CalWorks
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Will our CalFresh get cut because husband made $5k in one month? Family of 5 panicking
I'm seriously stressing out right now. My husband usually makes around $2,800 a month at his construction job, but in September he got this big project that paid him $5,000. It was just a one-time thing, not his regular income. We have 3 kids (8, 5, and 2) and we rely on our CalFresh benefits to feed everyone. We haven't reported this income change yet because our SAR7 isn't due until next month, but I'm worried when we do report it, they'll cut our food stamps completely. Can they take away our benefits based on just one higher month? We don't have any savings and I don't know how we'll manage without the extra food help. Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Do they look at the average income or just that one month?
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CalWORKs Cash Aid stolen from BofA EBT card - need emergency help for rent!
My CalWORKs Cash Aid got stolen from my EBT card at BofA in Anaheim last week and I'm freaking out because rent is due in 3 days!! Has anyone gone through this? How long does it take to get the money back? I reported it to BofA and they gave me a claim number but the rep couldn't tell me how long it would take to investigate. Called my caseworker but can't get through. I have a 5 yr old and can't lose our apartment - we were homeless before getting Cash Aid and I can't go back to that. Do I need special documentation for the county? Will they give emergency Cash Aid while investigating the stolen benefits? I need to know ASAP before we get evicted!!
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i tried that claimyr thing someone mentioned after seeing it here and it actually worked! i was shocked lol. got through to my worker in like 3 min when i had been trying for days. they're not free but worth it when ur dealing with an emergency and need to talk to someone NOW
Man I wish I'd known about that last month when my benefits got cut off randomly and I couldn't reach anyone for 2 weeks. How much does it cost? Is it like a subscription or one-time thing?
UPDATE: I went to the county office today with all my documents. The worker said I qualified for Immediate Need due to the theft and processed a payment for me! Should have the money by tomorrow morning. They're also helping me apply for Homeless Assistance as a backup plan. Thank you all SO MUCH for your advice. I'll definitely use Claimyr next time I need to call instead of waiting for hours. Still waiting on BofA but at least I won't be evicted now!
That's great news! Make sure you follow up with BofA every few days about your claim. Also, when you receive your next CalWORKs notice, check that they didn't count this emergency payment against your regular benefits or time limits - sometimes they make that mistake. If they did, request a correction right away.
When can I call CalWORKs to check my Cash Aid amount for next month?
Hi everyone, I'm trying to figure out when exactly I can call to check my CalWORKs benefit amount for next month. My rent is due on the 1st and I need to know how much Cash Aid I'll be getting so I can budget properly. I called last month on the 25th but they said the system didn't have my future payment info yet. Is there a specific day when the next month's benefits are loaded into their system? Anyone know the earliest I can call to find this out? Thanks!
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Last time I called they told me LIES!!!! Said my check would be $624 but then when it came it was only $512. When I called back they said something about an "overpayment adjustment" that nobody told me about!!! Always double check what they tell you and GET NAMES of who you talk to!!!
That's really frustrating. When they make adjustments for overpayments, they're supposed to send you a Notice of Action explaining the change before reducing your benefits. You have the right to request a hearing if you disagree with the reduction. Did you receive any notice in the mail about this?
btw if u have the ebb app on ur phone sometimes it shows ur next month payment b4 the worker can even c it lol. saved me from having to call so many times
Wait really?? I didn't know the EBT app shows future payments! I have the app but never noticed that feature. Where exactly in the app do you see this?
go to acct activity n sometimes it shows pending deposits a few days b4 they hit. not always but worth checkin!
CalWORKs EBT card locked on EBTedge - will pending deposits still go through?
My worker just approved my CalWORKs Cash Aid increase last week, but I accidentally locked my EBT card when I entered my PIN wrong 3 times on the EBTedge website. I tried calling the number on the back of my card but can't get through to anyone. My Cash Aid is supposed to deposit in 2 days and I REALLY need it for rent. Will the money still go onto my card even though it's locked? Do I need to get a replacement card before the deposit date? I'm freaking out because my landlord doesn't give grace periods anymore.
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one time this hapnd to me and i jus went to the atm and tried my pin again and it worked!! maybe try that?
I wouldn't recommend this approach. If you try your PIN at an ATM after it's already been locked in the system, you risk locking it further or potentially even having the card retained by the ATM. It's always better to resolve the lock through official channels - either customer service or the county office.
UPDATE: I finally got through to EBT customer service this morning! Called right at 7:00am and only waited about 15 minutes. They were able to unlock my card over the phone after verifying my identity. The rep confirmed my deposit will go through as scheduled tomorrow. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
nice!! glad it worked out 4 u!
Great news! Just remember for the future - if you're trying to check your balance or transaction history, the EBTedge website and mobile app are much easier than trying to use the phone system. And they don't lock your card if you make a mistake there.
Will my newborn qualify for P-EBT? Baby born January 2025 - eligibility and amount questions
My son was just born on January 11th and we're currently receiving CalWORKs and CalFresh. I heard something about children getting P-EBT cards but I'm confused about whether newborns qualify. Does anyone know if my baby will get his own P-EBT card? And if he does qualify, how much would he receive? We're really struggling with formula costs right now so any extra help would make a huge difference. Our CalWORKs worker wasn't very clear when I asked about this last week.
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Don't forget to also ask about the diaper stipend! CalWORKs has a program that gives you $30 extra per month for diapers for each child under 3 years old. You have to specifically request it though - they won't automatically add it. I didn't find out about it until my baby was almost a year old and missed out on so much help.
I had no idea about this! $30 a month would help so much with diapers. I'll definitely ask about that when I get through to someone. Do you know if there's a specific form I need to fill out for the diaper stipend?
I don't think there's a specific form - I just told my worker I wanted to request the diaper benefit and she added it. But definitely mention it specifically because they don't always tell you about all the benefits you qualify for!
One more thing to consider - when you added your newborn to your CalWORKs case, did they also ask about the baby's father? If you're not living with the father, the county will probably ask you to cooperate with child support enforcement unless you have good cause not to (like domestic violence concerns). This doesn't affect whether your baby gets benefits, but it's something to be prepared for in case they bring it up.
Yes, they did ask about that. The father and I are together but he doesn't live with us full-time because of his work (he's a truck driver). I provided his information. Would that still require child support enforcement or is that only if we're completely separated?
If you've declared him as the father and provided his information, you're cooperating with the requirement. Since you're not married but in a relationship, they might still refer the case to child support services to establish legal paternity, but this won't necessarily mean he has to pay support if you're in a relationship and he's helping support the child. The county just wants to ensure there's legal paternity established.
Andre Lefebvre
The county ALWAYS tries to cut people off their benefits!!! They look for ANY reason!! One month over and they act like you're rich forever. My sister had the EXACT same thing happen and they cut her off completely and she had to reapply and it took MONTHS to get back on!!! The system is BROKEN!!!
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Nia Thompson
While the system can be frustrating, this isn't actually how the CalFresh program is supposed to work. One month of higher income shouldn't permanently disqualify someone if their regular income is within the limits. It sounds like there might have been other factors in your sister's case or possibly a worker error. The OP should definitely report the income change properly but also advocate for proper income averaging.
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GalacticGladiator
After reading all the comments, I want to summarize the correct steps for the OP: 1. Report the income change immediately (even though it's late, better late than never) 2. Clearly explain it was a one-time project and provide documentation of regular income 3. Specifically request "income averaging" or "anticipatory budgeting" 4. Bring the past 3 months of pay stubs to show the normal income pattern 5. If they still calculate benefits incorrectly, request a hearing Your benefits may be reduced for the month the $5,000 was received, but should return to normal levels after that if your husband's income returns to normal.
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Luca Greco
AuthorThank you SO much! I'm going to call first thing Monday morning and get this reported. I'll definitely ask for income averaging and bring all our documentation. I really appreciate everyone's help on this!
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