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This thread has been so helpful - I had no idea about the income calculation formula either! I'm a single mom with one 5-year-old and I work about 20 hours a week at $16/hour. My CalWORKs amount has always seemed random to me but now I understand there's actually a method to it. For anyone else who's confused about their benefits, I'd also recommend checking your Notice of Action (NOA) that they mail you - it usually has some breakdown of how they calculated your amount, though it's not always super clear. And if you think there's an error, definitely advocate for yourself! I had a friend who didn't report a mistake for months because she was scared they'd think she was trying to get more than she deserved, but it turned out the county actually owed her money. It's frustrating that we have to become experts in all these rules just to understand our own benefits, but at least we can help each other figure it out!
Yes, this whole thread has been eye-opening! I'm new to CalWORKs myself and had no idea there was such a specific formula for calculating benefits. It's really overwhelming trying to navigate all the rules and requirements, especially when you're already dealing with financial stress. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - it makes me feel less alone in trying to figure this stuff out. The Notice of Action tip is great too, I'll definitely look at mine more carefully next time. It's sad that we have to become our own advocates just to understand what we're entitled to, but I'm grateful for communities like this where we can help each other learn!
This whole conversation has been incredibly educational! I'm a single parent with two kids (ages 4 and 9) and I've been on CalWORKs for about 6 months now. Like many others here, I never really understood how they calculated my benefits and my worker didn't explain it well during my initial appointment. Reading through everyone's experiences, I realize I should probably double-check my own calculation. I work about 25 hours a week at $15/hour and get around $680 in cash aid. Based on the formula everyone's been discussing, that seems about right, but I want to make sure. What really stood out to me is how many people have had errors on their cases that went unnoticed for months. It makes me think we should all be more proactive about understanding our benefits instead of just accepting whatever amount we receive. I'm definitely going to call my worker and ask for that written breakdown that Brielle mentioned. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this is exactly the kind of information that should be more readily available to all CalWORKs recipients!
I completely agree with you about being more proactive! I've been on CalWORKs for about a year now and I wish I had understood all of this from the beginning. Your hours and pay sound similar to mine, so $680 does seem reasonable based on what everyone's explained here. One thing I learned recently is that you can also request to speak with a supervisor if your regular worker isn't available or if you're not getting clear answers. Sometimes they have more experience explaining the calculations. Also, if you're comfortable with it, bringing a friend or family member to appointments can help - they might think of questions you forgot to ask or help you remember important information later. It's really unfortunate that we have to work so hard just to understand our own benefits, but I'm so glad we have spaces like this to share information and support each other!
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I'm dealing with something similar right now - my CalWORKs benefits have been pending for almost 3 weeks and I can't get any clear answers from my county office either. It's so frustrating when you're depending on these benefits and they just leave you hanging without any explanation. From what I've learned reading through other people's experiences, it seems like the system can get backed up pretty easily and cases get stuck in processing queues for various reasons - sometimes it's triggered by income changes, sometimes it's just random system glitches. Have you tried checking if there are any pending notices or required documents in your BenefitsCal account under the "Correspondence" section? Sometimes they send notices electronically that are easy to miss. The waiting is the absolute worst part when bills are piling up!
I'm so sorry you're going through this too @Leslie Parker! Three weeks is way too long to be left hanging without any explanation. I checked my Correspondence section like you suggested and there's nothing there either - it's like they expect us to be mind readers or something. The stress of not knowing if the money will be there when rent is due is just unreal. Have you had any luck with that Claimyr service people mentioned earlier in this thread? I'm thinking about trying it since regular calling hasn't worked at all. It's really helpful to know I'm not the only one dealing with this mess, even though I wouldn't wish this anxiety on anyone!
This is such a common problem and it's really frustrating how little transparency there is in the system! I went through something similar a few months ago where my benefits were stuck in "pending" status for over 2 weeks. What finally worked for me was going to the office in person early in the morning (like 7:30 AM before they officially open) and waiting in line. I know it's not ideal with gas costs and everything, but sometimes it's the only way to get face-to-face time with someone who can actually look at your case and tell you what's going on. When I did this, the worker found that my case had some kind of processing error that was preventing it from moving forward - took her literally 5 minutes to fix once she knew about it. The phone system is just broken honestly. If you can't make it to the office, definitely try that Claimyr service people mentioned - I've heard good things about it from other folks in similar situations. Hang in there!
Thanks @Zara Ahmed for sharing your experience! Going to the office early sounds like it might be worth a try, even with the gas costs. It s'crazy that a 5-minute fix took weeks to discover just because of communication issues. I m'definitely going to look into that Claimyr service too - seems like multiple people have had success with it. It s'both comforting and depressing to know this is such a common problem. You d'think after all these years they d'have figured out a better system for keeping us informed about our cases. Really appreciate everyone sharing their stories and suggestions - this community is more helpful than the actual CalWORKs system!
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Great news! This is very typical - the system updates overnight and payments process early morning on the scheduled date. Glad everything worked out!
So glad to hear your payment came through on time! This is exactly why I always tell people not to panic if the pending deposit doesn't show up right away. The EBT system is notorious for not displaying pending amounts until literally hours before they hit your account. I've been on CalWORKs for 3 years now and have learned that as long as your case status shows "active" after submitting your SAR, you're almost always good to go. The anxiety is real though - I totally get how stressful it is when rent is due and you're waiting on that deposit!
This is so reassuring to read! I'm actually new to CalWORKs and just got approved last month. I haven't had to do my first SAR yet but I'm already nervous about it after reading all these posts. It's good to know that the "active" status is the key thing to look for. The whole system seems pretty confusing for newcomers like me - there are so many acronyms and processes to learn. Thanks for sharing your experience about the 3 years on the program, it helps to hear from someone who's been through this cycle multiple times!
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Wow, this thread has been so educational! I just started receiving CalWORKs benefits about 2 months ago and honestly had no clue the EBT card worked nationwide. My aunt lives in Colorado and I've been hesitant to visit her because I was worried about accessing my cash aid while there. Reading everyone's real experiences here - especially @Nathaniel Stewart coming back with the update that everything worked fine - gives me so much confidence. The advice about using bank ATMs vs convenience store ones is something I definitely wouldn't have known either. It's frustrating that they don't explain these practical details when you first get on benefits, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people share their knowledge. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this discussion!
I'm so glad this thread has been helpful for you! It's really unfortunate that the practical day-to-day stuff like this isn't covered better during the application process. I've been on CalWORKs for about a year now and I'm still learning new things from discussions like this. Your visit to Colorado should go smoothly based on everyone's experiences here - just remember to stick with bank ATMs to keep those fees down. It's amazing how much we can learn from each other's real-world experiences. Hope you get to see your aunt soon!
This has been such an informative discussion! I've been on CalWORKs for about 4 months now and had no idea about any of this travel stuff. My mom lives in New Mexico and I've been wanting to visit her but was scared my benefits would get messed up somehow. Reading through everyone's experiences - especially the confirmation that cards work nationwide and the 30-day rule - makes me feel so much more confident about planning a trip. The ATM fee advice is really smart too, I definitely would have just used whatever machine was closest without thinking about the extra charges. It's crazy how much practical stuff like this isn't explained when you first get benefits. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories, and @Nathaniel Stewart I'm really glad everything worked out for you and hope your mom is feeling better!
Tyler Murphy
I'm also new to CalWORKs (started about 6 weeks ago with my 5-year-old son after going through a rough divorce) and honestly had no clue about any of this! I was actually stressing about tax season because I thought since I haven't worked since August, I'd either have nothing to file or somehow end up owing money. Reading through everyone's experiences here is blowing my mind - I had no idea we could get thousands back even with just Cash Aid and CalFresh! This could literally be the difference between staying afloat and going under for us right now. I'm definitely calling 211 first thing tomorrow to find a VITA location. Quick question for those who've been through this - do I need to bring anything showing when I stopped working, like a termination letter or final paystub? I did work part of the year before getting on CalWORKs, but stopped in August. Want to make sure I have everything they need! This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing your real experiences. Finally feeling like there might be some hope on the horizon financially!
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Fiona Sand
•Welcome to the community, Tyler! Since you worked part of the year before getting on CalWORKs, you'll definitely want to bring your W-2 form when you get it (should arrive by end of January). You don't need a termination letter, but if you have your final paystub from August that could be helpful to show when your employment ended. With your 5-year-old and having worked part of the year, you might actually get back even more than people who were on CalWORKs all year - you could qualify for the full Earned Income Tax Credit based on your work income plus all the child tax credits. You're potentially looking at $4,000-5,000+ back! The VITA volunteers are used to helping people in exactly your situation - transitioning from work to benefits. They'll make sure you get every credit you're entitled to. This could definitely be the financial boost you need to get back on solid ground. Good luck with everything!
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Carmen Flores
I'm also new to CalWORKs (just started about 6 weeks ago with my 7-year-old daughter) and reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening! I had absolutely no idea that we could get tax refunds without any job income. Like so many others here, I was actually dreading tax season because I assumed I'd either owe money or have nothing to file at all. Hearing everyone's real experiences with getting back thousands of dollars even with just Cash Aid is giving me so much hope right now. We've been really struggling financially and this could be exactly what we need to get caught up on bills and maybe even start a small emergency fund. I'm definitely going to call 211 tomorrow morning to find the nearest VITA location. Based on what everyone's sharing, it sounds like with my one child I could potentially get back $3,000-4,000 which would be absolutely life-changing for us. Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your experiences and advice - this community is incredible and has given me more useful information than hours of trying to navigate government websites on my own. Finally feeling like there's some light at the end of the tunnel!
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