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my sister had this EXACT same problem with child support last year!!! they fixed it at the hearing and she got back payments too. bring all ur paperwork!!!
To answer your question about phone vs. in-person hearings - I did mine by phone and it worked fine. The advantage was I could be in my own home where I felt comfortable. I put the call on speaker and had all my documents spread out on my table where I could see everything. As for timing, I got the decision in about 3 weeks. The regulation says they have to decide within 60 days of your hearing request, but it's usually faster. If they rule in your favor, the county has 30 days to comply and issue any retroactive benefits. One more tip - during the hearing, if you don't understand something the judge or county says, don't be afraid to ask them to explain. The judges are generally patient and want to make sure you understand what's happening.
Make sure you get the Stage 1 to Stage 2 childcare transition paperwork started as soon as possible! After you've been in CalWORKs for a while, your childcare moves from Stage 1 to Stage 2, and if you don't get the paperwork done in time, there can be a gap in coverage. Happened to me and I had to pay out of pocket for 2 weeks. Just an FYI so you don't get caught by surprise!
One more thing - if you're meeting your Welfare-to-Work hours through employment, education, or approved activities, CalWORKs should cover childcare for those hours PLUS reasonable transportation time. So if you work until 5:30 but need 30 minutes to get to the childcare provider, care until 6pm should be covered. Make sure this is clearly documented in your WTW plan and childcare authorization.
UPDATE: My benefits just posted at 4:32pm! From what the worker told me, they had a major system update that went wrong last night and it affected the automatic payment processing. Everyone should get their benefits by tonight, but if you don't see them by tomorrow morning, you should definitely call your county office.
FINAL UPDATE: My benefits FINALLY posted at 7:15pm! Nearly a whole day late, but at least they're there. The maintenance on MyCAlWIN is over too - the system is back up. Thanks everyone for confirming it wasn't just me having problems. This forum is seriously a lifesaver sometimes.
Just checking back - is today the 7th? Did your CalFresh benefits load? If not, you should definitely call the county office first thing tomorrow morning. Sometimes there are processing delays, but they can usually expedite it if you're at risk of food insecurity.
Sorry to hear you're still having issues! When you call tomorrow, make sure to ask specifically if there are any pending verification items for your CalFresh case. Also ask them to check if your case is in "pending" status rather than "active" status. Sometimes the online portal will show everything as active even when there's an issue on the backend. If they say something is missing, ask them to send you an official notice listing exactly what they need. And definitely request expedited processing if you're out of food!
Hazel Garcia
What about if your kid is in pull-ups not actual diapers? My worker is saying my 4yr old doesn't qualify because she's in pull-ups not "diapers" which is total BS. The CalWORKS handbook doesn't say anything about what TYPE of diapers. Has anyone dealt with this?
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Charity Cohan
•Your worker is incorrect. The CalWORKs Diaper Benefit applies to ANY child under 6 who is on CalWORKs, regardless of whether they use diapers, pull-ups, or are fully potty trained. The benefit is calculated based solely on the child's age, not their diapering status. It's an additional support for families with young children - not a reimbursement that requires proof of diaper purchases. If your worker continues to give you this incorrect information, ask to speak with a supervisor or file for a state hearing.
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Jean Claude
Update: Called my caseworker and confirmed this IS the diaper benefit! She said they processed several months at once because there was a delay implementing it in our region. Both my girls qualify since they're under 6. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Josef Tearle
•lucky u got thru to ur worker! i'm still trying to figure out why only 1 of my kids got it
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