Will my $2,000 savings disqualify me from CalWORKs Cash Aid? Resource limits explained

Yes, CalWORKs does have a resource limit, but it's actually $10,000 as of 2024 (it was raised from the old $2,000 limit). So you're fine with your $1,800 savings - you have plenty of room to build up more emergency savings without risking your benefits. This is part of the changes California made to help families build financial stability while receiving aid. They don't regularly check your bank accounts, but you do need to report your resources on your Semi-Annual Report (SAR 7) and during your annual redetermination. Always be honest about your savings because if they do an eligibility review and find unreported assets, you could face an overpayment situation.

ur friend is giving u old info. CalWorks resource limit is way higher now. i think they changed it like 2 yrs ago? i have like $3500 saved up and still get my benefits no problem. they want ppl to have some savings now.

The resource limit for CalWORKs is currently $10,000 per family (as of January 1, 2024), and it doesn't matter how many people are in your assistance unit. They also completely exempted retirement accounts, education savings accounts, and 529 college savings plans from counting toward the resource limit. Here's what counts toward your resource limit: - Cash on hand - Money in checking and savings accounts - Stocks, bonds, mutual funds - Second vehicles (your primary vehicle is exempt) - Property other than your primary residence Here's what DOESN'T count: - Your home (if you own it) - One vehicle per adult in the household - Retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc.) - Education savings accounts - Personal property and household goods You report your resources on the SAR7 every six months and at annual redetermination. I always recommend keeping statements showing your account balances for the first of the month they ask about.

When I applied last year, they definitely asked for my bank statements and counted all my savings. My worker specifically told me not to go over the resource limit, but she never mentioned what the actual amount was! The system is so frustrating because different workers tell you different things. I ended up spending down my savings because I was scared of losing benefits, and then had a car emergency the next month with no safety net. 😡 If I had known the limit was $10K, I would have kept that money for emergencies! Does anyone know how to file a complaint about workers giving incorrect information?

i think everyone's confused because the rules are different for calfresh (food stamps) vs calworks (cash aid). food stamps i think still has a lower limit. i get both and its super confusing which rules apply to which program lol

When I tried calling the county office to ask about this exact question, I was on hold for over 2 hours and then got disconnected. Tried three more times with the same result. Finally I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me a callback from a caseworker within 20 minutes. The worker confirmed the $10,000 limit and explained exactly what assets count. Saved me days of frustration! They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE if anyone else is struggling to get through to their county office.

BE CAREFUL!!! They do random checks on bank accounts! My cousin had her benefits stopped because they found out she had $2,300 in a savings account she didn't report. This was last year so maybe the rules changed but they definitely do check and they can see accounts even if you don't tell them about them!!!

that $2000 limit was so stupid anyway!!!! how are we supposed to ever get ahead if we cant save anything??? its like they want to keep us poor forever. at least now with the higher limit we have a chance to save for things like car repairs or moving costs without losing benefits

my worker told me about a special savings program 4 calworks people where u can save even MORE and it doesnt count. its called IDA accounts i think? something about matching ur savings? anybody know about this?

Thanks everyone for all this helpful information! It's such a relief to know that I can save up to $10,000 without losing our benefits. I'm going to talk to my worker about the IDA program too - that sounds amazing if I can get matched savings. Really appreciate this community - my worker never explained any of this properly, and I've been unnecessarily stressed about my small savings. Going to start putting aside a little each month for emergencies without worrying now!

I'm so glad you found this helpful! It's really frustrating how many of us have been given outdated or incorrect information about the resource limits. I went through the same stress when I first started receiving CalWORKs - my worker made it sound like having any savings at all would disqualify me. Just wanted to add that when you do talk to your worker about the IDA program, make sure to ask about all the asset-building programs available in your county. Some counties also have financial counseling services that can help you create a savings plan and budget. And definitely keep good records of your account balances - I take screenshots of my bank statements on the first of each month just in case I need them later. It's awesome that you're thinking ahead about building an emergency fund for your kids. That's exactly what these policy changes were meant to encourage - helping families achieve financial stability instead of keeping us trapped in poverty. You're doing great as a mom! 💪

This thread has been so educational! I'm a new CalWORKs recipient (just started 3 months ago) and my intake worker told me to "keep my savings low" but never gave me specific numbers. I've been keeping my savings under $500 because I was terrified of losing benefits! Reading all of this makes me realize how many people are getting inconsistent information from their workers. It seems like there really needs to be better training or clearer communication about these updated rules. One question - when you report your resources on the SAR7, do you have to report the exact balance on a specific date, or just estimate what you typically have? I've been tracking my account balance daily because I wasn't sure what they needed exactly. Also want to say thank you to everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge here. This community is more helpful than the actual county office sometimes! 😅

Wow, reading through all these responses really highlights how much misinformation is floating around about CalWORKs resource limits! I'm a caseworker in Riverside County and I can confirm - the limit is indeed $10,000 as of January 2024. What's really concerning to me is hearing how many workers are still giving out the old $2,000 information or being vague about limits. We had training on these changes, but clearly the message isn't getting through consistently across all counties. For anyone still confused: YES, you can have up to $10,000 in countable resources and still receive CalWORKs. Your retirement accounts DON'T count, your primary vehicle DOESN'T count, and your home DOESN'T count. The goal really is to help families build financial stability, not keep you trapped in poverty. If your worker is giving you incorrect information, please speak up! Ask for written confirmation of resource limits or request to speak with a supervisor. You have the right to accurate information about your benefits. And definitely look into those IDA programs - they're amazing when available. Keep advocating for yourselves! 💙

As someone who just started receiving CalWORKs 6 months ago, this entire discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! My intake worker told me to "be careful about savings" but never mentioned any specific numbers. I've been keeping my emergency fund under $1,000 because I was so scared of losing benefits for my family. Finding out the limit is actually $10,000 is life-changing information! I work part-time and have been wanting to save for things like school supplies, car maintenance, and maybe eventually a security deposit for a better apartment, but I thought any meaningful savings would disqualify us. It's honestly pretty upsetting that so many of us have been living in unnecessary financial stress because workers aren't consistently sharing updated information. How many families are missing out on building financial stability because they got scared off by outdated rules? I'm definitely going to call my worker tomorrow to confirm this and ask about those IDA programs people mentioned. And I'm going to start actually saving money without the constant anxiety that I'll lose our benefits. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge - this community is seriously more helpful than the official channels sometimes! @Cass Green - thank you for confirming this as an actual caseworker. It means a lot to have someone from inside the system validate what everyone here is saying.

This whole thread has been such an eye-opener! I'm relatively new to this community but have been on CalWORKs for about 18 months. Like so many others here, I was told early on to "watch my savings" but never got clear numbers from my caseworker. Reading everyone's experiences makes me realize how widespread this misinformation problem really is. I've been keeping my savings under $1,500 this whole time because I was terrified of losing benefits for my two kids. Finding out the actual limit is $10,000 is honestly mind-blowing - that's enough to actually build a real emergency fund! What really strikes me is how many of us are sharing almost identical stories of getting vague or outdated information from workers. This seems like a systemic training issue that's affecting families across multiple counties. We shouldn't have to piece together accurate information from community forums, but I'm so grateful spaces like this exist. @Cass Green - thank you for jumping in with official confirmation! It's reassuring to hear from an actual caseworker that the $10,000 limit is correct. Do you know if there's any way counties could do better outreach about these policy changes? It seems like a simple notice mailed to current recipients could save so many families from this unnecessary financial stress. Planning to call my worker this week to ask about the resource limits and those IDA programs. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and experiences - you're all helping families build better financial futures! ✊

This entire discussion has been absolutely incredible to read through! I'm a single parent who's been on CalWORKs for about 14 months, and like so many others here, I was given completely wrong information about savings limits. My worker told me during intake to "keep savings minimal" and mentioned something about a $2,000 limit, so I've been terrified to save more than $1,200 this whole time. Reading that the actual limit is $10,000 and that retirement accounts don't even count is literally life-changing information for me! I have a small 401k from a previous job that I've been worried about, plus I've been wanting to save for a car down payment but was scared it would disqualify us from benefits. What really frustrates me is how this misinformation is clearly affecting families across multiple counties. We're all sharing nearly identical stories of getting vague or outdated guidance from caseworkers. This shouldn't be something we have to figure out through community forums, but I'm so grateful this discussion exists! @Cass Green - thank you so much for confirming this as an actual caseworker! It gives me the confidence to call my worker and ask for written confirmation of the current limits. I'm also definitely going to ask about those IDA programs that were mentioned. To everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge here - you're literally helping families build financial stability and peace of mind. This community is doing what the system should be doing automatically. Thank you all! 🙏