In California, the CalFresh Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) is the gross monthly income level that, if your household exceeds it in any month, requires you to report the change to your county welfare office within 10 days. For the federal fiscal year running October 2025 through September 2026, the California food stamps IRT ranges from $1,696 a month for a one-person household to $5,867 for a household of eight, with an additional $596 added for each person beyond that.1Santa Clara County Social Services Agency. CalFresh Program Monthly Allotment and Income Eligibility Standards Charts The exact dollar amount that applies to you is printed on the notice of action the county sent when your benefits were approved or renewed.
What the IRT Is and Where to Find Yours
Your IRT equals 130% of the federal poverty level for the household size that existed at your most recent certification or recertification.2California Department of Social Services. All County Letter 15-42 It represents the point at which your household would likely no longer qualify for CalFresh, so the state uses it as the trigger for a mid-period report.
Two things about that number matter. First, it’s locked to the household size the county had on file at your last certification. If someone moves in or out between certifications, your IRT does not automatically shift with them. It stays fixed until your next certification or recertification.2California Department of Social Services. All County Letter 15-42 Second, the number the county printed on your notice of action is the one that governs your case, even if the general table has been updated in the meantime.
If you can’t find your notice, contact your county and ask for the IRT amount currently on file for your case. Don’t guess from the tables alone if your certification happened before the current federal fiscal year.
2026 IRT by Household Size
The IRT column below is the number that triggers a 10-day mid-period report. The other columns are shown so you can see where the IRT sits within CalFresh’s broader income structure: California uses Modified Categorical Eligibility (MCE) for most households, which sets the gross income ceiling at 200% of the federal poverty level, and a separate 100% FPL net income test applies after deductions.1Santa Clara County Social Services Agency. CalFresh Program Monthly Allotment and Income Eligibility Standards Charts
| Household Size | IRT (130% FPL) | MCE Gross Limit (200% FPL) | Net Income Limit (100% FPL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,696 | $2,610 | $1,305 |
| 2 | $2,292 | $3,526 | $1,763 |
| 3 | $2,888 | $4,442 | $2,221 |
| 4 | $3,483 | $5,360 | $2,680 |
| 5 | $4,079 | $6,276 | $3,138 |
| 6 | $4,675 | $7,192 | $3,596 |
| 7 | $5,271 | $8,110 | $4,055 |
| 8 | $5,867 | $9,026 | $4,513 |
| Each additional person | +$596 | +$918 | +$459 |
The comparison to income is against your total gross monthly income, before taxes and before any CalFresh deductions. Overtime, bonuses, tips, a second job, self-employment revenue, and unearned income all count toward the total.
Not Every Household Has an IRT
If your gross income was already between 131% and 200% of the federal poverty level when you were certified under California’s expanded MCE rules, you don’t get an IRT.2California Department of Social Services. All County Letter 15-42 The reasoning is straightforward: you already disclosed income above the 130% line at certification, so there is no new threshold left for your income to cross mid-period. For these households, the semi-annual SAR 7 report is the main reporting vehicle, and there is no 10-day income report requirement between filings.
Your notice of action will tell you which category applies to your case. If no IRT dollar amount appears, you’re in the higher-income MCE group and can skip the mid-period income reporting rule described below.
How to Report When Your Income Crosses the IRT
If your household’s total gross income in any month exceeds the IRT on your notice of action, you have 10 days from the end of that month to report the change to your county welfare office.3California Department of Social Services. CalFresh Mid-Certification Period Status Report California provides a specific form for this purpose, the CF 377.5 SAR, but most counties also accept the report by phone, in person, or through the BenefitsCal portal. Include the amount of the new income, the source, the date it started, and documentation such as pay stubs if you have them.
Reporting on time protects you two ways. If the higher income is a one-month spike and you remain eligible, your benefits continue without disruption. If the higher income makes you ineligible or reduces your benefit, the county adjusts going forward instead of billing you later for benefits you weren’t entitled to receive.
What Happens If You Don’t Report
Missing the 10-day deadline creates an overpayment for every month you kept receiving benefits at the old amount. The county calculates the difference between what you got and what you should have received, and you owe that money back.4California Department of Social Services. Reporting Changes for Cash Aid and CalFresh Repayment usually comes out of future CalFresh benefits. If you leave the program before the debt is cleared, the state pursues collection through other means.
Where the county believes the failure to report was intentional, the case can be referred for an administrative disqualification hearing, which is the process California uses to decide fraud allegations.5California Department of Social Services. Administrative Disqualification Hearings You get to review the evidence and respond. A finding of intentional program violation carries escalating penalties applied to the person responsible, not the whole household:
- First violation: one-year disqualification from CalFresh.
- Second violation: two-year disqualification.
- Third violation: permanent disqualification.
Other household members can still receive benefits during a disqualification, but the allotment is recalculated without counting the disqualified person’s needs while still counting their income.
Other Changes That Require a 10-Day Report
Two mid-period reports besides income are required within 10 days of when the change happens.6eCFR. 7 CFR 273.12 – Reporting Requirements
Substantial lottery or gambling winnings. A single prize of $4,500 or more must be reported. Once verified, winnings at or above that level result in the entire household being discontinued from CalFresh until income and resources fall back below the applicable limit.7Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
ABAWD work hours falling below 20 per week. If you’re an able-bodied adult without dependents between 18 and 54, and your monthly average work hours drop below 20 per week, you must report the change.3California Department of Social Services. CalFresh Mid-Certification Period Status Report This matters because ABAWDs face a time limit on benefits without sufficient work participation.
What you don’t need to report between certifications: household composition changes on their own. If someone moves in or out and your income stays below the IRT, wait for the next SAR 7. If the new person’s income pushes the household total above the IRT, then the 10-day rule kicks in for the income change.
How the SAR 7 Fits Alongside the IRT
The IRT is one of two reporting duties CalFresh households carry. The other is the SAR 7, the semi-annual eligibility status report the county mails six months into your certification period.6eCFR. 7 CFR 273.12 – Reporting Requirements The SAR 7 is a routine check-in that covers income, expenses, household members, and resources as of the report month printed on the form. The IRT is a mid-period trigger that requires action only when your gross income crosses a specific dollar line.
The SAR 7 asks whether anyone moved in or out, whether anyone acquired or sold property (vehicles, bank accounts, real estate), and whether income sources or amounts changed.8California Department of Social Services. SAR 7 Eligibility Status Report for Cash Aid and CalFresh You sign it under penalty of perjury, and each reported change may need supporting documentation. One small carve-out: unearned income changes of $100 or less do not have to be reported on the SAR 7, so minor fluctuations in Social Security or similar payments can be left alone.9Santa Clara County Social Services Agency. Definition of a Complete SAR 7
Deadlines for the SAR 7 are strict. It’s due by the 5th of its report month and officially late after the 11th. If it’s still missing by the first business day of the following month, benefits are discontinued. Under a federal waiver California is using through at least June 2027, a household that submits a completed SAR 7 within 30 days of discontinuance can be reinstated without a new application, provided at least one month of the certification period remains and the household is otherwise eligible. Benefits for the reinstatement month are prorated from the date the form is actually received.
Quick Reference
Three things to keep straight if you’re on CalFresh:
- The dollar figure on your notice of action is your IRT. If you can’t find the notice, ask the county.
- If your total gross income in any month exceeds that figure, tell the county within 10 days. Do the same within 10 days for lottery or gambling winnings of $4,500 or more, or for ABAWD work hours falling below 20 per week.
- Everything else routine goes on the SAR 7 at the six-month mark.
Following those rules keeps your benefits accurate and protects you from overpayment claims and disqualification proceedings later.