Started new job - will reporting income affect my CalWORKs healthcare?

You absolutely need to report your income. Not reporting is considered fraud and you could end up having to pay back benefits plus penalties. The good news is that getting a job doesn't automatically mean losing Medi-Cal! There's a program called Transitional Medi-Cal that specifically exists to help people who start working. When your income increases and you no longer qualify for CalWORKs, you can get up to 12 months of continued Medi-Cal coverage through this program. You should report your income within 10 days of starting the job. Your Cash Aid might decrease based on your earnings, but that's better than getting hit with an overpayment later. And when you find that better full-time job, you'll need to report that change too, but again, you'll likely be eligible for the transitional benefits to help you through.

ur mom is giving bad advice tbh. my cousin didnt report her job and they found out anyway cuz the county does wage checks with EDD. she had to pay back like $3000 and almost got charged w/ fraud. not worth it!!!

I get why your mom is worried - the benefits system can feel like walking through a minefield sometimes. But not reporting income is one of the fastest ways to get yourself in serious trouble with CalWORKs. For your specific questions: 1) When you report this job, your cash aid will be reduced based on a calculation (they don't count all your income), but your Medi-Cal will STAY ACTIVE for at least 12 months through the Transitional Medi-Cal program - even if your cash aid ends completely. 2) If you switch jobs during that period, just report the change. As long as you're honest about your income changes, you're protected. 3) After the transitional period, you might still qualify for Medi-Cal under different eligibility rules, especially if you need regular medication. But you HAVE TO report within 10 days of getting paid. The county has ways of finding out about unreported income, and the penalties are much worse than any benefits you might temporarily keep.

OMG I went through this EXACT situation last year!! The county offices are TERRIBLE about explaining these things!!! You actually have protection called Transitional Medi-Cal (TMC) that lasts for a full year after your CalWORKs stops due to income! But you HAVE TO report your income for it to kick in properly!!! I was so scared of losing my daughter's coverage that I almost didn't report my new job too, but my friend who works at a community clinic told me about TMC. After your TMC year ends, they'll reevaluate you for regular Medi-Cal based on your income then. DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR MOM ON THIS ONE!!! Not reporting is fraud and they WILL find out!!!

If you're worried about getting through to your CalWORKs worker to report this change, try using Claimyr.com - it's what I used when I couldn't get anyone on the phone for weeks. They called the county for me and got me connected to a real person in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE I was in a similar situation last year and needed to report income changes, but kept getting disconnected or waiting on hold forever. This service saved me a ton of stress when I needed to talk to someone about my transitional benefits.

A few important details people aren't mentioning: 1. When you report your new job, you'll need to provide pay stubs or an employer statement showing your hours and pay rate. 2. Your CalWORKs grant will be reduced, but they don't count ALL your income. There's a $225 income disregard plus 50% of the remaining earnings are also disregarded. So if you make $1,800/month, they'll only count $787.50 against your grant ($1800 - $225 = $1575 ÷ 2 = $787.50). 3. For Transitional Medi-Cal, it's AUTOMATIC once your CalWORKs closes due to earnings - but only if you've been properly reporting your income. 4. When you change jobs, report that change within 10 days. Any gap between jobs needs to be reported too. I've been through this whole process, and it's actually designed to encourage work. The system doesn't just cut you off when you start working - that would defeat the purpose of getting people self-sufficient.

ur mom wants u to commit welfare fraud lol thats crazy. dont do it

sooo did u end up reporting ur job?? what happened with ur benefits??