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Update: I called my worker today and got through right away (miracle). She confirmed they have all the info about my new job correctly recorded for both CalFresh and CalWORKs! The paystubs I submitted were processed correctly and there's nothing else I need to do except report if I go over my IRT. She also updated my WTW plan to count my current employment hours. Thanks everyone for your help!
sorry to hijack but this reminds me. does anyone know if the incoming child support payments affect your calworks amount? my ex finally got a job and they're taking child support from his check but i'm worried my cash aid will get reduced. should i even report it?
Yes, you absolutely need to report child support income! The first $100 of child support is disregarded (won't affect your CalWORKs), but anything over that will reduce your cash aid dollar for dollar. The county already knows about it since it goes through the Department of Child Support Services, so not reporting it could create an overpayment you'll have to pay back later. Always better to report and avoid potential fraud accusations.
This happened to me too, and it turned out my card was blocked because they sent me a new one that I never received! Call the EBT customer service line (not the county) at 1-877-328-9677 and ask if a new card was issued or if your current one is blocked for any reason. Sometimes they send replacement cards without telling you if your old one is about to expire. The county never notifies you, it's ridiculous.
UPDATE: System is back up and running! Card works now. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. I'm going to be better prepared next time by having some emergency cash set aside. And now I know about Claimyr for getting through to workers quickly - that's a lifesaver for single parents like me who can't spend hours on hold!!
One more important thing - when you go to the office tomorrow, ask specifically about a \
Thank you! I'll specifically ask about reopening rather than reapplying - that would save so much time. And we're definitely prepared for the WTW requirements. My husband is already job searching every day and would be happy to document everything. He just needs something to tide us over until he finds a new job, which hopefully won't take more than a couple months.
what ever u do DONT CALL THEM!!! if they made a mistake in your favor just keep it lol. I got extra $$ once and called like an idiot and they took it back the next month. sometimes its better not to ask questions just sayin
That's actually not good advice. If it's an error and they find out later (which they almost always do during reconciliation), they'll consider it an overpayment and you'll have to pay it back regardless. Better to know what it is so you can plan accordingly. If it's rightfully yours, great! If not, at least you won't be surprised when they reduce future payments to recoup it.
Update: So I finally got through to my worker! It IS the diaper benefit! She said they've been rolling it out and doing retroactive payments for eligible families. Since my daughter has been on my case for 12 months, I got $360 ($30 x 12). Going forward it'll just be included in my regular payment. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great news! This is exactly why it's always good to check. Glad you got confirmation and now you can use that money without worrying. The diaper benefit has been super helpful for many families - glad you're getting it too!
Amara Okafor
Does anyone know if they're ever bringing back any of those pandemic increases? My Cash Aid is $213 less now than it was during COVID and with inflation everything costs so much more. I'm having to work extra shifts just to make up the difference and my childcare costs are eating all that extra money anyway!!! The system is so broken.
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Liam Sullivan
•Unfortunately, all the pandemic-related benefit increases have ended and there are no plans to bring them back. However, CalWORKs did have a standard grant increase in October 2024 (though it was relatively small). Since you mentioned childcare costs - make sure you're enrolled in the CalWORKs childcare program if you're working. They should cover most or all of your childcare expenses while you're working or in an approved Welfare to Work activity. Many people don't realize they qualify for this benefit!
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Carmen Vega
Update: I finally got through to my worker today. Turns out during the pandemic they weren't counting my husband's disability income the same way, and now they are. She explained that it wasn't actually about emergency allotments (I had that wrong), but about special income calculation rules during COVID. She also said I definitely should submit a SAR 3 for the rent increase. I filled it out today and dropped it off at the office with proof of the new rent amount. Thanks everyone for your help sorting this out!
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Mei Chen
•glad u got it figured out! hope the rent increase helps u get more benefits
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