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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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I went through this exact thing in January! My check came on the 4th, about 3 days late. The worker told me it takes time to 'process through the system' but never warned me about the delay. I got hit with a late fee too and CalWORKs wouldn't help cover it. After the 3rd month it finally started going directly to my bank account, and now it's actually better because I get it a day earlier than I used to with the EBT card.
That's helpful to hear about your experience. Did you have to do anything to follow up, or did it just eventually start working? I'm worried because my worker isn't very responsive.
Honestly no I just waited and complained a lot lol. But after the 3rd month it just started working perfectly. I did call like every month to make sure they were sending the check though.
Just checking back - were you able to reach someone about your check? If you can't get through by phone, you can also go in person to your county office. Bring your ID and case information. They can sometimes issue an emergency replacement check if you explain about your rent situation.
I actually used that Claimyr service that someone mentioned and finally got through! The worker confirmed my check was mailed on the 30th, so it should arrive any day now. She said I can request a replacement if it doesn't come by the 5th. I explained about my rent and she said I might qualify for an emergency payment, but I'd have to come into the office with documentation from my landlord. At least now I know what's going on! Thanks everyone for the help!
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The P-EBT program might be ending soon anyway. I got a letter saying it was the last extension but who knows with all the confusing info they send out. Congrats on your baby tho!
Thanks! Yeah I never know what to believe with these programs because they're always changing the rules or sending confusing letters.
So I just called about the diaper benefit and apparently it's been around since 2020!!! No one ever told me and I have a 2 year old and 10 month old twins! The worker said they'll add it retroactively for 3 months back but that's it. So mad right now that I missed out on like 2 years worth of diaper money because no one mentioned it! How are we supposed to know these things if they don't tell us??
This happens ALL THE TIME with CalWORKs. They never tell us everything we're eligible for! I only found out about childcare assistance through CalWORKs after struggling to pay for daycare for 6 months. Makes me wonder what else we're missing out on...
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When my husband got that construction job last summer our benefits just automatically stopped the month after his big check. I didn't report anything. Nobody ever said anything about overpayment. Maybe they just figured it out through the system? But maybe I just got lucky idk
You probably did get lucky. The county has data matching with EDD (unemployment) so they can sometimes catch income changes automatically through wage reporting. But relying on that is risky - if the system misses it and catches it months later, you could end up with a large overpayment claim.
Thanks everyone for the helpful replies! I'm going to fill out a Mid-Period Report form explaining that my husband's income will exceed our IRT but only temporarily due to holiday overtime. I'll make sure to still submit our SAR7 next month too. Better safe than sorry! Really appreciate all the guidance - the CalFresh rules can be so confusing sometimes.
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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.
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!
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!
glad u got it figured out! hope the rent increase helps u get more benefits
Aiden Chen
Your child starting kindergarten shouldn't affect your CalWORKs amount. The grant is based on family size and income, not school status. However, if you were also receiving childcare assistance through CalWORKs and now need fewer hours of coverage, that's a separate benefit that could change. One other possibility - did you receive any child support recently? CalWORKs deducts child support from your grant (though you should get the first $100 for one child or $200 for two or more children without it affecting your grant). Your best bet is still to contact your worker for a detailed explanation. Ask specifically for your "Assistance Unit's Maximum Aid Payment" and any deductions they're applying.
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Daniel Price
•I don't get any child support payments, and my childcare is through a different program. I'm going to try calling first thing tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion about asking for the Maximum Aid Payment - that's helpful language to use.
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Olivia Evans
After you figure this out, make sure to request a "Benefit Verification Letter" that shows your exact benefit amount. You can keep this as proof for future reference. Also, if you find out there was a mistake and they owe you money, make sure to ask for retroactive payments to cover any months they underpaid you. They won't automatically offer this!
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