I work with families in similar situations frequently. Here's what you need to know: 1. You must report all household members accurately, including those who are there part-time 2. For CalWORKs, children in shared custody situations can potentially be on two cases, with benefits prorated based on time in each home 3. When you report, specify exactly how many days/nights the child spends in your home 4. Provide documentation of the custody arrangement 5. Be prepared to explain the situation clearly The system has protocols for this exact situation. It's not considered fraud when both parents accurately report a shared custody arrangement. What would be problematic is if either parent claimed the child was in their home 100% of the time when that's not true. If your worker isn't clear about how to handle this, ask to speak with a supervisor who can explain the shared custody policies more thoroughly.

I went through something similar last year with my stepson. The key thing that helped me was being super clear with my caseworker about the exact custody schedule from day one. I brought in the custody agreement AND created a simple calendar showing which days he's with us vs his mom. My worker really appreciated having it all laid out clearly. The system handled it fine - we get benefits for him for the time he's with us, and his mom gets benefits for her time. No red flags, no problems. The caseworkers deal with this situation all the time, so don't stress too much about it. Just be honest and thorough with your documentation. You're doing everything right by trying to report accurately!

waait did someone say $3,682?? thats way higher than i thought! i been turning down extra shifts cuz i thought id lose my cash aid if i made over like $2000 lol

I've been through this exact situation! Don't panic - while you should have reported within 10 days of starting work, the fact that you're being proactive now will help. When you finally reach your worker, be honest about when you started and explain that you were confused about the reporting requirements. In my experience, they're usually more understanding if you come forward voluntarily rather than them finding out through a data match later. Also, keep detailed records of all your pay stubs and hours worked - you'll need them for your case review. The good news is that with a part-time job at 25 hours/week, you're probably still eligible for some assistance even after they calculate the disregards. Good luck getting through to them!

Just wanted to update everyone - I just received my payment today! No notice or anything, it just appeared in my account. So they're definitely still processing them. Hope everyone else gets theirs soon!

I'm in a similar situation - been waiting since February for my $500 dependent payment. I have one child and we're on CalWORKs in LA County. It's really frustrating because I keep hearing mixed information about when these are supposed to come through. Some people got theirs weeks ago, others are still waiting like us. I've been checking my EBT account daily and calling the office but can never get through to a real person. The automated system just keeps saying to check BenefitsCal online, but there's no specific information about the stimulus payment status there either. Really hoping it comes through soon because we could definitely use that money for school supplies and some overdue medical bills. Thanks for posting this - at least now I know I'm not the only one still waiting!

Based on what you've shared, it sounds like your case is in a partial reinstatement status. When you missed your original phone appointment, they issued the discontinuance, but when you completed the interview on Monday, they reinstated benefits for the current month (May). The worker's comment about June benefits ending likely relates to the child support cooperation issue. Here's what's probably happening: 1. Your May benefits are being processed now that you've had the interview 2. The hospital verification document should be sufficient for now (they'll note in your case that you need to provide the birth certificate later) 3. Your decision to refuse child support cooperation will result in a 25% reduction to YOUR portion of the grant, not the children's portion I recommend calling your county office to specifically ask about the status of your June benefits. There's a chance the worker was incorrectly assuming your case would close completely rather than just being reduced. According to CalWORKs regulations, refusing child support cooperation without good cause should only result in a 25% reduction to the parent's portion, not complete case closure. If you're having trouble getting through on the phone, follow up in person at the office. Make sure to get any answers in writing so you have documentation.

I went through something similar when I had my second child. The hospital verification document (that white paper) is totally acceptable - I used mine for months before getting the official birth certificate. Don't stress about that part. For the child support refusal, the worker probably didn't explain it clearly. You WON'T lose all your benefits - they'll just reduce YOUR portion by 25%. So if your total grant would be $600 and your adult portion is $200, they'd reduce it by $50 (25% of $200), leaving you with $550 total. Your kids' portions stay the same. The confusing part about "stopping next month" might be because your case needs to go through the child support cooperation review process. Sometimes there's a delay while they process the refusal and calculate the new grant amount. I'd definitely call or go back in person to clarify exactly what's happening with June benefits. Also, if you have ANY safety concerns about the father (even from years ago), definitely ask about filing for "good cause" exemption from child support cooperation. This could prevent the 25% reduction entirely.