Did you check if your renewal was actually received in the system? Sometimes they mark things as "not received" even when submitted through BenefitsCal. You can check the status in your BenefitsCal account under Documents & Notices.

This whole system is such a mess. My friend in LA County set up an in-person appointment through BenefitsCal when she couldn't get through on the phone. Does Santa Barbara offer that option?

btw if ur kid is under 3 you can get the $30 diaper allowance too with calworks. they dont tell u about it u gotta ask

Since your child is 4, you should ask about: 1. Childcare assistance - covers care while you work or do WTW activities 2. Transportation assistance - can help with bus passes or gas money to get to work 3. Once-in-a-lifetime homeless assistance if you're at risk of losing housing 4. Work expense allowances if you need special clothing/tools for your job 5. CalFresh (food benefits) if you haven't applied already When you have your interview, just be upfront about your current situation - working part-time, struggling with childcare costs, etc. The cross-state tax issue from 2020 really shouldn't impact your current eligibility. If the worker seems fixated on that, politely ask how that affects your current application and why it matters for determining your present eligibility.

One other thing to consider - if your husband's self-employment income varies significantly from month to month, you might want to ask your worker about

Thank you! The income averaging sounds perfect for our situation. His handyman work is super unpredictable - sometimes neighbors need lots of help and sometimes nothing for weeks. Having a stable benefit amount would make budgeting so much easier.I'm definitely going to switch to written communication from now on. I've been calling her office, but you're right that I need a paper trail. I'll email her about the self-employment declaration we're preparing and see if she responds more professionally in writing.

You mentioned the termination is happening on the 28th - that's actually important info. Under CalWORKs regulations, they must provide at least 10 days notice before discontinuing benefits. Count backwards from the 28th - if you received the discontinuance notice less than 10 days before that date, you can challenge it on procedural grounds alone. Also, check if your Notice of Action lists the specific regulation they're citing for the discontinuance. If they didn't properly cite the regulation, that's another procedural error you can use in your appeal.

have u tried contacting ur local legal aid? they do free help for calworks issues, my cousin got her benefits back after they wrongly cut her off

i got my ebt stolen one time and i never got the money back but that was in 2021 maybe its better now

One important thing to mention - California passed a new law (AB 75) that improved benefit theft protections. The process is much better than it was in 2021-2022. Make sure that when you talk to your worker, you specifically mention you're filing under the new benefit theft replacement process. Some workers aren't fully trained on the updated procedures yet.