Hey Ellie! Congratulations on your pregnancy! 🎉 As someone who works closely with CalWORKs recipients, I can't stress enough how important it is to report your pregnancy right away. You're absolutely doing the right thing by asking these questions! A few things I wanted to add that might be helpful: When you call, ask specifically about the Pregnant Woman Supplemental Nutrition benefit - it's separate from the regular food assistance and provides additional monthly support. Also, if you're currently required to do any work activities or job search requirements, pregnancy gives you an automatic exemption, so make sure they update that in your case. One tip for getting through to your worker faster - try calling right when they open at 8 AM or during lunch hours around 12-1 PM when the hold times are usually shorter. If you do get disconnected, ask for your worker's direct extension so you can try reaching them directly next time. You're already showing what a great mom you'll be by being so proactive about this! Don't worry about "messing up" - pregnancy is a common change they handle all the time, and there are so many programs designed to help you and your baby. You've got this! 💕

Hi Ellie! Congratulations on your pregnancy! 🎉 I just wanted to add one more resource that might be helpful - many counties also have Healthy Start programs that provide additional support for pregnant women and new moms. They often include home visits from nurses, help connecting to services, and even things like car seats and baby supplies. When you call your worker tomorrow, it might be worth asking if Los Angeles County has a Healthy Start program you could be referred to. Also, don't forget to ask about the Newborn Supplement - it's a one-time payment of around $100 that CalWORKs provides when your baby is born to help with initial baby expenses. You're doing such a great job advocating for yourself and your baby already! The fact that you're being so proactive about learning all your options shows you're going to be an amazing mom. Wishing you all the best with your pregnancy journey! 💕

anyone else notice that sacramento county ALWAYS does this right when rent is due??? like they know exactly what theyre doing cutting ppl off at the end of the month smh

Just wanted to add - if you're going in person tomorrow, write down exactly what happened and what you need resolved. When you check in, ask if there are any CalWORKs supervisors available. Sometimes they can resolve issues on the spot, especially when it's clearly an error in their system. Also, if you have any documentation showing your income has been consistent (pay stubs, employer letters, etc.), bring multiple copies so they can keep one for their records. If they restore your benefits but say the payment will take days to process, ask specifically about emergency payment options. Sacramento County can issue same-day payments in true emergency situations, though they don't advertise this option. Keep us updated on how it goes! Many people are dealing with the same issue right now.

I'm a benefits advocate, and I've been seeing this issue a lot with the CalSAWS transition. Here's what's happening: The new system is flagging income as "changed" even when it's stable because it's comparing to a different baseline than the old system used. It's a programming issue. Everyone affected should: 1. Request an immediate case review for "administrative error" (use those exact words) 2. Ask for "expedited aid restoration" due to imminent harm (potential eviction) 3. Request retroactive benefits from the date of discontinuance 4. File for a State Hearing using the back of any CalWORKs notice you've received or online at https://acms.dss.ca.gov/ If you request the hearing and specifically check the box for "aid pending" before the 10-day deadline, they must restore your benefits while investigating. The deadline is usually 10 days from the discontinuance notice date - but since you didn't receive notice, argue that the clock hasn't even started. Don't give up! This is a clear violation of your due process rights under MPP Section 22-072.

I'm so glad you got through to someone and they're reopening your case! This exact same thing happened to me 3 weeks ago - benefits cut off with no warning, same income for months. The worker told me it was definitely a system glitch where the new CalSAWS was flagging stable income as "changes." Mine took 4 days to get restored once they reopened it, but I did get all the back pay from when it was cut off. Make sure you ask them to put a note in your file about this being a system error so it doesn't happen again next month. And definitely keep all your documentation showing your income never changed - I had to prove it twice before they finally flagged my case as "stable income, do not auto-discontinue." Fingers crossed you get this sorted before your rent is due! The stress is unreal when you're just trying to keep a roof over your kid's head.

Thank you everyone for all the advice! I decided to submit online through BenefitsCal today. I uploaded my two paystubs and also found a section to enter my work information. The system gave me a confirmation number and said my SAR7 was successfully submitted! I also called my county office (it took forever to get through) and they confirmed my job doesn't put me over my IRT so I didn't need to report it within 10 days. But the worker said I did the right thing reporting it now on my SAR7. I'll still keep an eye out for the paper form in the mail just in case. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly! This is all so stressful when you're trying to work and take care of kids at the same time.

So glad you got it submitted successfully! Just wanted to add one more tip - screenshot or save that confirmation number somewhere safe. I learned this the hard way when my benefits got delayed and the county claimed they never received my SAR7. Having that confirmation number saved me because I could prove I submitted it on time. Also, since this is your first SAR7, you might want to set a calendar reminder for your next one. They're due every 6 months, so yours will be due again in October. The system usually sends notifications about 30 days before the deadline, but it's good to have your own reminder too. Good luck mama, you've got this! 💪

I'm new to the CalWORKs system and this whole thread is incredibly helpful! I just applied last week and am dreading the child support process. My daughter's father has been dodging responsibilities for over a year now. Reading everyone's experiences gives me hope that they'll actually be able to find him. He doesn't have any court cases that I know of, but he does have a job (or at least he did 6 months ago). One question - if they do establish a support order but he just doesn't pay, does that affect my CalWORKs benefits at all? I'm worried about getting penalized if he's just completely uncooperative with everything.

I'm also new to CalWORKs and dealing with the child support requirement for the first time. This thread has been really eye-opening! I had no idea about the $100 disregard rule or that most of the collected support goes back to the county. My situation is a bit different - my ex moved out of state about 6 months ago and I'm not even sure which state he's in now. He used to work construction so he moves around a lot for jobs. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with DCSS tracking down parents who've left California? Does it take longer when they have to work with other states? Also, thanks to everyone who mentioned requesting address confidentiality - I hadn't thought about that but it's definitely something I need to do. My ex has anger issues and I really don't want him knowing where we're living now.