How to split CalFresh EBT & Medi-Cal after separation with kids living with ex?

Yes, you can definitely create separate CalFresh and Medi-Cal cases after separating! I went through this last year. Here's what you need to do: 1. Report the household change to your county office ASAP (within 10 days of the separation/children moving) 2. Submit a SAR 3 form (mid-period status report) showing the change in your household composition 3. Ask for your case to be split into two separate cases Your ex-boyfriend will need to apply for his own CalFresh case as the head of household for himself and your two shared children. For Medi-Cal, since the kids are already covered under your case, there will need to be a transfer of their coverage to his case, but there shouldn't be any gap in coverage for them. For your older child with medical needs, their coverage should continue uninterrupted since they're staying with you. Just make sure to clearly explain your child's medical situation when reporting the household change so they prioritize maintaining that coverage.

i just did this 4 months ago. its a MESS trust me. i called for 3 days straight couldnt get thru to anyone. they cut ALL my benifits for like 2 weeks even tho i told them ahead of time my ex was moving out with our kid. ended up having to start all over with new application even tho they said i didnt need to. make sure u save all ur documents!!!!

Make sure you tell them your older child has medical issues! My nephew has diabetus and when my sister split with her boyfriend the county almost dropped his coverage during the switch. Ask specificaly for a "Continuity of Care" note on your case so your child can keep seeing the same doctors during the transition. Good luck!

When I went through something similar, the most important thing was timing everything correctly. You should: 1. First notify your current eligibility worker of the household change 2. Request that they set up your ex-boyfriend with his own case number for him and the two kids 3. Make sure you specify that you want to maintain your own case for yourself and your older child with medical needs 4. Submit updated income information for both households Don't make the mistake I did of just having your ex apply separately before notifying your current worker - it created duplicate cases in the system and caused our benefits to be put on hold while they sorted it out. The system gets confused easily with custody situations. For your older child with medical issues, ask about the "Medical Necessity" coding for their case. This flags them in the system as requiring uninterrupted coverage due to ongoing medical treatment. Your eligibility worker might not mention this unless you specifically ask about it.

The county offices are IMPOSSIBLE to deal with for this stuff!! I tried to split my case when my ex and I separated last year and they kept telling me different things every time. One worker told me I had to close my case completely and reapply, another said just update the household info on my current case. Meanwhile my kids almost lost their Medi-Cal coverage!! The system is designed to make you fail I swear. Make sure you document EVERYTHING. Get names of workers you talk to, reference numbers, and ask for emails confirming what they tell you. Otherwise they'll deny telling you something later. And KEEP CHECKING your BenefitsCal account because sometimes they make changes without notifying you!

Thank you all for the advice! I called my county office this morning and after being on hold for over an hour, I finally spoke with someone. They told me I need to submit the SAR 3 form and provide documentation that my boyfriend and our two children will be living separately from me and my older child. The worker said my ex will need to apply for his own CalFresh case after I report the household change, and they'll transfer the kids' Medi-Cal to his case. I specifically asked about the Continuity of Care for my older son and they added a note to my file. One question - do I need to submit proof of separate addresses? My ex hasn't found a permanent place yet, he's staying with his brother temporarily until he can get his own place. Will this be an issue?

btw dont forget to tell them about child support!!! when me & my ex split they made me fill out child support papers even tho we had 50/50 custody because i was getting calworks too. not sure if its the same for just calfresh but they might ask you about it

make sure u count your income right on the new application!!! when i split from my kids dad last year my foodstamps amount changed a lot because our income was different. if ur keeping the older kid you might get more benefits depending on your income now vs household income before.

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been SO helpful! Just wanted to add - if you're worried about the transition period, ask your worker about "bridge benefits." Some counties can provide temporary assistance to make sure there's no gap in coverage while they're processing the household changes. Also, since your older child has serious medical issues, you might want to contact their primary care doctor's billing department to let them know about the potential Medi-Cal changes. Sometimes medical offices can help advocate for continued coverage if there are any issues with the transition. My daughter's specialist actually wrote a letter to our county office when we had coverage problems during a similar situation. One more tip - screenshot or print out your current benefit amounts and coverage details from BenefitsCal before you make any changes. This way you have documentation of what you had before in case something gets messed up and you need to reference it later. Good luck with everything!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! One thing that really helped me was creating a checklist of all the documents I needed before starting the process. For your situation, make sure you have: - Current pay stubs for yourself - Proof of your older child's medical expenses (statements from doctors, pharmacy receipts, etc.) - School enrollment records showing where each child will be attending - Any documentation of your current living arrangement Also, I'd recommend calling your county's "expedited services" line if they have one - some counties have a separate number for cases involving children with medical needs that can get you faster processing. When I mentioned my child had ongoing medical treatment, they prioritized my case and I got my new benefits determined within 5 days instead of the usual 2-3 weeks. One last thing - if your ex is going to be the primary caretaker for your two shared kids, make sure HE understands he needs to report ANY changes to his new case immediately. I learned the hard way that when one parent doesn't report income changes or living situation updates, it can affect the other parent's benefits too since the system tracks shared children between cases. Stay strong - this process is stressful but you're doing the right thing by getting organized and asking for help!

I'm so sorry you're going through this stressful situation! As someone who works with families navigating these benefit changes, I wanted to add a few things that haven't been mentioned yet: First, when you submit your SAR 3 form, also include a "Statement of Facts" form if your county has one. This lets you explain in your own words exactly what's happening with your separation and why your older child needs uninterrupted medical coverage. It creates a paper trail that can help prevent misunderstandings. Second, consider asking for a "three-way call" when your ex applies for his new case. Some counties will let both parents and the eligibility worker get on the phone together to coordinate the transition. This helps ensure both cases are set up correctly from the start and reduces the chance of system errors. Also, keep in mind that your CalFresh benefit amount might actually increase once it's just you and your older child, especially if your ex was the higher earner. Make sure to ask about the Medical Deduction for your child's ongoing health expenses - this can significantly boost your food stamp allocation. Lastly, if you run into any roadblocks, contact your county's CalFresh Program Manager directly. They have more authority to resolve complex cases than regular eligibility workers. Stay organized and don't be afraid to escalate if needed - your children's wellbeing depends on getting this right!

I'm currently going through a similar situation with my sister, so I really feel for you! One thing that's been crucial for us is keeping detailed records of EVERYTHING. I created a simple spreadsheet tracking every phone call (date, time, worker name, what was discussed), every document submitted, and every piece of information given to us. Also, since your older child has serious medical issues, you might want to look into applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for him if you haven't already. If he qualifies, it could provide additional financial support and might make your CalFresh/Medi-Cal cases more straightforward since SSI recipients often get expedited processing. One more tip - if your county has a local legal aid organization, they sometimes have benefits advocates who can help navigate these complex household changes for free. They know all the ins and outs of the system and can often get things resolved much faster than trying to handle it alone. My sister's advocate caught an error that could have delayed her case by weeks. You're being so proactive by asking questions here and getting organized. Your kids are lucky to have someone fighting so hard to make sure their needs are met during this difficult time!

I'm so glad you asked this question because I'm in almost the exact same situation! My partner and I are separating next month and we have similar benefit complications with our kids. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially the tips about Continuity of Care and Medical Necessity coding. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from my caseworker - if your older child receives any kind of special education services at school, make sure to mention that when you're explaining his medical needs to the eligibility worker. Sometimes educational accommodations can help support the case for uninterrupted medical coverage since it shows ongoing documented needs. Also, I've been keeping a "separation binder" with copies of everything related to our benefits, custody arrangements, and medical records. It's been really helpful when I need to reference information quickly during phone calls with the county office. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences here - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that makes such a difference when you're trying to navigate this system while dealing with a separation. Wishing you the best of luck getting everything sorted out smoothly!

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm not going through a separation myself, but I work at a community health center and we see families dealing with these benefit transitions all the time. A few additional resources that might help: 1. Most counties have a "Benefits Outreach Coordinator" who specifically helps with complex cases involving children with medical needs. Ask for this person by title when you call - they often have more flexibility to expedite cases. 2. If your son qualifies for any state disability programs or receives services through a Regional Center, mention this during your eligibility interview. These connections can sometimes provide additional pathways for maintaining coverage. 3. Consider reaching out to your son's school nurse or special education coordinator if he has one. They often have experience helping families navigate benefit changes and may have direct contacts at the county office. The fact that you're being so proactive and thorough will really work in your favor. County workers appreciate when families come prepared with documentation and a clear understanding of their situation. Keep advocating for your children - you're doing everything right!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread! As someone who's been through a messy separation with benefits complications myself about 3 years ago, I wish I had found advice this detailed and helpful when I was going through it. A couple additional things that might help based on my experience: 1. When you do get your separate case set up, make sure to update your emergency contact information in BenefitsCal. During separations, people sometimes forget to change this and it can cause confusion if the county tries to reach your ex about your case. 2. If possible, try to schedule your SAR 3 submission for early in the month rather than near the end. I learned this the hard way - if there are any processing delays near the end of the month, it can affect when your new benefit amounts take effect. 3. Keep a copy of your current EBT card even after the case split. Sometimes there are weird delays in the system and having the old card info can help the eligibility worker troubleshoot if there are any issues with your new benefits loading properly. The system is definitely not perfect, but with all the great preparation advice in this thread, you're setting yourself up for the best possible outcome. Your kids are lucky to have such an organized and caring mom advocating for them during this difficult time. Wishing you all the best!

Just wanted to jump in and add something that really helped me when I went through a similar separation last year - ask your eligibility worker about getting a "case summary letter" before the split happens. This document shows exactly what benefits each person and child was receiving, which becomes super important if there are any disputes or confusion later about who was supposed to get what. Also, since you mentioned your older child has serious medical issues, you might want to contact the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan (if he's enrolled in one) directly to let them know about the upcoming case changes. Sometimes the managed care plans can put a "protection flag" on accounts for members with ongoing medical needs to prevent any accidental terminations during transitions. One thing I learned the hard way - if your ex is staying temporarily with his brother, make sure he gets some kind of written statement from the brother BEFORE he applies for benefits. Counties are really picky about temporary housing situations and having that documentation ready upfront can prevent delays in processing his application. You're doing all the right things by asking questions and preparing ahead of time. The separation process is hard enough without worrying about losing benefits, but with all the great advice in this thread you should be in good shape. Hang in there!