← demo
Benefits Simulation
Household of 3, California. Drag the slider.
Monthly income
$1,500
Total benefits
$3,439
Net resources
$4,939
$0$1.5k$3k$4.5k$6k
The cliff
Total benefits by income. Sharp drops = you earn more but have less.
Medi-Cal
CalFresh
CalWORKs
Section 8
WIC
LIHEAP
Lifeline
ACP
At $1,500/mo
Program-by-program
Medi-Cal
$800
CalFresh
$740
CalWORKs
$289
Section 8
$1,200
WIC
$50
LIHEAP
$300
Lifeline
$30
ACP
$30
What if you earn $500 more?
$1,500 → $2,000
Extra income+$500
Benefits lost-$353
Net change+$147/mo
CalFresh-$64
CalWORKs-$289
Optimal sequence
Apply in this order. Some approvals unlock faster processing for others.
01
WIC2wWeek 1
Fastest approval — food benefits in 2 weeks
02
Medi-Cal4wWeek 1
Apply simultaneously — unlocks Lifeline + CalFresh expedited
03
CalFresh3wWeek 3
Medi-Cal pending = expedited CalFresh processing
04
Lifeline2wWeek 5
Medi-Cal approval auto-qualifies you
05
ACP2wWeek 5
CalFresh approval auto-qualifies you
06
LIHEAP4wWeek 5
Apply during open enrollment window
07
CalWORKs6wWeek 7
Longer process — start after quick wins secured
08
Section 852wWeek 1
Long waitlist — apply immediately, benefits come later
At $1,500/mo, you could receive up to $3,439/mo in benefits.
Start screening