workers tell you about upfront. Good luck with your new place!

Hey! I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago with my 3-year-old. You absolutely need to report this within 10 days - don't wait for your SAR7! I made the mistake of waiting and almost got hit with complications. When I transitioned from homeless to paying $1,100/month rent, my CalWORKs went from $927 to about $1,070. Not enough to cover rent obviously, but every bit helps. The key thing is when you call, don't just report the housing change - ask specifically about these programs: - CalWORKs Housing Support Program (helped me with first month's rent) - Homeless Assistance Program (covered my security deposit) - Moving assistance funds Also make sure they recalculate your CalFresh - mine went up by almost $180/month because of the utility allowance! That was honestly more helpful than the CalWORKs increase. One tip: if you can't get through to your worker, try calling right when they open at 8am or use the BenefitsCal online portal to submit the change. You got this! Having your own place is such a game changer even if the budget is still tight.

I'm actually going through something similar right now - just submitted my housing change report last week after being homeless for 8 months. One thing I learned is that you can also submit the change through the GetCalFresh website (getcalfresh.org) if you can't get through by phone - they forward it directly to your county office and give you a confirmation number for your records. Also wanted to mention that some counties have expedited processing for housing-related changes since they know how urgent these situations are. When you call, specifically ask if they can expedite your case review since you're transitioning from homelessness to housed. My worker told me this can sometimes speed up the benefit adjustment by a week or two. Really hoping everything works out with your new place! Having stable housing makes such a difference, even if the finances are still tight. Make sure to keep copies of your lease agreement and any receipts from move-in costs - you might need them for the various assistance programs people mentioned.