Pay nothing until a live DSS agent is on the phone with you.
Can't reach CalWorks? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
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No live agent, no charge.
$9.99 is charged only once a live DSS agent is on the phone with you.
Using Claimyr will:
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- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the DSS drops your call
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- DO post questions about your issues.
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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!
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did u try calling ur worker? i kno its impossible to get thru sometimes but if u keep calling right when they open sometimes u can catch them. or go in person if u can. they always treat u better face to face than on the phone i swear
I've tried calling multiple times but our county office is ALWAYS busy. I'm going to try going in person next week. The office is pretty far from us but at this point it's worth the bus fare if I can get this fixed.
anyone know if they can garnish wages for calworks overpayments??? im so worried they're gonna start taking $ from my paychecks for an overpayment from 2 yrs ago that i never paid
Yes, they can eventually refer unpaid CalWORKs overpayments to the Franchise Tax Board for collection, which can lead to wage garnishment or tax refund intercepts. But they have to send multiple notices first, and there's a process. If you're worried about an old overpayment, call and try to set up even a small payment plan ($5-10/month) to show good faith - that usually prevents them from taking more aggressive collection action.
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The WORST part about CalWORKs is how they never tell you ANYTHING. Like they expect us to be mind readers?! I swear they deliberately make it hard to contact them so they can save money when people give up trying. Did your job put you over the income limit? Because that could explain it, but they're still supposed to TELL YOU with a Notice of Action!!!
Definitely not over the income limit - I only make about $750/month at this job and my IRT is $2,800. I agree about the communication though - it's so frustrating not knowing what's happening with money you depend on!
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone! Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got connected to a real person in about 15 minutes. The worker confirmed my payment was on hold for an income review but said there was no reason for the delay since everything was properly reported. She manually released the payment and said it should be in my account within 48 hours. She also noted in my file that I'm well below my IRT so this shouldn't happen again. Thank you all for your help and suggestions!
Glad to hear you got it resolved! This happens more often than it should with income changes. One tip for the future: whenever you report new income, ask your worker to note in your file that it's below the IRT and no payment hold is needed. Sometimes that prevents the automatic system flags. Good luck with the new job!
SEE? That's exactly what happened to me! The system automatically puts payments on hold even when you do everything right. At least your worker was helpful - mine gave me attitude like I did something wrong. So infuriating!
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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!
Yayyy!! Free money we didnt even know about lol. Get those diapers girl!
Isabella Ferreira
That's great news! So glad she finally got some answers. The immediate need payment should come through quickly to help with the current situation. Make sure she keeps a record of who she spoke with today in case she needs to follow up.
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Emma Anderson
Thanks for updating us! That's interesting about ATM withdrawals being flagged for additional review - makes sense they'd look at those differently than store purchases. Hope she gets the immediate need payment quickly!
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