Will applying for SSI for my autistic child reduce our CalWORKs Cash Aid for a family of 5?

Your son's SSI won't reduce your CalWORKs for the other children. If approved for SSI, your son would be removed from the CalWORKs case, and your grant would be recalculated for a family of 4 (you're already excluded as an SSI recipient). Most families do better financially with SSI for a disabled child because the SSI payment is usually higher than what that child would bring in CalWORKs benefits. For example, if your son gets approved for the full SSI amount (about $1,133 in 2025), that's more than what he's "worth" on your CalWORKs grant. Your overall household income should increase. But one thing to consider - the CalFresh amount might change since SSI income is counted for food stamps. You should ask your eligibility worker to do a "benefit estimate calculation" before you apply so you can see exactly how it would affect all your benefits.

we hav 3 kids and my older one has autism. when he got approved for SSI they took him off our calworks and the cash amount went down like $175 but the SSI was $1000+ so we ended up with more money overall. you should deff apply!!

I had a similar situation with my family. Having a child on SSI and other kids on CalWORKs. The way it works is: 1. The SSI child will be removed from CalWORKs (you're already excluded since you get SSI) 2. Your CalWORKs will be recalculated based on a smaller family size 3. The SSI payment will almost always be more than what that one child brings to the CalWORKs grant In my case, my CalWORKs went down about $180 when my child got SSI, but the SSI payment was over $1,000 - so we came out ahead by around $820 each month. One thing to watch out for - you MUST report the new SSI income right away on your next SAR7 or manually. If you don't, you could end up with an overissuance that you'll have to pay back.

I went thru this exact thing last year and was so stressed about it too. My kid got approved for SSI ($1,094 back then) and our CalWORKs went down about $170. County said each kid on CalWORKs is worth different amounts depending on your family size. First kid gets the most, then less for each additional kid. So removing one doesn't cut your grant by exactly 1/3 or whatever. Anyway we ended up with more money overall! The only annoying part was our CalFresh went down by like $106 because they count the SSI as income for food stamps. Still came out ahead tho.

One thing no one's mentioned yet: once your child is receiving SSI, they'll qualify for Medi-Cal automatically. Also, many regional centers provide additional services for children with autism that can be really valuable. The CalWORKs office should have a benefits counselor who can do calculations to show exactly how your benefits would change before you apply. Have you tried calling your county office to ask about this? I know the wait times can be insane, but there's a service called Claimyr that can help you get through faster. I used it last month when I couldn't get anyone on the phone for days. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE and sign up at claimyr.com. Saved me hours of waiting and I finally got my questions answered.

DONT WAIT!!! Apply for the SSI ASAP! My son has autism and we waitd 2 years b4 applying and I kick myself for all that money we missed out on. The process takes FOREVER (took us 6 months to get approved) so start now. And yes yull end up with more $ even with the CalWorks reduction. BTW make sure u tell them about ALL ur kids autism symptoms at the SSI interview. Sleep problems, meltdowns, communication issues, EVERYTHING. They need to see how it impacts daily life. Good luck mama!!

One more thing!! Make sure when you apply you tell them you want to be your son's "representative payee" for SSI. They'll automatically do this anyway since he's a kid, but just so you know how it works. The SSI money is supposed to be for HIS needs specifically. They don't really track how you spend it, but technically it should go to his food, clothing, housing (portion of rent), therapy items, etc. Just FYI they occasionally do check-ins to make sure funds are being used properly.

my neibor has 3 kids and 2 on ssi (her and 1 kid) and she gets calworks for the other 2 kids. she says its WAY better than when they were all on calworks. def apply!!

I'm a case worker and can confirm what others are saying - applying for SSI for your autistic son will almost certainly leave your family better off financially. When a child gets SSI, they're removed from the CalWORKs case and the grant is recalculated for the remaining family members. The SSI payment (currently $1,133/month for 2025) is typically much higher than what one child contributes to a CalWORKs grant. A few practical tips: 1) Ask your eligibility worker for a "what if" calculation before applying so you can see exact numbers, 2) Start gathering medical documentation and behavioral records NOW - the more thorough your documentation of your son's autism and how it impacts daily functioning, the better, 3) Be prepared for the process to take 3-6 months, and 4) Report the SSI approval immediately to avoid overpayments. Also, don't forget that SSI recipients get automatic Medi-Cal and may qualify for additional regional center services. The application is definitely worth pursuing - I've never seen a family end up worse off when a disabled child gets approved for SSI.

I went through this exact situation 2 years ago and I'm so glad I applied! My daughter has autism and was getting CalWORKs with us (family of 4). When she got approved for SSI at $1,047/month, our CalWORKs dropped by about $200 but we still came out ahead by over $800 monthly. The process was stressful but worth it. A few things that helped me: I kept a daily log for 6 weeks before the interview documenting every meltdown, sleep issue, and daily living challenge. I also got letters from her therapists and teachers. The key is showing how the autism affects her ability to function compared to other kids her age. One thing to watch for - they'll ask about any accommodations or supports she gets at school. Have that IEP or 504 plan ready! And yes, report the SSI approval right away when you get the letter, don't wait for the first check. Good luck mama, you're doing the right thing for your family!

I just want to add that you should also ask about retroactive benefits when you apply! If your son gets approved for SSI, Social Security can pay benefits back to the date of application (up to 6 months prior in some cases). So even though the process takes months, you won't lose out on that money - it'll come as a lump sum with the approval. Also, once he's on SSI, make sure to apply for any state disability programs or assistance your county offers. Some counties have additional support services or even small cash assistance programs for families with disabled children. Your case worker should have info about local resources. The waiting is the hardest part, but from everything I've seen and heard from other families, you'll definitely be better off financially. The SSI payment alone is almost as much as your entire CalWORKs grant right now!