I work as a community advocate (not for the county) and help people with CalWORKs issues. This happens too often, unfortunately. Here's what you need to know: 1. Call the county office that handles your case immediately 2. When the automated system answers, press whatever option is for Spanish if available 3. When you reach a person, clearly state you need a Spanish speaker for your SAR7 interview 4. Explain that you had an interview but it was conducted in English, which you don't understand 5. Request a "reasonable accommodation" for language assistance (this exact phrase helps) 6. Ask them to note in your file permanently that you need Spanish services If they tell you that you missed your interview and might lose benefits, explain that you DID answer the call but couldn't participate due to the language barrier. Request what's called "Good Cause" for not completing the interview. Language access is your right! Don't let them discontinue your Cash Aid over this.

Try going in person to the office if you can. Sometimes that's the only way to get problems fixed with CalWORKs. Bring a Spanish-speaking friend or family member if possible. And bring your SAR7 form and any letters they sent you. The workers at the front desk can usually find someone who speaks Spanish to help you. It's better than spending hours on the phone getting nowhere.

I know everyone keeps suggesting different ways to reach your worker, but honestly, I've found just documenting everything is the most important thing. Take screenshots of your call log showing all the times you called, save your email confirmations if you message through BenefitsCal, and keep a written log of every attempt. That way if they try to discontinue your benefits for

That's a really good point. I'll start documenting everything better. I've been so focused on just trying to reach someone that I didn't think about protecting myself if they claim I never tried to report the change.

its so messed up they make it this hard just to get money u already qualified for!!! the system is rigged i swear

UPDATE: I took everyone's advice and went to the office this morning. You were all right - there was a problem with how they entered my address (they put "avenue" instead of "street"). They issued me a temporary card on the spot with all my benefits loaded! I was able to withdraw cash for my rent right after. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help!!

Yup they gonna take it. Its called offset. My sons ssi got approved last year and they took like $3400 from his backpay for the calworks we got. make sure u ask for an accounting of exactly what they took tho. I found a mistake where they counted an extra month and had to fight to get that money back.

To answer your follow-up question: Your CalWORKs will likely be adjusted the month following your report of the SSI approval. The county should send you a Notice of Action showing your recalculated benefit amount based on a household size of 1 instead of 2. For budgeting purposes, expect your CalWORKs to decrease significantly once your daughter is removed from the case. If you're not working or have very low income, you might still qualify for approximately $550-600 per month as a household of 1. Your daughter's SSI (around $1,121/month) should more than make up for the decrease in total household income. Also, your CalFresh benefits might change too, so be prepared for adjustments there as well.

wait i thot it was $20? mine is $20 every month not $30??? have i been getting shorted all this time???

UPDATE: I finally got through! For anyone else with this problem - my worker said there was a system glitch during SAR7 processing that affected several diaper allowances. She fixed it and I'll get both February and March's diaper money with my April payment. She apologized for not answering my calls - apparently they're super understaffed right now.

i had to get a whole new ebt card cuz i couldnt change my pin no matter what i tried. county office gave me a new one same day and i picked whatever pin i wanted right there. took like 30 mins total

That's my backup plan if nothing else works. Good to know they can do it same day at least. I was worried I'd have to wait weeks for a new card to come in the mail.

the system is RIGGED thats why. i worked my whole life and cant get NOTHING but people who never worked a day get all the benefits. the whole system is corrupt and the workers just lie to keep your benefits low. my neighbor gets $800 in CalFresh somehow with a job but they gave me $16. make it make sense. and dont get me started on the immigrants getting more than citizens!!!

UPDATE: I called my county office (finally got through!) and told them about my medical expenses. They're recalculating my benefits and said I'll likely get more CalFresh next month! The worker said I should have been told about the medical expense deduction when I applied. She's sending me a form to list all my expenses and said to keep receipts for everything. Thank you everyone for your help!

UPDATE: My money just hit my card this morning! Thanks everyone for explaining this to me. Wish the county would just tell us this stuff upfront instead of making us figure it out ourselves!

Glad you got your money! For future reference, you can also check your benefit status on the BenefitsCal website or app - sometimes it shows as

This is actually a fairly widespread issue this month. I work with a community organization that helps people with benefit issues, and we've had about 15 clients call today with the same problem. From what I've gathered, there was a system update that caused payment delays for both CalWORKs and CalFresh for cases that were recertified in the last 90 days. Benefits should be deposited within 72 hours according to what the county told us. If you need immediate food assistance, most counties have an expedited emergency food benefit process. Call your local office and specifically ask for the "emergency food benefit request" or visit in person if possible. Make sure to mention you have children with no food - that should trigger expedited service requirements.

Just got mine!!! Just loaded like 10 minutes ago. Check your cards everybody! I think they're fixing it now.

To directly answer your original question: If you only received CalFresh (SNAP) and December was your last month of eligibility, there is no "emergency payment" you would qualify for. The regular COVID emergency allotments ended in early 2023. If your county has some local disaster declaration with special payments, that would be very specific to your area, but this is not a statewide program currently in effect. As others mentioned, Emergency Assistance is typically part of CalWORKs (TANF), which is cash aid, not food benefits. If you weren't enrolled in CalWORKs, you wouldn't be eligible for those emergency programs. Since you mentioned starting a new job, be aware that for your final month on CalFresh, you were required to report within 10 days if your income exceeded the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) listed on your last approval notice. If you didn't report properly, there could potentially be an overpayment that would need to be repaid.

Yes, if your income in December went over your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) and you didn't report it within 10 days, they could potentially establish an overpayment claim for your December benefits. When you receive CalFresh, you're required to report certain changes even during your certification period - going over the IRT is one of those mandatory reporting requirements. The county might identify this during their regular income verification processes and send you a notice about it. If they determine there was an overpayment, you'll receive a notice explaining the amount and your repayment options. If you're concerned, you can proactively contact the county and explain the situation. Sometimes being proactive can help resolve the situation more favorably.