Will Social Security survivor benefits for my child count as income for CalFresh/CalWORKs?

Yes, unfortunately Social Security survivor benefits DO count as income for CalFresh even though they're in your daughter's name. Since she's a minor in your household, all her income has to be included in your household's total income. I went through something similar with my nephew who lives with me - his survivor benefits counted toward our household income for CalFresh calculations. For CalWORKs, it works the same way. The survivor benefits will count as income for your household and will likely reduce your CalWORKs grant amount (or could make you ineligible depending on your other income). The one small positive is that Social Security income is considered "unearned income" so it's treated a bit differently than wages from a job when they calculate your benefits.

The previous poster is correct. All income in the household counts for CalFresh and CalWORKs when the child is a minor. However, there's something important you should know - when you apply, make sure you list your daughter as receiving the Social Security survivors benefits, not yourself. There's a specific way they code this in the system and it can affect the calculation. Also, if you apply for CalWORKs, remember that since your daughter has her own income source, you can apply as a "Non-Needy Caretaker Relative" for yourself only. This would exclude her and her income from your CalWORKs case but still potentially allow you to get some assistance if you qualify otherwise.

im in this EXACT situation!!!!! my son gets $1340 from his dads passing and when i applied 4 calfresh they counted ALL of it! made us ineligible even tho i was only working part time. its so stupid bc that $ is supposed to be for HIM not for groceries for the whole family but thats how they count it. totally messed up system

Quick tip on this - when you apply through BenefitsCal, you'll need to enter the survivor benefits in the "Unearned Income" section and select "Social Security Benefits" as the type. Be super specific that these are survivor benefits for your child, not for you. Sometimes eligibility workers mix this up. Also, if your income is close to the threshold, ask about deductions you might qualify for - there are some expenses that can be deducted to help you qualify. Things like child care costs, some medical expenses, and even housing costs beyond a certain threshold can help reduce your "countable income." If you're having trouble getting through to a worker on the phone to ask these questions (which is common), I've had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through the phone queue. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - basically it holds your place in line so you don't have to keep calling back.

@casual_commenter Yes, it worked for me when I needed to update my SAR7 info and couldn't get through for days. I was skeptical too but it actually connected me to a real person in about 25 minutes (when normally I'd be on hold for hours or get disconnected). The video demo on their site shows exactly how it works.

Does your daughter have any special needs or disabilities? If so, you might qualify for some exemptions. My nephew has some medical needs and we were able to get some of his SS benefits excluded from the CalFresh calculation because of his condition. It's a special rule that most workers don't tell you about unless you specifically ask. Worth looking into if it applies to your situation.

I think ur better off not reporting it at all tbh... they don't check with social security automatically. Thats what my cousin did and shes been fine for years. Thats just my 2 cents tho!!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. I'm going to go ahead and apply for CalFresh and report everything correctly, but I'll make sure to ask about the Non-Needy Caretaker Relative option for CalWORKs if I need to apply for that in the future. I'll also ask about any possible deductions that might help offset some of the survivor benefits when they calculate our eligibility. I appreciate all of you sharing your experiences and knowledge!

I'm so sorry for your loss, and I understand how confusing this whole situation must be on top of everything else you're dealing with. Everyone here has given you really solid advice about the survivor benefits counting as household income - that's unfortunately how the system works even though it seems unfair. One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned yet: make sure you keep all your Social Security award letters and any other documentation about your daughter's survivor benefits organized and easily accessible. You'll need to provide proof of this income when you apply, and having everything ready will make the process smoother. Also, even though the survivor benefits might affect your CalFresh eligibility, don't let that discourage you from applying. The income limits change periodically, and you might still qualify depending on your household size and other factors. Plus, if you don't qualify for CalFresh, you might still be eligible for other programs like WIC if your daughter is under 18, or reduced-price school meals. Hang in there - navigating these systems is never easy, but you're asking the right questions and getting good information from this community.