Does a teenager's part-time job count against our CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits?
My 16-year-old daughter just got her first part-time job at a grocery store (so proud of her!). She's making about $400 a month working weekends and some evenings after school. I'm confused about whether I need to report this on our SAR7, and if her income will impact our CalWORKs cash aid and CalFresh benefits. Our caseworker is NEVER available when I call. Does anyone know if a minor's income counts against the household income for benefits? And if it does count, does ALL of it count or is there some kind of exemption for kids in school? I'm worried about our benefits getting reduced right when I'm finally getting back on my feet.
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Grace Lee
Good question! For CalWORKs: A minor child's earned income IS exempt if they're a student (full-time status). For CalFresh, it's more complicated: if the minor is under 18 AND in school at least half-time, their income is COMPLETELY exempt. So for your daughter, her $400 monthly income should NOT count against either program as long as she maintains her student status. Make sure to still report it on your SAR7 though! You need to document it even if it's exempt.
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William Rivera
•Thank you so much! That's a relief. I was getting so stressed thinking we might lose benefits just because she's being responsible and working. I'll definitely still report it on the SAR7. Do I need to provide her pay stubs too or just write down the amount?
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Mia Roberts
my daughter worked last summer n i didnt report it cuz i didnt think it mattered shes in highschool... nobody said anything but now im worried i shoulda told them???
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Grace Lee
•You should always report ALL income for everyone in the household on your SAR7, even if it's exempt. Not reporting can be considered an overpayment situation if they find out later. I'd recommend reporting it on your next SAR7 and just explain it was summer employment that ended. Better to be upfront now than deal with potential overpayment issues later.
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The Boss
WRONG INFO ABOVE!! My teen daughter worked and they ABSOLUTELY counted her income against our CalWORKs! Cut our benefits by almost $200!! They said only SOME teenage income is exempt and it depends on if they're in school full time AND the money is for school expenses. The workers all tell you different things, it's RIDICULOUS!!!
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Evan Kalinowski
•I think what happened in your situation might be that they incorrectly applied the rules. According to MPP Section 44-111.22, earned income of a child who is a full-time student is exempt for CalWORKs purposes, regardless of what they spend it on. It sounds like your worker might have confused this with a different rule. You should request a state hearing if you think they calculated your benefits incorrectly. You have 90 days from the notice date to appeal.
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Victoria Charity
Congrats to your daughter on her new job! My son started working last year and I had the same worries. For us, his income didn't affect our benefits because he's in school full-time. The worker explained that student income is exempt for both programs. But definitely report it on your SAR7 - I made the mistake of not reporting at first and got a scary letter about potential fraud investigation. Just be transparent and you'll be fine!
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William Rivera
•Thank you! Glad to hear your benefits weren't affected. I definitely will report it right away. Did you have to provide any proof that your son was a student? Like school enrollment verification or anything?
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Jasmine Quinn
I've spent HOURS trying to reach someone at the county office to ask similar questions about my nephew's income who lives with me. Finally tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a real person in 10 minutes. They confirmed student income is exempt but said I still needed to report it. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - honestly worth it to avoid the frustration of calling over and over.
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Oscar Murphy
•does that service cost money??? i tried calling my worker 9 times yesterday and kept getting disconnected
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Jasmine Quinn
•Yes, there is a fee but I figured it was worth it compared to missing work hours trying to get through. Once I was connected, I asked all my questions at once to make the most of it. Got everything sorted in one call instead of spending days trying to reach someone.
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Mia Roberts
i think it depends on how old ur kid is i heard if there 18 or older it counts but under 18 doesnt??? but my cousin said they counted her 17 yr old sons income so idk the system makes no sense 🙄
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Grace Lee
•The key factor isn't just age - it's whether they're a student. For CalWORKs, if they're under 18 OR a full-time student (any age) AND part of the assistance unit, their earned income is exempt. For CalFresh, if they're under 18 AND at least half-time students, their income is exempt. Your cousin's situation might be different if her son wasn't considered a student or wasn't part of her assistance unit. The rules can be confusing!
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Oscar Murphy
u should ask for the policy in writing!!! they always try to count EVERYTHING against us but there are RULES they have to follow. i always ask them to show me where it says that in the regulations. i bet ur daughters job is exempt cause shes in school, my sons was.
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Evan Kalinowski
For CalWORKs: According to MPP Section 44-111.22, earned income of a child who is a full-time student is exempt regardless of age. For CalFresh: Per 7 CFR 273.9(c)(7), the earned income of a household member under 18 is exempt if they're attending school at least half-time. Since your daughter is 16 and in school, her income should be exempt from both programs. Make sure to still report it on your SAR7 and check the box indicating she's a student. If they incorrectly count her income, request a state hearing within 90 days of receiving the Notice of Action.
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William Rivera
•Thank you for the specific regulations! That's super helpful to have if I need to dispute anything. I've been worried about this for weeks. I'll definitely make sure to mark that she's a student on the SAR7. Our recertification is coming up next month too - should I mention this during the interview?
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Evan Kalinowski
•Yes, absolutely mention it during your recertification interview. Bring proof of her school enrollment and her work income (pay stubs). Even though her income should be exempt, having all documentation ready will prevent delays. During the interview, specifically ask them to confirm that her income is being exempted because she's a student. Get the worker's name too, in case you need to reference the conversation later.
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Mason Lopez
This is such great information everyone is sharing! I'm in a similar situation with my 17-year-old who just started working at a local restaurant. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like as long as our kids are in school, their income shouldn't count against our benefits. But I'm definitely going to follow the advice about reporting it anyway and being upfront about everything. The last thing any of us need is to deal with overpayment issues later. @William Rivera - you're doing the right thing by asking these questions and being proactive about reporting. Your daughter should be proud of her job, and you shouldn't have to worry about it hurting your family's benefits!
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Rebecca Johnston
•@Mason Lopez Thank you so much for the encouragement! It really helps to know other parents are going through the same thing. I was so stressed thinking we might lose help just because my daughter is being responsible. Reading everyone s'experiences here has been so much more helpful than trying to get through to our caseworker. I feel much more confident now about reporting her income on the SAR7 and knowing it should be exempt since she s'in school. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing your knowledge!
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Morgan Washington
I'm so glad you asked this question! I went through the exact same worry when my 15-year-old started working at a local pizza place. The good news is that since your daughter is in school and under 18, her income should be completely exempt from both CalWORKs and CalFresh calculations. I learned this the hard way after initially panicking and thinking we'd lose our benefits. The key things I found out: 1) Always report it on your SAR7 even though it's exempt - transparency is crucial, 2) Make sure to indicate she's a student when you report it, and 3) Keep her school enrollment documentation handy just in case they ask for proof. My daughter has been working for 8 months now and our benefits haven't been affected at all. It's actually been great for her confidence and she's learning valuable work skills! Don't let the fear of benefit changes discourage her from working - the rules are designed to encourage kids to work while staying in school.
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Benjamin Johnson
•@Morgan Washington Thank you for sharing your experience! It s'so reassuring to hear from someone who s'been through this for 8 months with no issues. I was really worried I d'have to tell my daughter to quit her job, which would have been heartbreaking since she s'so excited about it. Your advice about keeping school enrollment documentation handy is really smart - I ll'make sure to have that ready for the recertification interview. It sounds like as long as we re'transparent and follow the rules, everything should work out fine. Thanks for the encouragement about not discouraging her from working - you re'absolutely right that these jobs teach such valuable skills!
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Anastasia Ivanova
Congratulations to your daughter on getting her first job! That's such an exciting milestone. Based on what I know from my own experience with my 17-year-old nephew who lives with us, student income is typically exempt from both CalWORKs and CalFresh as long as they're enrolled in school. When I reported his summer job income last year, our worker confirmed it wouldn't count against our benefits since he was a full-time student. Just make sure to report it on your SAR7 - I can't stress this enough! Even though it should be exempt, failing to report ANY household income can cause major headaches later. When you fill out the form, there should be a section where you can indicate she's a student. I'd also recommend bringing a copy of her school enrollment or report card to your next appointment just to have documentation ready. Your daughter should be so proud of herself for taking this step, and you shouldn't have to worry about it affecting your family's stability. The system is designed to encourage students to work and gain valuable experience. Keep being the supportive parent you clearly are!
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Diego Mendoza
•@Anastasia Ivanova This is such helpful advice, thank you! I really appreciate you mentioning bringing school enrollment documentation - I hadn t'thought about having that ready but it makes total sense. It s'so encouraging to hear from so many parents who ve'navigated this successfully. I was honestly losing sleep over this, worried we d'have to choose between my daughter s'job and keeping our benefits. But everyone s'experiences here show that the system really is designed to support students working. I m'definitely going to report everything properly on the SAR7 and make sure I have all the documentation ready. Thank you for the kind words about being supportive - sometimes it s'hard to know if you re'doing the right thing, but this community has been amazing in helping me feel confident about moving forward!
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Bruno Simmons
This thread has been so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation - my 16-year-old just started working at Target and I was panicking about our benefits. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me so much peace of mind. It's clear that student income should be exempt for both programs as long as we report it properly. What really stands out to me is how many people emphasized reporting it on the SAR7 even though it's exempt - that seems to be the key to avoiding problems later. I'm also going to take the advice about bringing school enrollment documentation to be prepared. @William Rivera - your daughter should be so proud, and so should you for asking these important questions! It's parents like you looking out for their families that help all of us learn and navigate this system better. Thanks for starting this conversation!
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Aisha Abdullah
•@Bruno Simmons Thank you so much for the kind words! This whole thread has been such a lifesaver. I was so stressed about this situation, but seeing how many other parents have successfully navigated the same thing has really put my mind at ease. You re'absolutely right about the reporting being key - it seems like as long as we re'transparent and document everything properly, the system actually works in favor of students working. I love that Target hired your 16-year-old too! It s'so great to see these companies giving teens their first job opportunities. Good luck with your SAR7 reporting - sounds like we re'both much better prepared now thanks to everyone s'advice here!
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Sofia Perez
This is such valuable information for all of us parents! I'm in a similar boat with my 17-year-old who's been wanting to get a job but I've been hesitant because of benefit concerns. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Student income under 18 is exempt for both CalWORKs and CalFresh, 2) Always report it on the SAR7 anyway to stay transparent, 3) Make sure to indicate student status, and 4) Keep school enrollment docs handy. @William Rivera thank you for asking this question - you've helped so many of us! Your daughter is lucky to have such a caring and proactive parent. I think I'm finally ready to encourage my son to start looking for that part-time job he's been wanting. It's amazing how supportive this community is!
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Chloe Harris
•@Sofia Perez You ve'summed up all the key points perfectly! This whole discussion has been so educational and reassuring for all of us parents navigating this situation. I was initially terrified that my daughter getting a job would somehow hurt our family s'stability, but everyone s'shared experiences show that the system really does support students working. Your four takeaways are exactly what I m'going to follow - report everything transparently, document her student status, and keep enrollment proof ready. I m'so glad this conversation could help you feel confident about encouraging your son to look for work too! These part-time jobs are such great learning experiences for our kids, and it s'wonderful that we don t'have to choose between their growth and our family s'benefits. This community really is amazing - I never expected to get such thorough, helpful advice from so many people who ve'been through the same thing!
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Jackie Martinez
As someone who's been through the CalWORKs and CalFresh system for years, I can confirm what others have said - your daughter's income should definitely be exempt since she's under 18 and in school! I went through this exact situation with my own teenager last year. The most important thing is to report it on your SAR7 even though it won't count against your benefits. I made sure to write "STUDENT - EXEMPT" right next to where I listed his income so there was no confusion. Also, don't stress too much about reaching your caseworker - sometimes it's easier to just report everything clearly on the forms and let them process it. Your daughter should be so proud of her first job, and you're being such a responsible parent by making sure everything is reported correctly!
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Thais Soares
•@Jackie Martinez That s'such a great tip about writing STUDENT "- EXEMPT right" next to the income on the SAR7! I hadn t'thought of that but it makes perfect sense to be that clear and avoid any confusion. You re'also right about not stressing too much about reaching the caseworker - I ve'been driving myself crazy trying to get through to someone when really I can just be thorough and clear on the paperwork. It s'so reassuring to hear from someone who s'been in the system for years and has actually been through this exact situation. Thank you for the encouragement about my daughter - she really is proud of her job and I m'proud of her too! I feel so much more confident now about handling this properly thanks to advice from experienced parents like you.
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