Does receiving Social Security income reduce my CalWORKs Cash Aid amount?
I just got approved for Social Security disability payments starting next month ($1,275). I currently get CalWORKs for me and my two kids ($886). I'm confused about how this will affect my benefits. Will they just reduce my Cash Aid or will I lose everything completely? I reported the change on BenefitsCal but haven't heard anything back yet. Also wondering if this affects my CalFresh amount too? I'm really worried because my rent just went up and I can't afford to lose any assistance right now. Has anyone dealt with getting Social Security while on CalWORKs before?
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Taylor To
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.
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Oliver Cheng
•Thank you! So does that mean I need to call my worker and ask about the child-only grant specifically? Or will they automatically do that? I'm worried they'll just cut everything off without looking at all the options.
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Ella Cofer
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
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Kevin Bell
•This is exactly right. The income limits for a child-only case are much higher because they only count income available to the children. When a parent receives Social Security, the CalWORKs case can be restructured so the parent is excluded from the assistance unit but still serves as the caretaker for the children's grant. Always ask specifically for this option - county workers sometimes miss this step if you don't bring it up.
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Savannah Glover
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!!
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Oliver Cheng
•Omg thank you for mentioning that! They did say I'll get some backpay but I didn't think about the resource limit. Do you know how quickly I need to spend it? And does it matter what I spend it on?
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Felix Grigori
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!
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Felicity Bud
•Try using Claimyr.com - it saved me SO much time when I had to report my new job to CalWORKs. It basically calls the county for you and gets through their phone system, then calls you once a real person is on the line. I was skeptical but the video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE shows exactly how it works. Got through to my worker in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own.
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Taylor To
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.
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Max Reyes
•That's not totally right. My mom gets SSI and she's excluded from our CalWORKs case but she's still the caretaker for us kids. The worker said that's exactly what SSI recipients are supposed to do - get excluded from the AU but remain the caretaker for the child-only case. Maybe it varies by county?
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Mikayla Davison
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!!!
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Kevin Bell
•You should really reconsider applying for Social Security if you qualify. While it can affect your CalWORKs, in most cases people end up financially better off with SSDI/SSI plus a child-only CalWORKs grant than with just a family CalWORKs grant. Social Security benefits also don't have the same 48-month time limit that CalWORKs does, and you don't have to meet WTW requirements. It's worth talking to a benefits counselor to run the numbers for your specific situation.
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Oliver Cheng
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?
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Felicity Bud
•The timing can vary. When I reported my SS income, it took about 2-3 weeks before they adjusted my CalWORKs. They're supposed to send you a Notice of Action 10 days before making any changes, so you should have some warning. If you're still having trouble reaching someone, seriously consider trying Claimyr.com - it's designed specifically for getting through to county benefit offices when they're swamped with calls. The service connects you with a worker once they finally answer so you don't waste your whole day on hold.
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Taylor To
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.
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Oliver Cheng
•Thank you so much for this summary! This is really helpful. I'll definitely ask about the child-only case right away.
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Quinn Herbert
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!
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