What happens to my EBT balance when I get a job? Will CalWORKs take back my Cash Aid?
So I finally got offered a job at Target starting next week (yay!) but now I'm worried about what happens with my CalWORKs benefits. I got my cash aid for this month already and there's still like $340 left on my EBT card. Do I have to return that money once I start working? Will they take the card away or deactivate it? My friend said I should spend it all before I report the job. I'm planning to tell my worker about the job next week but wanted to know what's gonna happen with the money that's still on my card. Also, how much time do I have to report the new job? Is it 5 days or 10 days? Getting confused with all these reporting rules.
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Mia Green
Congrats on the job! Here's what you need to know: 1. The money already on your EBT card is yours to keep and use. CalWORKs won't take it back or deactivate your card just because you got a job. 2. You need to report your new income within 10 days if it puts you over your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). Check your last SAR7 or Notice of Action for your specific IRT amount. If your new job income is below your IRT, you just report it on your next semi-annual report (SAR7). 3. Depending on how much you'll earn, your benefits might be reduced or discontinued for future months, but that doesn't affect money already issued. 4. Keep your EBT card even if your benefits stop! If you need help again within the year, it's easier to restart benefits with the same card.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•Thank you so much for the clear answer! That's a relief about keeping what's already on my card. I checked my last notice and my IRT is $2,250 for my family size. I'll be making about $1,800 a month at Target so I guess I don't need to report until my next SAR7? But wouldn't it be better to report now so I don't get an overpayment later?
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Emma Bianchi
ur friend is wrong 2 tell u 2 spend it all quick, thats not how it works. the $ they put on ur card already is urs. they cant take it back. they dont ask 4 it back. its not like they check ur card balance or nothing. but u DO gotta report the job so u dont get overpayments later. i got a job last yr and didnt report it fast enuf and they made me pay back 2 months worth later on!!
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Sophia Rodriguez
•Thanks for the warning! I definitely don't want to deal with overpayments. Did they make you pay it all back at once or did they let you do a payment plan?
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Lucas Kowalski
To add to what others have said, if your job is part-time, you might still be eligible for partial Cash Aid depending on your income. CalWORKs has something called "earned income disregard" where they don't count the first $225 of your earnings plus 50% of the remainder when calculating your grant amount. For example, if you earn $1,800/month, they'd disregard $225 plus 50% of $1,575 (which is $787.50), so only $787.50 of your income would count against your grant. Depending on your family size and grant amount, you might still get some cash aid. Also, even if your Cash Aid stops, you might still qualify for CalFresh and Medi-Cal for quite a while longer. They have different income limits.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•Wow I didn't know about the disregard thing! That's really helpful. I'm a single mom with 2 kids so my grant is $925. So even with my new job I might still get something? That would really help with the transition to working.
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Olivia Martinez
you definitely need to report within 10 days if your over your IRT but if your not you can just put it on your next SAR7. but keep in mind you'll still be eligible for childcare benefits for a while after your cash aid stops! make sure to tell them you need that. also you might get transitional CalFRESH too.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•Thanks for mentioning childcare! I completely forgot about that. My kids are 4 and 6 so I definitely need help with childcare costs while I'm working.
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Charlie Yang
Has anyone actually been able to get through to their worker to report income changes? I've been calling for THREE DAYS trying to report my new job and the phone system just disconnects me after 45 minutes on hold. So frustrating!! How are we supposed to follow the rules when we can't even get through to talk to anyone???
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Grace Patel
•I had the same problem last month! I ended up using Claimyr to get through to my worker. It's this service that calls the county for you and then calls you back when they reach a real person. Saved me hours of hold time. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE I was skeptical at first but it actually worked and I was able to report my job change in time. Way better than getting disconnected over and over.
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ApolloJackson
this is why the system is so broken smh... they make it so hard to do the right thing. i tried to report my job in march and kept getting hung up on. Then i got a notice saying i owe $1200 for overpaymnt. how is that fair when i TRIED to report??
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Mia Green
•If you can prove you tried to report (phone records, etc.), you should request a fair hearing! You might be able to get the overpayment waived if you can show you made good faith efforts to report. There's a section on the back of your Notice of Action that explains how to request a hearing.
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Lucas Kowalski
One more thing I wanted to mention - since you're starting work, you might qualify for the CalWORKs Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). When you file your taxes next year, make sure to claim this credit. It can give you back a significant amount of money depending on your income and number of children. Also, don't forget that after your CalWORKs case closes due to employment, you may be eligible for Transitional Medi-Cal for up to 12 months regardless of your income. This is really important to maintain healthcare coverage for you and your children.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•I had no idea about the tax credit - thank you! And good to know about the Medi-Cal too. My kids have asthma so we definitely need to keep our medical coverage.
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Emma Bianchi
make SURE u do that SAR7 when they send it even if ur not on cash aid no more!!! if u miss it they mite cut off ur other benefits too!!!
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Sophia Rodriguez
•Good point! I always put reminders in my phone about the SAR7 because I've had benefits stopped before for turning it in late. Not making that mistake again!
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Ravi Choudhury
Congratulations on your new job at Target! 🎉 That's such a big step. I just wanted to add something that might help during your transition - if you haven't already, look into applying for childcare assistance through CalWORKs Stage 1. Since you're moving from welfare to work, you should qualify for this program which can cover most of your childcare costs while you're employed. The application process can take a few weeks, so I'd recommend starting that paperwork as soon as you report your job. They'll help you find approved childcare providers in your area. With kids ages 4 and 6, this benefit could save you hundreds of dollars a month and really make the difference in whether working is financially worth it for your family. Also, don't stress too much about the reporting timeline - you're clearly trying to do everything right by asking questions ahead of time. That shows you're being responsible about it!
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