Will my CalWORKs Cash Aid reduce my CalFresh benefits? Confused about income counting

Yes, CalWORKs Cash Aid does count as income when calculating your CalFresh benefits. When you receive Cash Aid, your CalFresh amount will likely decrease, but the total combined benefits will be higher than just having CalFresh alone. The system automatically accounts for this since both programs are typically managed together. You don't need to separately report your Cash Aid as income to CalFresh - the county will make the adjustment when they approve your CalWORKs. It's still definitely worth applying for both!

When i got approved for cash aid last year my foodstamps went down by about $200 but i was getting $925 in CalWORKs so overall i had more money. just be prepared for the foodstamps to drop the month after u get approved. they dont always tell u its gonna happen and then suddenly ur EBT card has less and ur like wtf???

I had this EXACT problem! Yes, CalWORKS counts as income for CalFresh BUT you'll end up with more total benefits. The county doesn't explain this clearly and it causes so much unnecessary stress. Make sure to keep track of your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) deadlines for BOTH programs - I missed my CalFresh one because I thought submitting for CalWORKs covered everything and they cut my food stamps completely for a month! The system is designed to be confusing and punish small mistakes, I swear. 😠

The other comments are correct - Cash Aid is counted as income for CalFresh, but you should definitely still apply for both programs. Here's how it works: For every $1 increase in household income, CalFresh benefits typically decrease by about $0.30. So if you get approved for $600 in CalWORKs, your CalFresh might decrease by roughly $180. You'll still come out ahead by about $420 in total resources. One important thing to know is that both programs share the same SAR7 reporting form in California, so you'll submit just one form that covers both programs. Just make sure you include ALL income sources when you report.

My caseworker told me its like 30 cents lower food stamps for each dollar of cashaid. but ya you should apply anyways imo. also you can use cashaid for anything you want but foodstamps only for food obviously. so even tho i get like 200 less foodstamps with cash aid, i can use that cashaid to help with rent and utilities and my car payment and stuff like that.

Just a follow-up point: When your CalWORKs application is approved, you'll receive a Notice of Action (NOA) for BOTH programs - one showing your new CalWORKs approval and another showing your adjusted CalFresh amount. Keep both notices for your records. If the CalFresh reduction seems too large based on the 30% rule others mentioned, you can request a benefit calculation breakdown from your worker. And to answer your question about reporting - no, you don't need separate SAR7 forms. In California, the SAR7 form covers both programs, which makes things a bit easier!

Its so frustrating that they do this!!! Why should getting CASH AID for poor families mean you get LESS FOOD?? Make it make sense!! My caseworker didnt even warn me and suddenly my food stamps dropped by $230 the month after I got approved. I was counting on that money for groceries and had to go to a food bank that month. Just be prepared for them to slash your food budget with no warning.

make sure ur reporting the same income on both applications!!! i accidently put different amounts when i applied and they flagged me for potential fraud even tho it was just a mistake. had to do this whole interview to explain why the numbers were different. so stressful!!

Hey! I went through this same situation last year and it was definitely confusing at first. Everyone here is giving you good advice - yes your CalFresh will go down but you'll have more money overall. One thing I wish someone had told me is to take a screenshot of your current CalFresh amount before you apply for CalWORKs, so you can compare later and make sure they calculated the reduction correctly. Also, if you're doing gig work or babysitting like you mentioned, just make sure you're reporting that income consistently on both applications. The county workers are usually pretty helpful during the interview if you ask them to explain exactly how they calculated your new benefit amounts. Good luck with your interview next week!

Just wanted to add something that helped me - when you get your CalWORKs approval, ask your worker for a written breakdown of how they calculated your new CalFresh amount. Sometimes they make errors and having it in writing makes it easier to dispute if something looks wrong. Also, keep in mind that your CalWORKs cash aid can help with things CalFresh can't cover - like gas, phone bill, laundry, personal care items, etc. So even though your food budget technically gets smaller, you'll have cash to cover other essentials that were probably eating into your food money before. The flexibility of having cash aid really makes a difference for managing all your monthly expenses!

One thing that really helped me when I was in your situation was keeping track of both benefit amounts month by month after getting approved. I made a simple spreadsheet showing my old CalFresh amount, new CalFresh amount, and CalWORKs amount so I could see the total difference. It was reassuring to actually see the numbers and confirm I was better off overall. Also, don't be surprised if there's a small delay between when your CalWORKs starts and when your CalFresh adjusts - sometimes it takes a billing cycle or two for everything to sync up properly. The county should backdate any corrections if there are timing issues. You're doing the right thing applying for both programs - the combination really does provide more stability than just one program alone!

I went through this exact same thing a few months ago and was so worried about losing my food benefits! But everyone here is right - you'll definitely come out ahead with both programs. When I got approved for $850 in CalWORKs, my CalFresh dropped from $620 to about $380, so I ended up with like $610 more per month total. The cash really helps with rent and utilities that you can't use food stamps for. One tip - ask your caseworker during the interview to explain exactly how they calculate the CalFresh reduction so you know what to expect. They should be able to give you a rough estimate of your new amounts before you even get approved. Don't let anyone scare you out of applying - having both programs gives you so much more flexibility to actually cover all your bills!

I just wanted to share my experience since I went through this same situation about 6 months ago! Yes, your CalFresh will definitely go down when you start receiving CalWORKs, but like everyone said, you'll have more money overall. What really helped me was understanding that the cash aid gives you so much more flexibility - I could finally catch up on my electric bill and buy things like cleaning supplies and clothes for my kids that I couldn't get with food stamps. The hardest part for me was actually the waiting period between applying and getting approved - it took about 3 weeks, so just be patient with the process. Also, make sure you keep all your paperwork organized because they'll ask for updates every 6 months. The interview isn't scary at all - the caseworker just wants to make sure you qualify and will explain everything. You're making a smart choice applying for both programs!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just got my CalWORKs interview scheduled and was freaking out about my CalFresh getting cut. Reading everyone's experiences here is SO helpful - it sounds like even though the food stamps will drop, I'll still be way better off overall with both programs. The part about having cash flexibility for rent and bills that you can't use food stamps for makes total sense. I've been stretching my grocery budget to cover things like laundry detergent and toiletries, so having actual cash for those essentials would free up more of my food stamps for actual food. Thanks to everyone who shared their real numbers and experiences - it's way more useful than trying to decode all the confusing government websites!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in the exact same boat - currently getting CalFresh and considering applying for CalWORKs but was terrified about losing my food benefits. Everyone's real experiences and actual numbers are incredibly helpful. It sounds like even though CalFresh drops, having both programs together gives you way more total support and flexibility. The tip about asking the caseworker to explain the calculation during the interview is gold - I would never have thought to do that. Also really appreciate the heads up about keeping records and taking screenshots of current benefit amounts for comparison. This community is amazing for breaking down all the confusing government stuff into real talk that actually makes sense. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!