Will adding my partner and step kids to my San Bernardino CalWORKs Cash Aid increase my benefits?

You do need to report this change within 10 days since it's a household composition change. Adding your boyfriend and his kids could potentially increase your cash aid since the grant amount is based on how many eligible people are in the household. However, there are some important things to consider: 1. Your boyfriend would be considered a Non-Needy Caretaker Relative (NNCR) unless he's the biological father of at least one of your children. If he's not, he won't be added to the assistance unit, but his presence still needs to be reported. 2. His children would be considered step-siblings to your children, and whether they can be added depends on if they meet all other eligibility requirements. 3. If your boyfriend is the father of any of your children, he would be required to be part of the assistance unit and would need to comply with Welfare to Work requirements. 4. You would need to verify their citizenship/immigration status, provide their SSNs, and they would need to meet all other CalWORKs eligibility criteria. I recommend reporting this change to your eligibility worker right away rather than waiting for your SAR7.

I went thru EXACTLY this in SB county last yr!!! When my BF & his daughter moved in with me & my son. Here's what happened - they counted him as "non-needy" since he wasn't my son's dad but I still had to report him living with us. His daughter got added to my case after I showed her birth certificate and SS card. My cash amount went up because of adding her but not by as much as I thought it would. They also made me do a special WTW plan update meeting. Btw you HAVE TO report this now - don't wait for SAR7! I got in trouble for waiting and almost lost benefits for not reporting within 10 days. They consider this an "IRT change" or something like that.

BE CAREFUL adding him to your case!!! When I added my boyfriend, they made him participate in WTW even though he wasn't working. He had to do 32 hours a week of job search activities and it was a huge hassle. Plus once he got a job they counted his income against my cash aid and I ended up with LESS money than before adding him! Sometimes it's better to just report he lives there but not add him to the AU (assistance unit). His kids might qualify separately if he applies for them.

I've been trying to call San Bernardino County for 2 days about a similar situation and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a worker in 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE The worker explained that when you add a non-parent adult to your home, they're considered Non-Needy but you still have to report they live there. His kids might be eligible to be added if you can show documentation for them. Definitely worth calling to ask about your specific situation.

so im confused do step kids count on calworks or not?? my sister got her bfs kids on her case in riverside but my cousin couldnt in LA county. does SB county have different rules?

Since this question comes up a lot, I want to clarify a few things about CalWORKs households and non-parent adults: 1. You must report your boyfriend moving in within 10 days as it's a household composition change 2. If he's not the father of any of your children, he would be a "Non-Needy Caretaker Relative" (NNCR) if you designate him as helping care for your children, OR simply a "non-AU member" otherwise 3. His income is not counted against your grant as long as he's not the father of your children 4. His children may be eligible to be added if they meet eligibility requirements (citizenship/immigration status, income limits, etc.) 5. The cash aid would increase for each eligible child added, but this is offset somewhat by the fact that the amount per person decreases as family size increases 6. If you add him as NNCR, he won't have Welfare to Work requirements Call your eligibility worker ASAP to report this change. Use the C4Yourself app or call the San Bernardino TAD office.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I called the county today using that Claimyr service and actually got through! The worker said I need to submit verification for my boyfriend and his kids (birth certificates, social, ID) and come in for an appointment. She said his kids can be added but he'll be considered non-needy since he's not the dad of my kids. She also said I should apply for emergency CalFresh since we have more mouths to feed now. I'm going to my appointment next week!

That's awesome that you got through and have an appointment set up! Just wanted to add a couple things that might help when you go in: 1. Bring multiple forms of address verification for everyone (utility bills, lease agreement, school enrollment records if the kids are in school) since proving they all live with you is super important. 2. Ask specifically about the Emergency Aid program while you're there - it can provide immediate help with things like deposits or moving expenses since you just had people move in. 3. Make sure to ask about the timeline for when the benefits would start if his kids get approved. Sometimes there's a delay and knowing when to expect changes helps with budgeting. 4. If any of his kids have special needs or medical conditions, mention that too as it might qualify you for additional support programs. The fact that you reported it right away and are being proactive about getting everything documented properly will definitely work in your favor. Hope your appointment goes smoothly!