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I'm a newer member here but wanted to share that I recently went through almost this exact situation with my 4-month-old daughter. Her father was incarcerated before she was born and couldn't sign the birth certificate. I was terrified they'd deny my CalWORKs application, but it actually went much smoother than I expected! The key things that helped me were: 1) Being completely honest about knowing who the father is and his incarceration status, 2) Bringing all his booking/facility information to my interview, 3) Asking specifically for the CW 51 good cause exemption form, and 4) emphasizing that I wanted to cooperate with child support but he's physically unable to establish paternity right now. My eligibility worker was really understanding and my benefits were approved in about 2.5 weeks. Don't let the paternity issue delay your application - your baby deserves those benefits and the system has processes in place for exactly this situation. Also definitely ask about emergency aid and the diaper stipend mentioned in other comments. You're being such a strong advocate for your little one!
Thank you so much for sharing your recent experience! It's incredibly reassuring to hear from someone who just went through this process successfully with such a young baby. Your step-by-step breakdown of what helped you is exactly what I needed - especially knowing that being honest about everything and emphasizing your willingness to cooperate (even though he can't establish paternity right now) actually worked in your favor. The 2.5 week approval timeline gives me hope that I won't be waiting months for help. I've been taking notes on everyone's advice here and your four key points are definitely going on my list to bring to my interview. It's amazing how much more confident I feel knowing that multiple people have successfully navigated this exact situation. Thank you for the encouragement about being a strong advocate - sometimes it's hard to feel like I'm doing enough when everything feels so overwhelming, but this community has really shown me that I'm on the right track!
I'm so glad you posted this question because it's helping so many people in similar situations! As someone who works in community outreach, I see families dealing with incarceration issues regularly, and you're absolutely right to seek out CalWORKs assistance for your baby. The great news is that everyone here has given you spot-on advice - your child's eligibility is completely separate from the paternity/birth certificate issue. I just wanted to add that many counties also have family resource centers that can help you navigate not just CalWORKs but other supports like housing assistance, food banks, and parenting resources while you're managing everything alone. Some even have legal aid clinics that can help with future paternity establishment if needed once he's released. You might also want to look into whether your county has a "one-stop" application process where you can apply for multiple programs (CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal) all at once. Keep advocating for yourself and your baby - you're doing an amazing job in a really difficult situation!
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btw if your only worried about if ur benefit was deposited n not tryna actually apply for something just call the EBT number on back of ur card. u can check ur balance n last deposits without logging in to the dumb website.
Thanks! Someone else mentioned that too. I'll try that for now while I figure out the login issue.
I'm glad you figured it out! This is actually a super common mistake - I work at a local community center and we help people with benefits applications all the time. The case number vs card number confusion trips up SO many people. For anyone else reading this, here's a quick tip: your CASE number is what you use to log into BenefitsCal and it's on all your official letters from the county. Your CARD number is just for the physical EBT card and starts with different digits. Also, if you ever lose your approval letters, you can request copies from your caseworker or pick them up at the county office. Keep those letters somewhere safe because you'll need that case number for online access!
This is such helpful information! As someone new to the CalWORKs system, I had no idea there was a difference between the case number and card number. Thank you for explaining it so clearly - I'm sure this will help a lot of other people who might be making the same mistake. It's really great that your community center helps people navigate these systems. Do you have any other common tips for people who are struggling with the BenefitsCal website?
@Mia Rodriguez Yes! Here are a few more tips from my experience helping people: 1 Always) use the same browser and don t'switch between phone/computer once you get logged in - the system gets confused. 2 If) you re'uploading documents, make sure they re'under 5MB and in PDF or JPG format. 3 Take) screenshots of anything important because the system times out after 20 minutes of inactivity. 4 Don) t'hit the back button - always use the navigation menu or you might lose your progress. And most importantly, if something isn t'working, try again the next day - sometimes their servers are just overloaded! Thanks for all the work you do helping people navigate this system!
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I just wanted to add that if you're still having trouble getting through by phone, another option is to send a secure message through your BenefitsCal account. I used this method when I added my baby last year and got a response within 2 business days. Go to your account, click on "Messages" and send a message explaining that you uploaded documents to add your newborn and need confirmation that they were received and processed. Include your case number and the date you uploaded the documents. The worker who responded to my message was able to tell me exactly what they had received and gave me a timeline for processing. She also confirmed that both CalFresh and CalWORKs would be updated automatically once approved. It's not as immediate as getting someone on the phone, but it's way less frustrating than being on hold for hours! Plus you have the response in writing which is helpful for your records. The secure messaging feature is really underused but can be a lifesaver when the phones are impossible.
I'm a new parent going through this exact situation right now with my 5-week-old! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the $30 diaper benefit or that this should be processed as a mandatory mid-period change within 10 days. I submitted documents through BenefitsCal about a week ago and have been struggling with the phone system ever since. The 8 AM calling strategy and the suggestion to visit the local office in person both sound like much better approaches than what I've been trying. It's really reassuring to see the specific dollar amounts people have received ($175-200 for CalWORKs plus diaper benefit, $90-95 for CalFresh) - that extra money would make such a huge difference right now. I'm definitely going to try either the early morning call or in-person visit this week, and I'll make sure to ask for email confirmation and a specific worker's contact info. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - it's amazing how much insider knowledge you need just to navigate getting basic support for your newborn. This thread should honestly be pinned for other parents going through this process!
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This whole thread is exactly why I love this community! As someone who's been navigating CalWORKs for a few years now, I can confirm that the SAR7 timing issue trips up SO many people. The system really should display a message like "Your SAR7 will be available starting [date]" instead of just... nothing. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're in a county that uses the mobile app, sometimes clearing your app cache or logging out and back in can help if the SAR7 still isn't showing up when it should be. I've had to do this a couple times when the app seemed "stuck" on old information. Also, for anyone reading this who might be in a similar situation in the future - some counties have different reporting schedules (quarterly vs monthly), so make sure you know which one applies to you. Your worker should tell you, but it's worth double-checking because missing the wrong deadline thinking you're on a different schedule is a nightmare to fix!
This is such valuable information, especially about the different reporting schedules! I just started CalWORKs last month and my worker did mention something about quarterly vs monthly but I wasn't sure what that meant for me. I should probably call and confirm which schedule I'm on before I assume anything. The tip about clearing the app cache is really helpful too - I use apps for everything else and know how glitchy they can get, so that makes total sense. Thanks for sharing your experience and helping us newcomers avoid those nightmare scenarios!
This whole conversation has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently in my second month of CalWORKs and have been dreading the SAR7 process after hearing horror stories from friends about the system being confusing. Reading everyone's step-by-step instructions and real experiences has made me feel so much more prepared. I had no idea about the timing restrictions - that the form only appears during your actual reporting month. My worker definitely didn't explain that clearly! I'm going to make sure I know my exact reporting schedule and set up those email notifications that Maya mentioned. The advice about taking screenshots of the confirmation page is brilliant - I work in tech and know how unreliable systems can be, so having that backup proof just makes sense. I'm also going to try the 8am calling strategy if I run into any issues. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your knowledge and making this process feel less intimidating for those of us who are new to navigating the system!
Josef Tearle
I'm a newcomer here but dealing with something similar. I've been on CalWORKs for about 6 months and do occasional pet sitting for neighbors. Reading through all these responses is super helpful - I had no idea you could get tax refunds even without traditional employment! What's really encouraging is seeing how many people have been in similar situations and came out ahead financially by filing taxes. The Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit sound like they could make a huge difference for families like ours. I'm definitely going to look into those VITA free tax preparation programs mentioned here. It sounds like even if there are some complications with unreported income, the benefits of filing taxes far outweigh the risks. Plus it seems like being proactive and honest about income reporting going forward is the best approach. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread is going to help so many people who are in the same boat!
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Carmen Lopez
•Welcome to the community! It's great that you're being proactive about this. Pet sitting is definitely considered self-employment income just like babysitting, so you'd handle it the same way on your taxes with Schedule C. From everything I've read in this thread, it sounds like the key things are: 1) definitely file taxes to get those credits, 2) start keeping better track of your cash income going forward, and 3) check your CalWORKs approval letter for that Income Reporting Threshold to see if you even needed to report mid-period. The VITA programs sound like the way to go for free help. It's really reassuring to see so many people share that the tax refunds were way bigger than any CalWORKs overpayments they had to deal with. Good luck with everything!
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Jacob Lewis
I'm new to this community but reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a very similar situation - been on CalWORKs for about a year and do some freelance tutoring for cash. I had no idea you could file taxes and potentially get such significant refunds even without traditional W-2 employment. What really stands out to me from everyone's experiences is that filing taxes seems to be overwhelmingly beneficial, even if there are some complications with previously unreported income. The Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit amounts people are mentioning ($3,000-$5,000+) are life-changing money for families like ours. I'm definitely going to look into the VITA free tax preparation programs mentioned here and start keeping better records of my tutoring income going forward. It sounds like being honest and proactive about income reporting is always the better approach than avoiding the issue. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - this thread is going to help so many people navigate this confusing situation!
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
•Welcome to the community! Your tutoring situation is exactly like what so many of us are dealing with. It's amazing how much clearer everything becomes when you see other people's real experiences laid out like this. I was honestly terrified about the whole tax filing thing before reading through this thread, but seeing people get $3,000-$5,000 back makes it a no-brainer. The VITA programs sound perfect for our situations since they're specifically designed to help people with lower incomes navigate these exact issues. What I really appreciate about this community is how honest everyone is being about the CalWORKs reporting side of things too. It's reassuring to know that even if there are overpayments to deal with, most people found the workers to be understanding when they self-reported, and the amounts were manageable compared to the tax refunds. Good luck with getting your taxes sorted out - sounds like we're all going to benefit from taking action on this!
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