Will my Zelle payments count as income for CalWORKs? Bank statement showing transfers

You definitely need to be prepared to explain those Zelle payments. CalWORKs counts most money you receive as income UNLESS you can show it was a loan or one-time gift. Get a signed statement from your cousin saying it was a gift specifically for your daughter's birthday and school supplies, not regular income or support. Bring any receipts showing you spent that money on what your cousin gave it for. That helps prove it wasn't just general income. When I had a similar situation, my worker initially tried counting a money transfer as income, but I was able to get it excluded after I brought a statement from the person who sent it explaining it was a one-time gift.

omg they count EVERYTHING as income its so annoying!! my mom venmod me $50 for gas once and they tried to say i needed to report it. like seriously?? how do they expect us to survive if family cant even help out a little bit without them taking away our benefits

According to CalWORKs regulations, one-time gifts are not supposed to be counted as income. But you 100% need to explain what those deposits were and have documentation ready. Here's exactly what you should do: 1. Get a signed statement from your cousin stating the exact amounts, dates, and purpose of the gifts (birthday present and school supplies) 2. If you have receipts showing you spent similar amounts on those items, gather those too 3. Bring this documentation to your redetermination and be upfront about it The key is being proactive. If you wait for them to question it, it could look like you were trying to hide something. And since these were in the past month, you technically should have reported them within 10 days if they put you over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), even if they were gifts.

I had to deal with this last year!! My brother sent me money through cashapp for my kids christmas presents and my worker tried saying it was income!!! I brought a note from my brother and she still gave me problems. Said I needed "verification" whatever that means. SO FRUSTRATING!!

This is a common issue. To clarify the rules: CalWORKs does NOT count non-recurring gifts as income IF properly documented. But they DO need documentation. Regarding the reporting timeline: You only need to report mid-period if your total income exceeds your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). If these gifts plus your regular income didn't put you over your IRT (which is usually around 130% of your grant amount), then you're fine waiting until redetermination. At your appointment, be direct: "I received two one-time gifts from my cousin for specific purposes. Here's her statement confirming they were gifts for my daughter's birthday and school supplies." I've worked with many clients in your situation. The approach is what matters. Be forthcoming, bring documentation, and you should be fine.

Try calling your worker directly to explain BEFORE your redetermination. I had a similar situation with money my parents sent me through PayPal, and I couldn't get through on the main line for days. Ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with my worker quickly - they got me through in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for three days. The worker gave me a specific list of what documentation I'd need to prove it was a gift. Saved me from having my case delayed or benefits reduced. You can see how it works in their demo: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Worth it to get clear instructions beforehand rather than showing up uncertain and risking problems.

My friend had her grandma send her $300 for her kids bday and the county tried to count it. She had to appeal it and everything. Such a pain.

why are u even reporting ur bank statements? i never give them my full bank statements, just show income from work. they dont need to see every transaction u make, thats invasive af

To directly answer your original question: If you properly document that these were one-time gifts for specific purposes, they should NOT count as income. But the key is documentation and being upfront. Regarding whether to bring it up first: Yes, absolutely mention it proactively. Say something like: "I want to explain these Zelle transfers on my bank statement. They were one-time gifts from my cousin for specific purposes, and I have documentation to verify that." Bring a statement from your cousin (email is usually fine, but some counties might want something more formal), any receipts for the birthday present and school supplies, and be prepared to sign an affidavit if they request one. This is a common situation and shouldn't cause problems if handled correctly.