I want to correct something important: for appeals, you need to request the appeal within 90 days of receiving your Notice of Action. When you submit the appeal form, check the box for "continuing benefits" if you were already receiving aid that they're trying to cut off. In your case, since this is a new application denial, focus on gathering strong evidence of all possible deductions. For a family of 6 in LA county with a disabled spouse, you should also immediately apply for: 1. Medi-Cal (if you haven't already) 2. IHSS for your husband's care needs 3. Housing assistance programs (separate from CalWORKs) 4. LIHEAP for utility bill assistance 5. School meal programs for the children Lastly, request an "expedited determination" on your CalFresh case review, as $25 sounds suspiciously low for a family of 6 even if you're over the CalWORKs limit.

IHSS could be a game-changer for your family! Since your husband has severe RA and needs help with daily activities, he would likely qualify for In-Home Supportive Services. Here's what's great about it: YOU can be his paid caregiver through IHSS, which means you'd get paid (around $17-18/hour in LA County) for providing his care. This income is treated differently for CalWORKs calculations and might actually help your case since it's considered "self-employment" with different deduction rules. To apply for IHSS, call 1-888-944-4477 or visit your local Social Services office. They'll do an assessment of your husband's needs and determine how many hours of care he qualifies for per week. Even if he only qualifies for 10-15 hours weekly, that's still $170-270 extra income that could ironically help you qualify for CalWORKs due to the way they calculate self-employment income. Also, once you're getting IHSS payments, make sure to mention this to your CalWORKs worker during your appeal - they need to recalculate your eligibility based on this new income source and its associated deductions. Many families don't realize IHSS can actually help rather than hurt their other benefit eligibility!

You'll get your first SAR7 form about 5 months after your approval. So if you were approved in July, expect it around December. The form is due by the 5th of your reporting month (which would be January in this example). One tip: CalWORKs now offers the option to complete your SAR7 online through the BenefitsCal website, which is much easier than the paper form. You can upload photos of any required documents right from your phone. Glad you were able to reach someone about the Immediate Need payment. If approved, they typically issue those within 3 business days, so that should help bridge the gap until your regular payment date.

I went through this same frustrating experience when I first got approved! The waiting period between getting your card and actually having funds available is one of those things they really should explain better upfront. Since you mentioned your case number ends in 9, you're definitely in the 20th payment group. While you're waiting for a response on the immediate need payment, here are a few other options that might help: Some churches have emergency food pantries that don't require appointments - you could call around and ask. Also, if you have any friends or family on WIC, sometimes they have extra vouchers they can't use before they expire. The system is definitely not designed with families' immediate needs in mind, but hang in there - once you get into the regular payment cycle it becomes more predictable. Just make sure to budget around those specific dates (1st, 10th, or 20th) going forward.

Just a reminder that you can also check your balance before withdrawing money by calling the number on the back of your EBT card or checking online at www.ebt.ca.gov. This helps avoid trying to withdraw more than you have (which can sometimes result in fees) and helps you keep track of your benefits throughout the month. To summarize the best no-fee options for getting cash from your CalWORKs EBT card: 1. Bank of America ATMs 2. Cash back at grocery stores, dollar stores, and retailers 3. ATMs at county welfare offices 4. Some credit union ATMs (check first) Hope this helps you avoid those unnecessary fees going forward!

Another tip that's helped me a lot - if you have a smartphone, download the EBT Edge app. It shows you your balance and transaction history, but more importantly it has a map feature that shows you nearby ATMs that don't charge fees for EBT cards. Super convenient when you're out and about and need to find a fee-free option quickly. I've saved probably $40-50 in fees over the past few months just by using this app to locate Bank of America ATMs or stores that do cash back. The app is free and works way better than trying to remember all the different places or calling the number on your card every time.

FINAL UPDATE: Went to the office today and got everything resolved! They updated my documentation and said my payment should be processed within 3 business days. The worker also helped me apply for CalWORKs since my RCA is ending after next month. She said there might still be a gap between programs but at least I'm prepared for it now. Thanks again everyone for all your advice!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm also on RCA and approaching my 8-month limit soon, so reading about your experience gives me a heads up about what to expect. I had no idea that the transition to CalWORKs wasn't automatic - I definitely need to start that application process early. The documentation requirements for RCA seem so much more complicated than regular CalWORKs. Has anyone else here had success with applying for CalWORKs before their RCA ended? I'm worried about that gap in benefits that keeps getting mentioned.

Just to clarify something important - once approved, your benefits will be backdated to the date of application. So even if it takes the full 30 days, you'll receive benefits for that entire period. For example, if you applied on May 1 and get approved on May 30, you'll receive benefits for all of May in your first payment.

Hey! I just went through this exact same situation last month. My worker was assigned on a Tuesday and I got my benefits the following Monday - so about 6 days. BUT I think it really depends on how complete your paperwork is and honestly your worker's caseload. I'd recommend calling first thing in the morning (like 8 AM sharp) to check in with your worker about your status. Also, make sure to mention your rent situation - they can sometimes push urgent cases through faster. Don't stress too much though, most people I know got theirs within 7-10 days of worker assignment. You got this!