Does receiving Social Security income reduce my CalWORKs Cash Aid amount?

Social Security income definitely affects your CalWORKs amount. Since you're the disabled parent receiving SSDI/SSI (not sure which one you have), that income is counted when calculating your cash grant. Your CalWORKs will likely be reduced or possibly discontinued depending on your exact household situation. However, your children might still qualify for a child-only grant if your income puts just you over the limit but not them. Make sure to specifically ask about a child-only case when you speak with your worker. As for CalFresh, Social Security income is counted there too, so you'll probably see a reduction. But they calculate it differently than CalWORKs, so don't assume you'll lose it entirely.

I went thru this last yr. Got SSDI and my cash aid got cut completely! But my kids got put on a seprate child only case and still got some $$$. They didn't do it automatically tho - I had to really push my worker to set it up right. Callfresh went down too but we still get some. Make sure u tell them your expenses like rent and utilities cuz that helps with the callfresh calculation

when u get your SS started make SURE to keep all the paperwork to show your worker. they WILL ask for verification and if u don't have it they'll cut u off. also don't spend all the money at once because sometimes SS gives u back pay and that can put u over the resource limit if u don't spend it down. my cousin lost her benefits for 3 months because of this!!

Have you tried calling your worker? I've been trying to get through to my CalWORKs office for 2 weeks about a change in my income too. So frustrating when they never pick up!

One more important thing - if you're receiving SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) rather than SSI (Supplemental Security Income), the rules are different. SSDI is always counted as income for CalWORKs, but SSI is treated differently and recipients are not eligible for CalWORKs at all. However, with SSI, other family members can still get CalWORKs as a child-only case. You mentioned getting $1,275, which sounds like SSDI amounts. In that case, definitely ask about the child-only option for your kids. Also, be sure to report this change within 10 days of receiving your first payment to avoid any overpayment issues.

tbh this is why i didn't apply for social security even tho my doctor said i should. too scared of losing my other benefits and ending up worse off. the system is so complicated!!!

I called my county office three times today but kept getting disconnected after waiting for 45+ minutes each time! This is so stressful. My first Social Security payment comes next week and I'm worried my CalWORKs will just stop automatically. Does anyone know how long they usually take to adjust the benefits after you report a change?

To summarize what everyone's said: 1. Your CalWORKs will definitely change - either reduce or stop for you personally 2. Ask specifically about establishing a child-only case for your kids 3. Report this change within 10 days of receiving your first payment 4. Keep documentation of everything - approval letters, payment amounts, etc. 5. Your CalFresh will likely decrease but not necessarily disappear 6. Be careful with any lump-sum backpay regarding resource limits Finally, make sure to submit your verification through BenefitsCal but also follow up by phone to ensure they process the change correctly. Changes involving Social Security often need additional worker attention to set up properly.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! Got approved for SSDI ($1,100/month) while getting CalWORKs for me and my daughter. Here's what actually happened: my CalWORKs case got discontinued for me but they set up a child-only case for my daughter automatically once I provided all the SS paperwork. The child-only grant was actually higher than what we were getting before because they use different income calculations for child-only cases. My CalFresh did go down from $281 to $194 but we kept some benefits. The key thing is to stay on top of your worker - mine initially just closed everything until I called and specifically asked about the child-only option. Also, when you get your first SS payment, report it immediately but ask them to walk you through exactly how they're going to restructure your case. Don't let them just close everything without exploring all options!

I'm actually in a very similar situation right now - just got my SSDI approval letter last week ($1,180/month) and I'm on CalWORKs with my three kids. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful because I was honestly panicking about losing everything. Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like the key is being proactive about asking for the child-only case rather than waiting for the worker to figure it out. I'm planning to call tomorrow (wish me luck getting through!) and specifically mention that I want them to evaluate a child-only case for my kids when my SSDI starts. One question I have - for those who went through this transition, did you notice any difference in how quickly they processed things if you submitted everything through BenefitsCal versus calling? I already uploaded my approval letter to BenefitsCal but I'm wondering if I should also try to speak with someone directly to make sure they handle the restructuring correctly. Also @Quinn Herbert - your experience gives me so much hope! The idea that the child-only grant could actually be higher than what we're getting now as a family case is amazing. Did you have to deal with any of the work requirements or WTW stuff for the child-only case, or does that go away once you're excluded from the assistance unit?

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been SO helpful! I just wanted to add that when I called my county office about my upcoming SSDI payments, the worker told me something important - make sure you ask about keeping your Medi-Cal coverage too. Apparently when they restructure your case for the child-only CalWORKs, sometimes the Medi-Cal gets discontinued by mistake even though SSDI recipients are supposed to keep it. She said to specifically ask them to check that your Medi-Cal stays active when they exclude you from the CalWORKs assistance unit. I almost forgot to mention this but saw @Emma Taylor asking about the process and wanted to make sure everyone knows to check on ALL their benefits, not just the cash aid and CalFresh. The last thing anyone needs is to lose health coverage during this transition! Also echoing what others said about Claimyr - I used it yesterday and actually got through to my worker after trying on my own for over a week. Worth the small fee to not waste hours on hold.

I'm new to this community but going through something very similar right now. My SSDI got approved last month ($1,320/month) and I've been on CalWORKs with my two kids for about a year. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea about the child-only case option and honestly thought I was going to lose everything. A few things I wanted to add based on what I've learned so far from my worker: 1. They told me that the 10-day reporting requirement is super important - if you report late, they can create an overpayment situation that's really hard to deal with later. 2. My worker mentioned that if you have any questions about whether you're getting SSDI vs SSI, check your award letter carefully. SSDI comes from your work history and SSI is need-based. The rules are slightly different for each one regarding CalWORKs eligibility. 3. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're renting and receiving any rental assistance or living in subsidized housing, make sure to also report your Social Security income to your housing authority. The income limits and calculations are different but they also need to know about the change. I'm planning to call my worker this week armed with all the knowledge from this thread. Thank you everyone for being so open about your experiences - it's made this scary transition feel much more manageable!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! Just wanted to add a few things that might help others going through the same transition: 1. When you call to report your Social Security income, ask them to put notes in your case file about discussing the child-only option. I learned this the hard way when my first worker forgot our conversation and almost just closed everything. 2. If you're getting any medical equipment or supplies through Medi-Cal (like a CPAP machine, wheelchair, etc.), double-check that your coverage continues seamlessly. I almost lost my diabetes supplies during my case restructuring because of a paperwork mix-up. 3. For those worried about the phone wait times - I found that calling right when they open (usually 8am) gave me the best chance of getting through quickly. Tuesday through Thursday seemed to be less busy than Mondays and Fridays. The whole process is definitely stressful but reading everyone's success stories here gives me hope that it'll work out. The fact that several people ended up better off financially with the child-only cases is really encouraging. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to figure out the confusing official websites!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for someone like me who's navigating this confusing system! I'm currently waiting for my SSDI determination (fingers crossed) and already on CalWORKs with my son. Reading everyone's real experiences has taught me so much more than any official website. A couple of questions for those who've been through this: 1. If you're approved for SSDI but there's a delay in receiving your first payment, do you need to report the approval immediately or wait until you actually get the money? My lawyer said it could be 2-3 months between approval and first payment. 2. Has anyone dealt with this situation while also having a special needs child? My son gets additional support services and I'm worried about how the case restructuring might affect those. Thank you all for being so open about sharing your experiences - it's making what felt like an impossible situation seem much more manageable!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly reassuring! I just got my SSDI approval letter yesterday ($1,150/month) and have been terrified about what would happen to my CalWORKs benefits for me and my twin daughters. Reading everyone's experiences, especially @Quinn Herbert and others who ended up better off with child-only cases, has given me so much hope. I had no idea that was even an option - I thought it was all or nothing. A few things I'm taking away from this thread that I want to confirm: 1. Report the approval immediately, don't wait for first payment 2. Specifically ask about child-only case for my kids 3. Make sure to ask about keeping Medi-Cal active 4. Get everything documented in my case file 5. Be prepared with all my SS paperwork One question I have - has anyone dealt with this while also receiving WIC benefits? I'm wondering if the income change affects that program differently than CalFresh. Thank you all so much for sharing your real experiences. This community is amazing and I feel so much more prepared to advocate for my family now!

This is such a comprehensive thread - thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences! I'm in a similar situation where I'm expecting my SSDI decision soon and currently receive CalWORKs for myself and my daughter. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational and honestly a huge relief. What strikes me most is how many people mentioned that their workers didn't automatically suggest the child-only option - it seems like you really have to advocate for yourself and specifically ask about it. That's both frustrating and good to know going in. I'm definitely taking notes on everyone's practical tips, especially about calling right at 8am, keeping detailed documentation, and making sure to ask about ALL benefits (Medi-Cal, CalFresh, etc.) during the transition. The point about asking the worker to put notes in the case file is brilliant too. For those who successfully got child-only cases set up - did you find that your workers were generally knowledgeable about this option once you brought it up, or did you have to educate them about it? I'm trying to prepare for the possibility that I might need to really push for this if my worker isn't familiar with the process. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to share detailed experiences. This community support makes navigating such a complex system feel so much more manageable!