Will removing partner from CalWORKs affect my Cash Aid amount? Questions about child support requirements

Yes, removing your partner will definitely affect your Cash Aid amount, but it might not be as bad as you think. CalWORKs calculates benefits based on how many people are in the household, so removing an adult will reduce your grant. However, if your partner has income that's being counted right now, removing them might actually increase your benefits in some cases. As for child support - yes, applying for CalWORKs as a single parent requires cooperation with child support services (DCSS) in most cases. When you report the change and remove your partner, your eligibility worker will refer you to DCSS to open a case. They'll want information about your children's father to pursue support.

Omg i just did this last month wth my bf!!! They lowered my cash aid by like $200 but my food stamps went up a little. The worst part was all the paperwork they made me fill out when i reported the change. took FOREVER to process. but yeah they did make me sign child support forms even tho i told them he still helps with kids.

They ALWAYS make u do child support unless u can get a good cause exemption. I tried telling them my ex helps out but they didnt care. Said its mandatory. But I've heard if u can prove DV or that child support would cause harm to u or kids u can get exemption.

When I took my kids' dad off our case in 2024, my cash aid dropped by $321 but my CalFresh went up by $150. The stupid part was they still counted his income for 6 months after he moved out because I didn't have "verification" of him being gone even though I TOLD THEM he moved out. It was a nightmare trying to get it fixed with the county office - couldn't get through on the phone for WEEKS.

Let me clarify a few things about removing a household member from your CalWORKs case: 1. Your cash grant will be recalculated based on one less adult in the home. This typically results in a reduction of approximately $100-200 per month depending on your county and current grant amount. 2. Child support cooperation is generally required, but there are some nuances: - You must cooperate with DCSS unless you have an approved exemption - Informal support arrangements don't satisfy the requirement - Any child support collected will offset your cash aid (the first $100 for one child or $200 for two or more children goes to you as a "pass-through" payment) 3. If your partner is still providing financial support, you'll need to report this as income when you complete your SAR 7 or recertification. Most importantly, make the change official by submitting a written statement to your eligibility worker explaining the household change. Don't delay reporting - failing to report could result in an overpayment that you'd have to pay back.

One thing nobody mentioned yet - timing matters! If you're going to remove him, do it right after you submit your SAR7. That way the change processes quicker and you avoid confusing them with multiple changes at once. I'd recommend calling your worker first to discuss how this will impact your specific situation before making any changes.

I don't know why nobody talked about this but when I removed my partner, they made me VERIFY he moved out!! Had to get a statement from his new landlord and everything. Be prepared for them to ask for proof that he's no longer in the home - they can be super strict about this depending on which county worker you get.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago. My cash aid did drop by about $180/month when I removed my partner, but my CalFresh actually increased by around $120. The hardest part was definitely the child support requirement - they made me fill out all the DCSS paperwork even though I explained he still helps with the kids financially. One thing that helped me was keeping records of any support he provides (receipts for diapers, clothes, etc.) because you'll need to report that as income anyway. Also, if you're worried about the child support process affecting your relationship with him or the kids, definitely ask about the good cause exemption forms when you meet with your worker. The whole process took about 3 weeks to get sorted out in my county. Just make sure you report the change in writing as soon as possible - don't wait because any delay could cause problems later. Good luck!

I just want to add something that helped me when I was in a similar situation - if you're worried about how removing your partner will affect your benefits, you can ask your eligibility worker to do a "what if" calculation before you make the change official. Most workers can run the numbers to show you exactly how your cash aid and CalFresh would change if you remove him from the household. Also, about the child support thing - even if they make you open a case with DCSS, it doesn't mean they'll immediately start garnishing wages or anything dramatic. The process usually takes several months, and if your partner is cooperating and providing support voluntarily, sometimes the child support office will work with that arrangement. Just make sure to document everything he provides for the kids because that informal support still counts as income that you need to report to CalWORKs. One last tip - when you do report the change, ask your worker about any other programs you might now qualify for as a single parent household. Sometimes removing an adult from the case can open up eligibility for other assistance programs you weren't eligible for before.

I'm in a similar situation right now and this thread has been so helpful! I'm also considering removing my partner from our CalWORKs case due to relationship issues. Reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like the cash aid reduction is pretty much guaranteed but the CalFresh increase might help balance things out a bit. The child support requirement is what's really worrying me though. My partner does help with our kids when he can, but it's not consistent or formal. From what I'm understanding here, even if I tell them about his informal support, they'll still make me go through the DCSS process unless I qualify for a good cause exemption. Has anyone here actually been successful in getting a good cause exemption? I'm wondering how hard it is to get approved for one and what kind of documentation they typically want. Also, for those who went through the child support process - did it end up affecting your relationship with your partner or make things more difficult with the kids? I'm trying to weigh whether removing him from the case is worth the potential complications, especially since we're not completely done trying to work things out.

I went through this exact situation last year and want to share what I learned. When I removed my partner, my cash aid dropped by about $195/month, but my CalFresh increased by $98, so the net loss wasn't as devastating as I feared. The child support requirement is mandatory in most cases - they made me fill out all the DCSS paperwork even though I explained my ex was helping with groceries and daycare pickup. However, I discovered that the child support office moves pretty slowly. It took almost 4 months before they even contacted him, and by then we had worked out a more formal arrangement. One thing I wish I had known earlier - you can request to speak with a supervisor if your regular worker isn't being helpful about explaining your options. My first worker barely mentioned the good cause exemption possibility, but when I escalated, the supervisor walked me through all my options and helped me understand exactly how the changes would affect my benefits. Also, make sure to ask about transitional benefits if you're going back to work or increasing your hours. Sometimes removing a household member can actually help you qualify for programs that support working families. The whole process was stressful but ultimately gave me more stability and independence.

I'm going through something similar right now and this whole thread has been incredibly helpful! Reading everyone's experiences is giving me a much clearer picture of what to expect. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who went through the process, how long did it take for your benefits to actually adjust after you reported removing your partner? I know processing times can vary by county, but I'm trying to budget for the transition period and want to know if there's typically a delay between when you report the change and when your new benefit amounts kick in. Also, I noticed someone mentioned keeping receipts for any informal support - that's such good advice! I never thought about needing to document those purchases as income, but it makes total sense that CalWORKs would want to know about any financial help even if it's not formal child support. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here. It's really helping me feel more prepared for what might be ahead.

I'm new to CalWORKs and just got approved a few months ago with my boyfriend and our 1-year-old. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening about what happens when household compositions change. I had no idea about the child support requirements or that informal support still counts as income that needs to be reported. The timing advice about coordinating with SAR7 submissions is really helpful too - I just submitted mine last week so I'm noting this for future reference. One question I have - when people mention getting verification that your partner moved out, how specific do they get? Like do they actually come to your house to check, or is it mostly just paperwork? I'm not planning any changes right now but want to understand how the process works in case my situation changes down the road. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here - it's really helpful to hear real stories from people who've been through this rather than just trying to figure out the official rules online.

I've been through this exact situation and wanted to share some practical advice. When I removed my partner from our CalWORKs case, my cash aid dropped by about $165/month but CalFresh increased by $89, so the impact wasn't as severe as I initially feared. A few things that really helped me: 1. **Get the numbers first** - Ask your worker to calculate exactly how your benefits will change before making it official. This helped me budget for the transition. 2. **Document everything** - Start keeping receipts for any support your partner provides now, even informal stuff like groceries or clothes. You'll need to report this as income anyway. 3. **Child support cooperation is required** - They made me fill out DCSS paperwork despite explaining that my ex helps out. However, the process moves slowly (took 3+ months in my case) which gave us time to figure out a better arrangement. 4. **Submit changes in writing** - Don't just call - hand deliver or send certified mail so you have proof of when you reported the change. The hardest part was actually the paperwork and waiting for everything to process, not the benefit changes themselves. If you're on the fence, consider talking to your partner about what this process would mean for both of you before making the change. Good luck!

I've been following this thread and wanted to add my recent experience since I just went through this process last month. When I removed my partner from our CalWORKs case, my cash aid decreased by $178/month, but my CalFresh benefits increased by about $115/month, which helped cushion the impact. A couple of things I learned that might help: **Timing matters for your budget** - There was about a 10-day gap between when my cash aid reduction took effect and when the CalFresh increase showed up on my EBT card. Plan for that potential timing difference so you're not caught short on food money. **The child support requirement is pretty much unavoidable** - Even though I explained that my ex regularly buys groceries and pays for daycare twice a week, they still required me to complete the DCSS paperwork. However, my worker did mention that if he's already providing consistent support, DCSS might work with that existing arrangement rather than starting from scratch. **Keep detailed records** - I started a simple notebook where I write down every time he helps with expenses (date, amount, what it was for). This has been super helpful for my SAR7 reporting and will probably be useful when DCSS contacts me too. The whole process took about 2.5 weeks to fully process in Sacramento County. Overall it was less scary than I expected, just a lot of paperwork and waiting. Hope this helps anyone else going through the same decision!

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago and can share what happened with my case. When I removed my partner, my cash aid dropped by $203/month but my CalFresh increased by $127/month, so the net reduction was around $76 which was much more manageable than I expected. The child support cooperation requirement is unfortunately mandatory - they didn't care that my ex was already helping with diapers, clothes, and sometimes daycare pickup. I had to complete all the DCSS paperwork anyway. But here's what I wish someone had told me: the child support office moves really slowly. It took almost 5 months before they even sent him any paperwork, which gave us time to work out a more formal support arrangement on our own. A few practical tips that helped me: - Ask your worker to do a benefit calculation BEFORE you make the change official so you know exactly what to expect - Start documenting any support he provides now (even informal stuff) because you'll need to report it as income on future SAR7s anyway - Submit your household change in writing and keep a copy - don't rely on phone calls - Budget for about 2-3 weeks processing time, but ask about emergency food assistance if the CalFresh timing creates a gap The whole process was definitely stressful but gave me more independence in the long run. Feel free to ask if you have specific questions about any part of it!

I've been lurking on this thread and finally decided to create an account to share my experience because I went through this exact situation just 3 months ago in Riverside County. When I removed my partner from our CalWORKs case, my cash aid dropped by $189/month, but my CalFresh increased by $103/month, so the actual impact was about $86 less per month. The child support requirement was definitely unavoidable - even though I showed receipts proving my ex regularly bought groceries and paid for our daughter's dance classes, they still made me complete all the DCSS paperwork. But honestly, the process has been moving super slowly. It's been 3 months and DCSS still hasn't contacted him directly, which has given us time to figure out a more consistent arrangement. One thing that really helped me was asking my worker to walk through the exact timeline of when each change would take effect. My cash aid reduction started immediately, but the CalFresh increase took about 12 days to show up on my EBT card. Having that heads up helped me plan better. Also, I started keeping a simple calendar where I mark down every time he helps with expenses (even small stuff like school supplies or McDonald's for the kids). This has made my SAR7 reporting so much easier and I think it'll help when DCSS eventually gets involved too. The whole process was definitely overwhelming at first but it's actually given me more control over my situation. Happy to answer any specific questions!