Glad to hear payments are coming through! For future reference, if your CalWORKs payment is ever more than 5 business days late, you can request an Emergency Payment at your local office. You'll need to show proof of an urgent need (like an eviction notice or utility shut-off). Also, it's good practice to save the EBT customer service number (877-328-9677) and your county office number in your phone for situations like this. The automated system can often tell you if a payment has been authorized even before it shows as pending.

So glad everyone's payments are coming through! This whole thread was super helpful - I'm new to CalWORKs (just got approved last month) and was freaking out when my first payment didn't show up on schedule. Reading everyone's experiences really helped me understand this stuff happens sometimes. Definitely saving those phone numbers and gonna keep an eye out for any official mail. Thanks to everyone who shared info and resources!

I see you mentioned you're going to call them. When you do, ask specifically for an "Income Computation Worksheet" - this is a form that shows exactly how they calculated your grant amount. Also request a hearing immediately if there's an error - you only have 90 days from the Notice of Action date to appeal. Let us know what you find out!

That overpayment recovery can be really brutal when you're not expecting it! Just FYI - you have the right to request a lower repayment amount if 10% is causing hardship. They can sometimes reduce it to 5% or even pause collections temporarily if you can show it's creating a financial emergency. Also make sure to keep all the paperwork they send you about the overpayment - if their math is wrong or they can't prove when/why it happened, you can dispute it. Good luck with everything!

did u get a confirmation number when u applied online? make sure u save that! i lost mine and they said they couldnt find my application and i had to start all over again!!

Just wanted to update and see if you've had any luck reaching your county office. If you qualified for expedited processing, you should have heard something by now. If not, I'd recommend going in person to the office if possible. Sometimes that's the fastest way to get answers. Also, make sure to document everything - when you call, who you speak with, what they tell you. This can be helpful if you need to file for a fair hearing later.

UPDATE: Just called using that specific language about "expedited processing due to imminent housing crisis" and finally got somewhere! The supervisor said they'll flag my case for priority review and I should see a resolution within 3-5 business days. They also referred me to a rental assistance program through a local nonprofit that might help in the meantime. Thanks everyone for the advice!

I'm so sorry you're going through this! I had my benefits stolen on May 3rd too ($489) and finally got my refund yesterday after using that expedited processing language. What really helped was calling first thing in the morning (around 8 AM) when the phone lines open - I got through much faster than calling later in the day. Also, I documented every call I made with the date, time, and who I spoke with. When I called for expedited processing, I had all those details ready which seemed to help show I'd been actively following up. Don't give up - it sounds like they're finally processing the May 3rd cases now!

One more thing I forgot to mention - if you're having trouble with the overpayment, you can contact your local legal aid office. They provide free legal help for people with CalWORKs issues, including overpayments. Google "legal aid" plus your county name to find them. Also, if paying back the overpayment would cause you "undue hardship" (like not being able to pay rent or utilities), you can request a hardship waiver. It's not easy to get, but worth trying if you're in a really tough spot. Don't give up on benefits completely - the system is complicated, but once you understand the reporting rules, it gets easier to avoid these situations in the future.

I've been through this exact situation and I want to reassure you that it's not as hopeless as it feels right now. The most important thing is to act quickly and know your rights. First, call your worker ASAP and request form CW 2200 (Request for Overpayment Repayment Agreement). You can negotiate a payment plan as low as $10-25/month depending on your circumstances. Don't let them pressure you into agreeing to more than you can afford. Second, you have 90 days from the date of the overpayment notice to request a fair hearing if you want to dispute it. Even if you did make a mistake, sometimes they'll reduce the amount or find errors in their calculation. Third, regarding your reduced benefits - if your income has dropped since December, you need to report that change immediately. They should recalculate your grant based on your current income, not what you were making in December. The key thing about reporting income going forward: you must report within 10 days if your income goes over your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold). This amount should be listed on your Notice of Action. As long as you stay under that threshold, you only need to report on your SAR7. Don't close your case out of frustration - that actually makes collections more aggressive. Stay on the program and work with them to resolve this. You've got this!