Will my CalFresh benefits change after reporting $500 income late on BenefitsCal? Worried about March payment

Don't panic too much. $500 for the entire year is a relatively small amount that might not even impact your CalFresh amount significantly. It's good you reported it, even if late. The county has 10 days to process reported changes through BenefitsCal. You can check if it went through by logging back into your account and checking your case history or documents section. If your March 3rd benefit is already in processing (which it likely is by now), any changes would probably affect April's amount, not March. They'll send you a Notice of Action if there will be any changes to your benefit amount.

I did almost the SAME exact thing last september!!! I forgot to report like $650 i made from doordash on my SAR7 & freaked out when i realized. I reported it late & they ended up just reducing my next months benefits by like $27 dollars. They didn't even send me a notice until AFTER the money was loaded on my card. As long as u reported it before they caught it u should be fine.

This happens all the time, and the system is completely broken when it comes to getting answers. I've been on CalFresh for 3 years and EVERY TIME I need to talk to someone it's a nightmare. You'll probably be fine with the amount - $500 for a year is hardly anything - but I've learned you can NEVER count on getting through on those county phone lines. They'll leave you on hold for 2 hours then disconnect you. The whole thing is designed to make you give up.

To properly calculate how this might affect your benefits, we need to know: 1) How many people are in your household, 2) What month you earned the $500, and 3) If you've had other changes in income or expenses. Generally, unreported income over $100 must be reported within 10 days (not just on your SAR7). At minimum, they'll recalculate your benefits for the months affected. In some counties, they might just note it and move forward if it's a first-time mistake and the amount is small. Keep documentation showing when you reported the change on BenefitsCal.

I've been trying to reach someone at CalFresh for weeks about a change on my case and it's impossible. After getting disconnected multiple times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually helped me get through to a human. They basically call for you and then connect you once they reach someone. Saved me hours of frustration. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Worth checking out if you really need to talk to someone at the county.

u might get an overissuance notice but probly not for $500 its not much. my friend reported late income of $2000 and they made her pay back like $120 in benefits. but she got a payment plan so its not a big deal just like $10 a month they take out. benifical is better than calling anyway cuz theres a record of when u submitted it

To follow up on my earlier comment, I recommend taking a screenshot of your BenefitsCal submission as proof you voluntarily reported the income. This shows good faith on your part. The county distinguishes between honest mistakes and intentional program violations. Since you're self-reporting before any investigation, this would likely just be treated as an unintentional household error at most. For future reference, any income change over $100 needs to be reported within 10 days if you're on Change Reporting, but if you're on Semi-Annual Reporting (SAR), you generally report on your SAR7 unless your income goes over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT).

I went through something similar last year! I was terrified when I realized I forgot to report some freelance income from months earlier. What helped me was that I gathered all my documentation - bank statements, records of when I earned the money, and screenshots of my BenefitsCal submission. The county worker told me that voluntary reporting (like what you did) is looked at much more favorably than if they discover unreported income during a review. Since you're being proactive about fixing it, that works in your favor. Also, $500 spread over the year really isn't that much - it might not even change your benefit amount significantly. The waiting is the hardest part, but you did the right thing by reporting it!

Hey Keisha! I totally understand your anxiety about this - I've been there before. From what I've seen in my experience with CalFresh, $500 over an entire year really is a small amount that likely won't cause major issues. The fact that you self-reported before they discovered it is huge in your favor. I had a similar situation where I forgot to report some cash work I did, and when I finally reported it late, my caseworker actually thanked me for being honest about it. They're used to people making honest mistakes, especially with irregular income like side jobs. The key thing is you're being proactive now. Keep checking your BenefitsCal account for any updates, and don't stress too much about your March payment - it's probably already processed and any adjustments would likely show up in April if at all. You're doing everything right by trying to fix it!