Since you mentioned your doctor referred you for SSI due to worsening health conditions, I wanted to add that you should apply for a WTW exemption right away using the CW 61 form. Don't wait until your SSI is approved, which could take a long time. With the exemption, you won't have to do the Welfare to Work activities, and as someone else mentioned, those months won't count toward your 48-month lifetime limit on CalWORKs. Also, when your case converts to child-only, the income and resource limits will change, and the grant amount will be different. The good news is that with a child-only case, there are no WTW requirements for you since you're not in the assistance unit anymore.

I went through this exact transition about 8 months ago and wanted to share some additional tips. First, definitely get that CW 61 form filled out ASAP - it made such a difference not having to stress about WTW requirements while dealing with my health issues and the SSI process. One thing I wish someone had told me: keep copies of EVERYTHING. When my SSI got approved, there was some confusion about dates and my worker initially said I had an overpayment. Having my own records of when I reported things and when payments actually started saved me a lot of headache. Also, don't be discouraged if the assessment feels intimidating. I was nervous too, but just be completely honest about your limitations. They need to understand how your conditions actually affect your daily life and ability to work. The child-only transition for your kids should be pretty smooth - my worker handled it all without me needing to do a new application. Your kids' grant will be lower since it's calculated for 2 people instead of 3, but they'll still have their benefits while you're getting SSI. Hang in there - the process is stressful but there are protections in place to help you through the transition!

I had something similar happen once but it wasn't unemployment it was when my ex finally started paying child support after like 2 years of nothing lol. I didn't know I had to report that either! Ended up with a $340 overpayment that they took out of my benefits over 3 months. The whole reporting thing is super confusing. Good luck!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! Got unemployment after my retail job ended and had no clue it counted as income for CalWORKs. Ended up with a $187 overpayment notice that totally freaked me out. Here's what I learned: unemployment is considered "unearned income" and counts dollar-for-dollar against your CalWORKs grant. The good news is you have options! I called and set up a payment plan for $25/month instead of paying it all at once. They were actually pretty understanding once I explained I genuinely didn't know the rules. Also, make sure you report your unemployment going forward on your SAR7 forms. I upload my EDD benefit statements as verification. The key is staying on top of reporting ANY income changes over your IRT within 10 days - learned that lesson the hard way! Don't stress too much about it - overpayments happen to tons of people because the rules really aren't explained clearly. Just be proactive about setting up that payment plan and you'll be fine.

my worker told me its better to upload SAR 7 than mail it cuz they can see it faster. but ya gotta call to make sure they actually look at it lol. the system is so broken i swear

I've uploaded my SAR 7 through BenefitsCal several times now and it works great! Just make sure to do it a few days before your deadline in case there are any issues. I learned the hard way that if you upload it the day before it's due and there's a problem, you might not have time to fix it. Also, if you have any doubts about the picture quality, take multiple shots and upload the clearest one. Better safe than sorry when it comes to keeping your benefits active!

Quick update: I FINALLY got through to someone at the county office (took 3 hours on hold) and you were all right - they needed the child support cooperation form AND school verification for my 8-year-old! I'm heading to the office in person tomorrow with ALL my documents. The worker said I should be approved within a few days once everything is verified. Thanks again for all your help!

So glad you're making progress! Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - when you go in person tomorrow, bring copies of EVERYTHING in addition to the originals. Sometimes they need to keep copies and other times they just want to verify the originals. Having both saves you from having to make another trip. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you have your kids' Social Security cards. That's another document that trips people up that wasn't mentioned in your original list. The worker should be able to tell you right then and there if you're missing anything else, which is so much better than waiting weeks for a notice in the mail. Good luck tomorrow - sounds like you're finally getting the help you need!

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I'm new to CalWORKs and just got one of these Golden State Stimulus cards too! I was so confused because I expected everything to come through my regular EBT card. Thank you everyone for explaining the difference - I had no idea these were two completely separate systems. The activation info about using the number from the letter (not the card) is super helpful. One question though - if we don't have to report this as income, do we still need to keep any paperwork about it for our records? I want to make sure I'm doing everything right with my case worker.