Will CalWORKs cash aid stop if I got a one-time money gift? SAR 7 verification document processing time?

The $900 gift from your mom will count as income for the month you received it, but it shouldn't affect your ongoing eligibility if it was a one-time thing. The important question is whether this amount, when added to your other income for that month, puts you over your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). Your IRT amount depends on your household size - it should be listed on your last approval notice. If it didn't put you over your IRT, you're fine. You did the right thing by reporting it on your SAR 7. Even if it did put you over for that month, your benefits might be reduced for the next payment period but not necessarily discontinued completely. As for the document processing, 5 days is still within normal range. The county has until the end of the month to process on-time SAR 7s. If you submitted it before the 5th of the month, you should be okay. Document verification can take 7-10 business days during busy periods.

they r gonna take ur benifits away!!!! they ALWAYS count any $$$ as income!! happened to my sister when her bf gave her $600 for car repair and they cut her off for 3 MONTHS sayin she was over income!! she had to reapply all over again. so UNFAIR how theyre supposed to help ppl but punish us if we get ANY help from family!!! the system is RIGGED againt us!!

my caseworker told me gifts over $500 do count against your benefit calculation but it depends on if its recurring. was it a birthday gift or something? sometimes they'll exclude it if its for a special occasion. but yeah they do check your SAR7 pretty carefully and will ask for bank statements if the numbers look suspicious to them 😕

I was in this EXACT situation last year! My parents gave me $1000 to fix my car and I reported it on my SAR 7. They did count it as income for that month, and my cash aid amount was reduced by about $175 for the following payment period, but then it went back to normal after that. As long as you're honest on your reporting, they usually won't discontinue you completely for a one-time gift. For the document processing - I had this problem ALL THE TIME with BenefitsCal. It would say pending forever and I'd panic. I found this service called Claimyr that helped me actually reach a person at the county office instead of being on hold forever. Go to claimyr.com or check out their demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. It basically calls the county for you and calls you back when a real person is on the line. Totally worth it when you're dealing with verification issues that might affect your benefits.

Yes it does work! I was skeptical too but I used it twice now. What it does is they have a system that calls and navigates all the phone menu options for you, waits on hold, and then calls you when a real person actually answers. First time I used it I got through to someone in about 45 minutes when normally I'd be on hold for 2+ hours.

I had a similar thing with my tax refund last year and they said it didn't count toward my IRT because its considered "exempt income" but gifts from family can be different, I think it depends on your worker tbh some are nice and some are super strict about the rules

I think a lot of the confusion here is because people are mixing up the rules for different programs. Let me clarify how this works with CalWORKs: 1. The $900 gift DOES count as income in the month received, but it's nonrecurring income (one-time). 2. If this one-time income plus your regular income stays below your IRT (which you said it does), you met your reporting requirement by including it on your SAR 7. You did exactly what you're supposed to do. 3. They MAY reduce your cash aid amount for the next payment period based on that month's higher income, but since it was one-time, your benefits should return to normal after that. 4. Tax refunds are different - they're exempt income and don't count against your CalWORKs eligibility at all. The same goes for most student financial aid. As for document processing times - it's normal for verification to take 7-10 business days, especially at busy times of the month. As long as you submitted your SAR 7 on time (by the 5th), your benefits shouldn't be delayed even if processing takes a while.

Did u get a receipt from ur mom for the gift? Alwys get proof when someone gives u money. I keep ALL my receipts for EVERYTHING just in case CalWORKs asks. They WILL ask for proof sometimes randomly just to check if u lyin.

Update: Finally got through to my worker today! She confirmed that the one-time gift won't affect my ongoing eligibility since I'm still under my IRT even with that added. My benefits might be slightly less for the next payment period, but I won't lose them. Also, my SAR 7 was processed yesterday - it took 8 business days total. The worker said they're just backed up right now because it's SAR 7 season and they're short-staffed. Thanks everyone for the help and reassurance!

So glad to hear your update! This is a perfect example of why it's so important to report everything honestly on your SAR 7, even when you're worried about it. You did exactly the right thing by including the gift from your mom, and it sounds like your caseworker handled it appropriately. For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation - this shows how the system is actually supposed to work. One-time gifts get counted as income for the month you receive them, but they don't automatically disqualify you if you stay under your IRT. The key is always being transparent in your reporting. The processing delays are definitely frustrating, but 8 business days is actually pretty typical during SAR 7 reporting periods. Counties get swamped with submissions around the 5th of each month. Thanks for sharing your resolution - it'll really help other community members who find themselves in the same situation!

I'm so relieved to see this thread and especially Morgan's update! I've been in a similar situation where my grandmother helped me with $500 for groceries last month, and I've been losing sleep over whether to report it or not. Reading through everyone's experiences here has really helped me understand that honesty is the best policy, even when it's scary. It sounds like the key takeaway is that as long as you're under your IRT for the month (including the gift), you should be okay for ongoing eligibility. And even if you go slightly over, it doesn't mean automatic termination - just possible temporary reduction. Morgan, thank you for coming back to update us with what your caseworker said! That kind of real feedback from someone who actually talked to the county is invaluable for those of us navigating this system. I'm definitely going to report my grandmother's help on my next SAR 7 now that I understand how it actually works.

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who's been on CalWORKs for about a year now, I've always been terrified about reporting any extra money because I wasn't sure how it would be handled. Seeing Morgan's real experience - from the initial worry through to getting actual confirmation from her caseworker - really shows how the system is supposed to work when you're honest about everything. What really stands out to me is how different people had different experiences or heard different things, but the folks who seemed most knowledgeable (like Eli and Kaylee) were consistent about the actual rules. It makes me realize how important it is to get information from reliable sources rather than just going off what someone heard happened to someone else. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference. The breakdown of how one-time gifts vs. recurring income works, the IRT thresholds, and even the processing timeframes - this is exactly the kind of practical information that's so hard to find clearly explained anywhere else. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially Morgan for the follow-up!

This thread is exactly what I needed to read today! I'm in almost the identical situation - my aunt gave me $700 last month to help with my car insurance and utilities, and I've been absolutely panicking about whether to report it on my upcoming SAR 7. Reading through Morgan's experience from start to finish has been so reassuring. What really helped me understand is how several people explained the difference between one-time gifts and ongoing income. I think I was confusing CalWORKs rules with some other programs I'd heard about. The fact that Morgan stayed under her IRT even with the gift and everything worked out fine gives me hope that my situation will be similar. I'm definitely going to report the $700 from my aunt now. My IRT is $2,100 and my regular income last month was only $950, so even with the gift I should be well under the threshold. It's scary to be transparent when you're worried about losing benefits, but everyone's experiences here show that honesty really is the safest approach. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and knowledge - this community is such a lifeline when you're trying to navigate these systems!