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Sofia Gutierrez

What's the CalWORKs IRT income threshold for a family of 3 in 2025?

Can someone tell me the current Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) for CalWORKs with a family of 3? I just started a part-time job and I'm not sure when I need to report my income. My caseworker explained it once but I forgot to write it down, and now I can't reach anyone at the county office. My SAR7 isn't due for another 2 months but I don't want to get in trouble for not reporting income changes. Thanks!

last time i checkd the IRT for family of 3 was like $2800 or something but that was last yr. they change it every oct i think. should be on ur last approval notice they send u

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Thanks! I'll look through my paperwork again. I might have missed it.

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The Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) for a family of 3 on CalWORKs for 2025 is $3,276 per month (gross income). This amount increased in October 2024. Your IRT should be listed on your most recent Notice of Action or approval letter. Important: You only need to report income BETWEEN your SAR7 reports if your total monthly income goes ABOVE your IRT amount. If you stay below your IRT, you just report the income on your next SAR7. If you can't find your notice with the IRT listed, you should contact your county office to confirm your specific IRT - it can sometimes vary based on your situation.

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Thank you so much! This is exactly what I needed to know. My job will probably give me around $1,800 a month so looks like I'm under the IRT and just need to report it on my next SAR7.

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Question - is the IRT amount before or after taxes? My checks have taxes taken out so I'm not sure if I should be counting the gross amount or what actually gets deposited.

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i think ur county worker SHOULD have told u this info cuz its soooo important. if u go over the IRT even for 1 month and dont report it within 10 days u can get hit with an OVERPAYMNT and thats a NIGHTMRE to deal with trust me!!!! then they make u pay back $ and can even charge u with fraud if they think u did it on purpose. the system is designed to trip people up IMO

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That's what I'm worried about! I definitely don't want an overpayment. My worker gave me so much information at once during my last recertification that I couldn't remember everything.

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callng them back is IMPOSSIBLE too i tried for 3 dayz last month and kept getting hung up on by the stupid automated system

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@Worried_CalWORKs_Mom, the IRT is based on GROSS income (before taxes/deductions). So when you're checking if you're over the IRT, always use the gross amount shown on your paystub, not what gets deposited in your account. And just to add to what others have said - the IRT letter sometimes comes separately from your regular approval notice. It might be a form called the "AR 2" or "Income Reporting Threshold Letter." If you can't find it, you can also check your online BenefitsCal account if you have one set up - sometimes the notices are available there too.

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Thank you! I'll make sure to look at the gross amount on my pay stubs then.

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If you're having trouble reaching your CalWORKs worker after multiple attempts, you might want to try Claimyr. I was in the same situation last month - couldn't get through for days and kept getting disconnected. Used their service and got connected to a live person at my county office in about 15 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE They basically call for you and then connect you when they reach a real person. Saved me so much stress when I needed to confirm my IRT after starting a new job.

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Thanks for the suggestion! I'll try going through my paperwork first, but if I can't find anything I might try this. The hold times are ridiculous.

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does this really work? i've wasted entire days on hold with the county before

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Just one more important thing about the IRT - it's for your WHOLE household's income combined, not just yours. So if you have other income sources or if someone else in your home who's included in your CalWORKs case gets income, you have to add all of that together to see if you're over the IRT. Also, if your family size changes, your IRT will change too. For example, if someone moves out or if you have another baby, you need to report that within 10 days regardless of your SAR7 due date, and then your IRT might be adjusted.

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Good point. It's just me and my two kids, and I'm the only one with income right now. But that's really important to remember about reporting household changes right away!

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when i started working they never told me bout IRT and i got a $1200 overpayment cuz i went over by like $50 for 2 months and didnt kno i had to report it til my sar7. make sure u keep ALL ur paystubs too they made me provide them going back 3 months when they did my review

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Yikes, that's exactly what I want to avoid! Sorry that happened to you.

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@concerned_recipient The overpayment stuff is SO TRUE. my friend got hit with a $3800 overpayment from 2023 and they're taking money out of her grant every month now. she's really struggling. all because she worked some overtime at her job for a few months and didn't realize she was supposed to report it mid-period. and they expect everyone to understand all these complicated rules!!!!

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yea they make it real confusing on purpose i think. like if u report early they might cut ur benefits faster but if u dont report they hit u with overpayment later... cant win

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Just wanted to add that if you're getting close to your IRT, it's worth calculating your income carefully each month. I track mine on a simple spreadsheet with my gross pay from each paycheck. Also remember that some types of income don't count toward your IRT - like certain educational grants or some disability payments. But work income definitely counts, so with your $1,800/month you should be fine under the $3,276 threshold. Keep those paystubs organized though - you'll need them for your SAR7 and if they ever do a review. Good luck with the new job!

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