the whole system is broken on purpose... they make it impossible to get help. my familys been on calworks for 2 years and every recert is a nightmare. seems like they always "lose" something or claim they never got stuff we sent in. its exhausting

Let us know what happens! I'm curious if going in person works better than calling.

To answer your follow-up questions: 1. Documentation from your teen years can work as a starting point, but more recent medical records would strengthen your case. If you have a current doctor or therapist, ask them to write a letter confirming your continued diagnosis and how it impacts your daily functioning. 2. BenefitsCal.com is the statewide integrated portal that replaced the old county-specific websites. It lets you apply for CalWORKs, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal all in one place. 3. Regarding the child's father: If you truly don't know his whereabouts, you can explain this in your child support cooperation interview. You'll still need to complete the forms with whatever information you do have, but they can't deny you benefits just because you genuinely don't have his current information. I also wanted to mention that your prior EBT application might already have some of your information in the system, which could make the CalWORKs application process a bit easier.

Typically, CalWORKs applications should be processed within 30 days. However, if you indicate an immediate need (like being at risk of homelessness or having no income), you may qualify for immediate need assistance, which can be provided within 3 working days of your request! Once approved, benefits are issued on an EBT card (the same one you currently use for CalFresh). Cash benefits are available on the 1st of each month. If you haven't heard anything after 2 weeks, definitely follow up. The system sometimes moves slowly, but persistence helps. Good luck with your application! Many single parents with disabilities successfully navigate these programs, and it sounds like you're taking all the right steps to improve your situation.

This happens all the time with welfare. They never tell you when they change stuff. My CalFresh is the same way, supposed to come on the 10th but sometimes doesn't show up till way later in the day. Its bs cause they expect us to turn in every form exactly on time but then they can be late with our money whenever they want.

Just a helpful tip for the future - if you're relying on CalWORKs for time-sensitive payments like rent or utilities, it's good practice to budget assuming the funds might arrive a day later than scheduled. While benefits are generally consistent, banking systems, holidays, and county processing can occasionally cause delays. I'm glad your payment came through today!

Your son's part-time job is almost certainly the reason for the decrease. When a household member has income, CalWORKs does a partial reduction based on a formula. Basically, after some income disregards, they reduce your grant by about 50 cents for every dollar earned. So if your son made around $350, that would explain the $175 reduction. The letters from two different offices is just how their internal processing works now. One office might handle your eligibility determination while another processes your benefits. It's confusing but has nothing to do with your actual case status.

Unfortunately, there's no special exemption for student income in CalWORKs. All earned income in the household counts against your grant (after standard deductions). However, your son might qualify for the Cal-Learn program if he's a teen parent, or for specific WTW exemptions if he's meeting certain educational requirements. One thing to consider: if your son is saving for college, have him look into opening a Coverdell Education Savings Account or 529 plan. These special savings accounts DON'T count against your resource limits for CalWORKs eligibility. Regular savings accounts do have limits that could affect your entire family's eligibility if they exceed $10,211 (the current resource limit for most families).

This happens EVERY SINGLE MONTH!! The system is a complete disaster. I've been on CalWORKs for 2 years and have NEVER had consistent deposit times. Sometimes it's 3 days early, sometimes 1 day, sometimes exactly on the 1st. I've complained multiple times but workers just say "the benefit date is the 1st" like we're supposed to magically pay bills when the money shows up randomly!!! And just wait until there's a holiday - then it's even MORE delayed. Can't stand how they treat us like we don't deserve to plan our finances like normal people!!!

I'm really grateful for all the responses! Nice to know I'm not the only one who was sweating this morning. I wish they would at least send us a text alert when the deposit is processed so we're not constantly checking our cards.

ok but am i the only one confused why CalWORKs and CalFresh have different rules for households?? like why does one program care if ur married and the other doesn't?? make it make sense california 🙄

Thank you all for the advice! I've decided to apply with him included in our household since we're genuinely living together as a family. Going to gather our documents and apply online through BenefitsCal. Hopefully his part-time work plus whatever activities they assign won't be too much while also caring for our kids. I'll update after our interview to let everyone know how it goes!

when ur first payment posts after recert that means ur good. if its on ur ebt website for next month ur approved even without the letter

Update: I finally got the approval notice in my BenefitsCal account today! It was dated Wednesday but just showed up. Thanks everyone for helping me not panic. I'm going to screenshot my recertification confirmation email next time so I have proof of when I submitted everything.

I think this time trick works because it's during the shift change! My sister works for DPSS (not in benefits though) and she says they have the early shift that starts at 7 and the regular shift at 8, with some overlap. So calling during that overlap time means both shifts of workers might be available. BTW another tip - if you're calling about Welfare to Work specifically, there's a separate number in most counties just for WTW issues. It often has shorter wait times than the main CalWORKs line. Ask your worker for it next time you get through!

Update: just wanted to let everyone know I tried this again today (called at 7:57am on Wednesday) to ask about adding my newborn to my case and it worked again! Only waited about 15 minutes this time. They said they needed my baby's birth certificate, which I already submitted through BenefitsCal but they didn't process it yet. The worker was able to find it in the system and process my case update while I was on the phone. So the early morning trick is working consistently at least in my county!

Reading through this reminded me of my SAR7 nightmare last year. I reported everything correctly, including my tax refund marked as "TAX REFUND," but they still cut my benefits claiming I was over income. Had to get a fair hearing to fix it because my worker combined my tax refund with my regular income even though it's exempt! Make sure you keep ALL documentation - your tax return, bank statements showing the deposit, and a copy of your SAR7. Be prepared to advocate for yourself if they make a mistake.

Thanks everyone for the helpful answers! I'm going to report the tax refund on my SAR7 but clearly mark it as TAX REFUND. I'll also keep a copy of everything just in case. It's a relief to know it won't count against my Cash Aid eligibility. This system is so complicated sometimes!

The system is DESIGNED to be confusing!!! They WANT you to make mistakes so they can kick you off. I had a similar issue and even showed them the regulation about student income being exempt and they STILL counted it wrong. Had to file for a fair hearing before they fixed it. Always get EVERYTHING in writing and keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit!!!

Thank you all for the help! I called my worker this morning and specifically mentioned that my daughter is a full-time high school student and her income should be exempt. She checked something in the system and confirmed you're all right - it won't count against our eligibility! Such a relief. Now I just need to make sure it's documented correctly on the SAR7 when we get it.