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So glad you figured it out! This is exactly why I always recommend calling right when they open at 8am - much shorter wait times. The school attendance verification thing is so confusing because they never explain why one program needs it and the other doesn't. At least now you know for next time. Hope your CalFresh gets reactivated quickly once you submit that form!
Rachel Tao
•Thanks for the 8am tip! I'm definitely going to remember that for future calls. It's so frustrating how they don't explain these different requirements upfront - like why would school attendance only matter for food stamps but not cash aid? Makes no sense to me as a parent just trying to keep benefits active. Hopefully this helps other people who run into the same weird split situation!
Eli Butler
This exact same thing happened to me about 6 months ago! CalWORKs pending, CalFresh canceled during renewal. I panicked thinking I'd lost my food benefits permanently. Turned out they needed an updated utility bill that somehow only affected my CalFresh case. The whole thing was resolved within a week once I submitted the right document. Definitely call first thing in the morning - the wait times are so much better at 8am. And don't worry, they can usually backdate your benefits if it's their error or a missing verification issue. Keep us posted on how it goes!
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UPDATE: I finally got through to someone! There was a glitch in their system that affected a bunch of people who get the diaper allowance. The worker said they're fixing it and I should see the payment in 3-5 business days. She also said they're supposed to come with the regular Cash Aid payment on the 1st, but sometimes it processes separately. Thanks everyone for your help!
Dylan Cooper
•Glad you got an answer! Just as an FYI for the future, if your diaper allowance is ever delayed by more than 15 days, you can request a supplemental payment due to administrative error. They should issue it within 3 business days since it's considered an immediate need for a child.
wait theres a diaper allowance with calworks?? ive been on cash aid for 4 months with my 1 yr old and nobody told me about this! how much is it and how do u apply?
Yes! CalWORKs provides a $30 monthly diaper benefit for each child under age 3 who is part of your assistance unit. You don't need to apply separately - it should be automatic if you reported your child's correct age when you applied. Call your worker and let them know you haven't been receiving it. They might need to update your case, and they can likely issue retroactive payments for the months you've missed.
Esteban Tate
•@Giovanni Moretti is absolutely right! You should definitely be getting that $30/month. I had the same thing happen - was on CalWORKs for months before I found out about the diaper allowance. When I called my worker, turns out they had my daughter s'age wrong in the system. Once they fixed it, I got all the back payments I was owed. Don t'let them tell you it s'too "late -" you re'entitled to those retroactive payments if they made an error!
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Yara Sayegh
have u tried contacting ur local legal aid office? they help with calworks issues for free. my friend got help from them when her worker was saying she was over the income limit when she wasnt
Ava Martinez
•This is excellent advice. Legal Aid can often resolve these issues with a single phone call because the county knows they'll take it all the way to a hearing if necessary. Just Google "legal aid" plus your county name to find your local office.
Demi Lagos
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's incredibly stressful when you're already struggling financially and the system that's supposed to help you is making things worse. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is contacting your state assemblymember or state senator's office. They have constituent services staff who specifically handle problems with state agencies like CalWORKs. I had a similar issue where my worker was being completely unreasonable, and after calling my assemblymember's office, someone from their team contacted the county director directly. My case was reassigned within a week and the new worker immediately accepted the same documents the previous worker had rejected. You can find your representatives at findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov - just enter your address. Their staff deal with CalWORKs issues all the time and they know exactly who to contact to get things moving. Also, while you're working on getting a new worker, you might want to ask about the CalWORKs Immediate Need payment that someone mentioned earlier. Even if your regular benefits are delayed, you may qualify for emergency assistance to help with your rent deadline. Hang in there - you have rights and there are people who will help you enforce them!
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Yara Elias
So glad you got through to your worker and that she was helpful! It sounds like you're in much better hands than some of us have experienced. The fact that she proactively explained how the recertification will work differently from the temporary reduction is really encouraging. Just wanted to add - when you get that letter from your husband's employer about the seasonal work, try to get them to be as specific as possible about the typical work patterns (like "busy season typically runs X months with overtime, followed by Y months of reduced hours"). The more detailed documentation you have about the cyclical nature of his income, the stronger your case will be during recertification. You've got this! Sounds like you're doing everything right by staying on top of the reporting requirements and gathering the right documentation.
Sasha Reese
•This is such great advice about getting specific details in the employer letter! I'm definitely going to ask his boss to include the typical seasonal patterns. It sounds like having that kind of detailed documentation could really make the difference in how they calculate our ongoing benefits. Really appreciate everyone's help - this community has been a lifesaver during such a stressful situation!
Daniel White
Really glad to see this worked out for you! Your experience shows how important it is to report IRT changes promptly - waiting could have made things much worse. For anyone else reading this thread, Isabella's situation is a perfect example of why documenting fluctuating income is so crucial. One thing I'd add - if your husband's employer is hesitant about writing a letter, you could also ask them to just verify on company letterhead that his position involves seasonal overtime periods. Sometimes employers are more comfortable with simple verification rather than detailed explanations. Also keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit - I always make duplicates of all documentation before my appointments just in case something gets lost in their system. Hope your recertification goes smoothly! You're clearly on the right track with all the preparation you're doing.
Millie Long
I'm so glad you finally got through to someone and got this sorted out! This exact same thing happened to my sister - she submitted her redetermination in September and it just sat there until December when she finally got a worker who actually looked at her file. It's absolutely ridiculous how backed up they are. One thing that helped her was asking the worker to put a note in her file about the processing delay so if it happens again there's already documentation that it wasn't her fault. Also, she started taking photos of every document before submitting just in case the receipt gets lost. I hope your benefits come through quickly and you can catch up on everything. Having kids and dealing with this stress is just awful. Sending you good vibes that everything works out!
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Sean Flanagan
•That's such a good idea about asking them to put a note in the file about the delay! I never would have thought of that but it makes total sense to have it documented that it was their mistake, not mine. And taking photos of documents is smart too - I only kept the receipt but having backup photos would give me even more proof. Thanks for sharing what worked for your sister, and I really appreciate the good vibes! It's been so stressful trying to keep everything together with three kids while dealing with this mess.
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Aliyah Debovski
I'm so sorry you and your kids had to go through this stress! It's unacceptable that your redetermination sat unprocessed for months. I went through something similar last year where my paperwork got "lost" in their system for 6 weeks. Since you mentioned being behind on rent and bills, make sure to ask about their Homeless Prevention Program when you call back - sometimes they can help with emergency rental assistance while you're waiting for benefits to resume. Also, contact 211 (dial 2-1-1) for local food banks and emergency assistance programs that can help bridge the gap. Document everything - the worker's name who helped you, case numbers, dates, what they promised. If your benefits don't show up in those 3-5 days, escalate immediately. You've already been through enough! Keeping my fingers crossed that everything comes through quickly for you and your family.
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