my neibor has 3 kids and 2 on ssi (her and 1 kid) and she gets calworks for the other 2 kids. she says its WAY better than when they were all on calworks. def apply!!

I'm a case worker and can confirm what others are saying - applying for SSI for your autistic son will almost certainly leave your family better off financially. When a child gets SSI, they're removed from the CalWORKs case and the grant is recalculated for the remaining family members. The SSI payment (currently $1,133/month for 2025) is typically much higher than what one child contributes to a CalWORKs grant. A few practical tips: 1) Ask your eligibility worker for a "what if" calculation before applying so you can see exact numbers, 2) Start gathering medical documentation and behavioral records NOW - the more thorough your documentation of your son's autism and how it impacts daily functioning, the better, 3) Be prepared for the process to take 3-6 months, and 4) Report the SSI approval immediately to avoid overpayments. Also, don't forget that SSI recipients get automatic Medi-Cal and may qualify for additional regional center services. The application is definitely worth pursuing - I've never seen a family end up worse off when a disabled child gets approved for SSI.

This kind of thing is why people get discouraged and stop trying to get the help they need. I'm a social worker (not with CalWORKs) and I can tell you that what happened to you was completely inappropriate and against professional standards of conduct. Here's what I recommend: 1. Call the CalWORKs office and ask to speak with that worker's direct supervisor (get their name first). 2. Explicitly state that you want to file a formal complaint about the worker's conduct, not just get your benefits reinstated. 3. Use the exact phrases "professional misconduct" and "failure to provide reasonable accommodations for a person with a disability" in your complaint. 4. Contact your county's Welfare Rights Organization - they exist specifically to help with these situations. 5. Request a retroactive payment for the benefits you missed due to their error. I'm so sorry this happened to you. No one deserves to be treated that way when asking for help they're legally entitled to.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - what that worker said to you was absolutely unacceptable and cruel. As someone who's dealt with similar issues, I want to echo what others have said about filing complaints, but also share a few immediate steps: 1. If you haven't already, go to your local food bank TODAY. Most don't require paperwork and can help while you fight this. 2. When you call for the state hearing (1-800-952-5253), emphasize that the worker ADMITTED the SAR7 was complete - that's huge for your case. 3. Document everything - write down the worker's name, date, time, and exactly what was said while it's fresh in your memory. The fact that they acknowledged their mistake but still won't fix it immediately is infuriating. You shouldn't have to "wait your turn" when THEY made the error. Keep pushing and don't let them wear you down - you deserve better treatment than this. Hang in there. This community has your back and many of us have fought similar battles and won.

Update: I got through to my worker finally! They said it's fine to travel for the court date and my benefits won't be affected as long as I'm not gone more than 30 days. I just need to turn in my court documents when I get back. Thanks everyone for the advice! Really helped calm my anxiety about this whole situation.

Great to hear you got it sorted out! Just a heads up - make sure to keep copies of all your court documents and maybe take a photo of your plane tickets/hotel receipts too. Some workers are more thorough than others when you get back, so having everything documented makes the whole process smoother. Hope your court case goes well!

Just wanted to add one more thing - if you absolutely cannot wait until Tuesday and your payment doesn't appear tomorrow (Friday), you might want to ask about Emergency Assistance. If your case is already approved and you're facing potential eviction, there are sometimes expedited payment options available. Not all workers will mention this unless you specifically ask.

I went through something similar last year and it was terrifying! The good news is that if BenefitsCal shows "approved" that usually means your eligibility worker finished processing everything even after the call dropped. The payment processing and eligibility determination are actually separate steps in their system. Since you submitted the correct document while on the phone and the worker confirmed they received it, there's a really good chance your payment will show up on schedule. The fact that your case status changed to "approved" is honestly the hardest part - that means all your paperwork checked out. Try not to stress too much tonight (easier said than done, I know!). Check your EBT balance early tomorrow morning before you do anything else. In my experience, the money usually appears even when the website is being slow to update the details.

I've tried logging out and back in multiple times, even using different devices and browsers. Still showing nothing. I even deleted and reinstalled the BenefitsCal app on my phone. Same issue everywhere. 😞

This is so frustrating and scary when you're depending on those benefits! I went through something similar last year where my CalWORKs just vanished from the system overnight. In my case, it turned out the county had flagged my case for a "quality control review" during their monthly processing, which temporarily suspended my benefits while they did their audit. The problem was nobody told me this was happening! What saved me was going directly to the county office in person with all my documents - ID, last benefit notice, recent paystubs, etc. The front desk worker was able to look up my case immediately and see what was going on. Turns out it was just a routine review that got stuck in the system somehow. Since you mentioned your rent is due soon, definitely emphasize the emergency nature when you call. Use the phrase "emergency aid" - they're supposed to expedite cases where people are facing homelessness. Also ask specifically if your case is under any kind of review or hold status. Sometimes these system glitches happen when cases get pulled for random audits. Hope you get this sorted out quickly! Keep us updated on what happens.