When I added my teenager back to my case last year, I had to specifically ask for the teen forms. They gave me a bunch of papers about school attendance requirements and how they check with the school district. Maybe they just forgot to give you those forms? It's worth calling to ask what happened.

I just want to add that when you call about adding your 17-year-old to your case, specifically request that they add her retroactively to the date you initially requested to add all your children. Since this appears to be their error (not giving you the proper forms or instructions for your older child), they should correct it back to the original request date. Make sure to document everything - who you speak with, date and time, what they tell you. If they say they can't add her retroactively, ask to speak with a supervisor and explain that you were never informed about different requirements for your 17-year-old.

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.

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!

I had the same question last month!!! I ended up going IN PERSON to my county office (hate doing that but nothing else worked) and they printed out the current benefit chart for me. Turns out my family of 4 WAS getting the correct amount. If BenefitsCal isn't working for you and phone calls are useless, sometimes physically going there is the only way to get answers. Bring something to do though because the wait times are ridiculous.

To clarify what others have said: 1. COVID emergency allotments were for CalFresh only and ended in March 2023 2. CalWORKs has regular annual cost-of-living adjustments (usually small increases) 3. The most recent CalWORKs increase was in July 2024 4. Los Angeles is a Region 1 county (higher payment standard) Aside from checking BenefitsCal, you should have received a Notice of Action about 30 days before any change to your grant amount. The notice explains the change, when it happens, and shows the calculation. If you didn't get one, that could be a problem with your contact information on file. Also, while your SAR7 is due next month, remember that updates to CalWORKs payment standards don't require any action from you - they're automatic. You only need to report changes to your income, household composition, or other circumstances on the SAR7.

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.

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.

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!

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??