One important update - as of January 2025, if your CalWORKs benefits are stolen, you can now apply for one-time replacement funds. There's a form called "EBT-2255" that you need to fill out within 10 days of discovering the theft. You'll need to file a police report too. But it's definitely better to prevent theft in the first place. Beyond changing your PIN, check if your county offers direct deposit of CalWORKs benefits to your personal bank account instead of the EBT card. Not all counties offer this yet, but it's worth asking your worker about.

After helping you all research this - here's what I found from the official CalWORKs guidelines: 1. PIN changes: Can be done anytime by calling 1-877-328-9677 2. Immediate transfer: Yes, you can (and should) transfer money immediately after deposit 3. Replacement benefits: Available once per year, up to the amount stolen 4. Reporting timeframe: Must report theft within 10 days 5. Direct deposit: Available in some counties as a safer alternative The "day before" theory isn't official advice - but regularly changing your PIN is still recommended. Hope this helps everyone!

Since no one's addressed this directly yet - it's very unlikely both cards will get $391 EVERY month. That initial amount could be: 1) One card is Cash Aid, one is CalFresh (most likely) 2) Retroactive benefits from your application date 3) A combination of current month + prorated amount from application date Your actual ongoing monthly benefit depends on your family size, income, and county of residence. For a parent with one or two children with minimal income, $391 sounds about right for CalFresh, but Cash Aid would likely be different. Once you sort out which card is which, put a label on them so you don't mix them up! The Cash Aid can be used anywhere, but CalFresh can only be used for food items. Using the wrong card at the wrong place is a common mistake that causes a lot of stress.

u need to check the balance on each card separately cause the amounts will be diffrent each month depending on if u reported any income on ur SAR7!!! If u miss reporting income ur benefits will get cut off real fast so DONT FORGET to turn in ur SAR7 every 6 months!!!! i lernded that lesson the hard way lol

One more thing to check - look at your EBT transaction history around the date your benefits normally get deposited. Sometimes the correct amount will be deposited even if BenefitsCal hasn't updated to show the new amount. The actual payment system and the customer portal don't always sync up perfectly.

did u check ur income reporting threshold (IRT) on the sar7? if u went over that number even for 1 month they might not increase ur benefits

One more important thing - if you do end up having your benefits discontinued because of the late SAR 7, you have the right to request a "restoration of aid" once you submit the completed form. This is different from having to reapply completely. Make sure to specifically ask about this if they tell you your benefits will be cut off. Also, if you're in a Welfare to Work program with CalWORKs, make sure your WTW specialist knows about any potential benefit delay, as it could impact other services like childcare assistance.

did u check benefitscal to see if theres any notices about ur case? sometimes they post messages there before sending the actual letter

My cousin was on CalWORKs last year and she told me that when she filed her taxes, she got back almost $3,500! But she did have a part-time job for a few months, so that's probably why she qualified for the earned income thing. She said the tax place she went to was really good about explaining everything. I think it was one of those free tax help places.

For everyone in this thread - here's a simple breakdown: 1. If you had ANY earned income: File taxes to claim EITC and Child Tax Credit 2. If you had ZERO earned income but have dependent children: Still file to claim the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit and California state credits 3. If you had ZERO earned income and NO dependents: You probably won't get a refund unless you had taxes withheld from some other income source To find free tax help: - Call 211 for VITA locations near you - Visit irs.gov/vita - Ask at your county CalWORKs office for referrals Most important: Tax refunds DO NOT count as income for CalWORKs and don't need to be reported!

ur mom wants u to commit welfare fraud lol thats crazy. dont do it

sooo did u end up reporting ur job?? what happened with ur benefits??

To summarize the correct information about child support and CalWORKs: 1. When you receive CalWORKs, you're required to cooperate with child support collection unless you have an approved "good cause" exemption (typically for domestic violence situations). 2. The Local Child Support Agency (LCSA) collects payments from the non-custodial parent. 3. California provides a "disregard" payment of $100 for one child or $200 for two or more children that you receive without affecting your Cash Aid amount. 4. The remainder of collected child support reimburses the county for providing your Cash Aid benefits. 5. You'll receive a California Child Support Card (blue card) in the mail where the disregard amounts will be deposited monthly. This is separate from your EBT card. 6. Once you stop receiving CalWORKs, you should receive the full child support amount directly. 7. You can check your child support case status at childsupport.ca.gov or by calling 1-866-901-3212. It typically takes 30-45 days after CalWORKs approval for the DCSS system to process everything and begin payments, assuming the non-custodial parent is already in the system and paying.

Kinda related question - does anyone know if receiving the $100 disregard payment affects other benefits like CalFresh or Medi-Cal? I'm waiting on my blue card too and worried if this small amount will mess up my other benefits.

mine too!! got mine at 6 something this morning...wish they would just tell us when theres gonna be delays instead of making us panic!

I'm glad to hear everyone's benefits came through! For future reference, the official statewide EBT customer service line (877-328-9677) sometimes has information about system delays that your local county office may not share proactively. It might be worth calling that number first when you experience delays, as they can confirm if it's a statewide issue or something specific to your case. Also, if anyone needs to contact their county worker quickly about time-sensitive issues like this, having a reliable way to get through the phone system is essential. Keep documentation of any late fees or financial impacts these delays cause - in some cases, you can request assistance if the delay causes financial hardship.

I had this EXACT same issue last month!!! So frustrating. I think they're doing some kind of system update. My worker told me they're transitioning to a new platform and there's going to be glitches for a while. Just call the EBT customer service and check your balance there, don't rely on the website right now. And DEFINITELY document everything - take screenshots of any errors you see. My Cash Aid was there even though I couldn't see any transactions online for almost a week.

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for your help! Turns out I was looking in the wrong place (BenefitsCal instead of the EBT website). Once I checked the actual EBT website everything was there. And my Cash Aid was on my card all along - I was able to withdraw it and pay my rent. So relieved! The system is so confusing with all these different websites and logins.

I've been on CalWORKs for 3 years now, and here's what I've learned about the reporting system: 1. SAR7 is due twice a year (Semi-Annual Report) 2. It's always due on the 5th of your reporting month 3. BenefitsCal should show your next due date, but it's not always reliable 4. The physical form usually arrives by mail 3-4 weeks before it's due 5. You can also download and print it from the BenefitsCal website 6. You can submit it online through BenefitsCal, in person, by mail, or in drop boxes 7. Always keep a copy or take pictures of what you submit 8. If you don't receive the form, you're still responsible for submitting it The most reliable way to know is to ask your worker during your approval interview which months you'll need to report. Then just remember it's every 6 months from there. Set multiple reminders so you don't forget!

my casewrker told me its always the same 2 months for everyone on calworks. in my county everyone does January and July SAR7. maybe its different in other countys tho?