UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the county office! They confirmed they received my SAR7 and said that since I submitted it before the end of the month, my benefits won't be discontinued. The worker did say that my payment might be a couple days late next month because of the late submission, but at least I'm not losing my benefits entirely. She also made a note in my file that I didn't receive the reminder notice in the mail. Thanks everyone for your help and advice - this group is seriously a lifesaver!!

So glad you got through and everything worked out! That's such a relief about your benefits not being discontinued. A couple days late is way better than losing them completely. It's really good that the worker noted about the missing reminder notice too - definitely keep that documented in case you have issues in the future. This is exactly why I love this community - we all help each other navigate this confusing system. Hope your payment comes through soon and you can get your rent sorted!

Did anyone here actually know that income limits are supposed to be on your Notice of Action letters? I just discovered this after 3 years on CalWORKs! Check your paperwork from when you were last approved - there should be a section that says what your specific IRT is. Mine was buried on page 4 of a 6-page notice!

This thread has been so helpful! As someone new to the CalWORKs system with a family of 4, I'm learning so much about income limits and reporting requirements. @Ravi Choudhury I'm glad you found your specific IRT in your paperwork - that's such a relief when you're worried about going over the limit! One thing I wanted to add for anyone else reading this: if you're having trouble understanding your Notice of Action letters, many counties have CalWORKs advocates or community organizations that can help you interpret the paperwork for free. I found one through my local library's resource center. They walked me through every page of my benefits letter and explained what all the different numbers meant. Also, for those mentioning overpayments - if you do end up with one, you can usually request a hearing to dispute it or ask for a payment plan. Don't panic if it happens, there are options to work with the county. The system is complicated but there are people who can help navigate it!

UPDATE: Had my interview this morning and it went way better than expected! The worker was actually really nice and didn't lecture me about missing the SAR7 before. She just reminded me about reporting deadlines and the Income Reporting Threshold (which I guess is higher now in 2025?). She said since I'm already working, I still need to attend WTW orientation but it can be done online now. The only issue is they need verification of my kids' school enrollment and my landlord needs to fill out a housing form. They said I should get a notice within 7-10 days. Thanks everyone for your help! I feel so much more prepared than I was yesterday.

Congratulations on getting through your interview! That's such a relief when it goes better than expected. Quick tip about the housing form - make sure your landlord fills it out completely and signs it. I had to get mine redone twice because my landlord left some sections blank the first time. Also, for the school enrollment verification, you can usually get that same day from the school office or sometimes even print it from the parent portal online if your school district has one. Getting those documents in quickly will definitely help speed up your approval!

Just wanted to add - make sure you understand the "clock" system! California has a 48-month lifetime limit on CalWORKs cash aid, and your clock starts ticking as soon as you're approved (even if you haven't started WTW yet). BUT if you're meeting your WTW participation requirements, you can get extensions beyond 48 months in some cases. Also, if you're already working 15 hours/week, you might qualify for the Earned Income Disregard which lets you keep more of your CalWORKs grant even while working. Ask about this at orientation - it's not automatic and you have to request it. Good luck with everything! The first few months figuring out the system are the hardest, but it gets easier once you know what to expect.

Welcome to CalWORKs, Carlos! I'm new here too and just got my approval last month. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - I had no idea about some of this stuff like the 48-month clock and Earned Income Disregard. I'm still waiting for my WTW orientation notice (it's been 2.5 weeks since approval) and getting pretty anxious about it. Does anyone know if there's a way to check on the status or if we can call to ask when it's coming? I keep checking my mail every day and worry I might have missed something important. Also curious about the childcare application process - do we apply at the orientation or should we try to get that started beforehand? I have a 4-year-old and really need to get this figured out before any mandatory activities start. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is already helping me feel less overwhelmed about the whole process!

u got lucky they had someone at the dropbox! at my county office the dropbox is just like a mail slot in the wall lol. no receipts or nothing. glad u got ur SAR-7 in on time tho!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm new to CalWORKs and had no idea there were so many backup options when the BenefitsCal system fails. I've been stressed about submitting my first SAR-7 next month and was worried about what would happen if I ran into technical issues. Reading about the dropboxes, fax options, and the importance of documenting everything really helps me feel more prepared. It's frustrating that we have to deal with these system problems, but at least now I know I'm not alone and there are workarounds. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!