After reviewing your situation more, I strongly recommend requesting a redetermination and specifically asking about these options: 1. Verify they're applying the correct earned income disregard (the $450 + 50% of remaining) 2. Ask about the Housing Support Program or Homeless Assistance Prevention - even if you're not homeless, if your housing costs exceed 80% of your total household income, you might qualify for some temporary assistance 3. Check if your children qualify for the diaper stipend (if any are under 3) 4. Make sure you're receiving the maximum utility allowance in your CalFresh calculation Also important: they should have given you a written breakdown of why you were denied. If you didn't get this, request it immediately as it's your right to understand exactly how they calculated your eligibility.

Update: I finally got through to my county office after trying for days! The worker I spoke with was much more helpful than the first one. They explained that they didn't apply the childcare deduction correctly - we pay my mother-in-law $300/week to watch our younger kids while we work, but the first worker didn't count it because it's paid to a relative! The new worker said they CAN count it if we provide the right documentation. They're reopening our case to recalculate! Also found out we qualify for more CalFresh than they initially approved. Fingers crossed this works out better!

same happened to me last year turns out they sent the notice to my old address even tho i updated my address online but it didnt transfer to their system or something dumb like that. u should def check if they need any verification documents bfore u try appealing, sometimes thats faster than the whole appeal process

UPDATE: Finally got through to someone! Turns out they needed verification of my rent payment and utilities that I never knew about. The worker said a letter was sent requesting these documents 3 weeks ago but I NEVER received it. They gave me 10 days to provide the documents and said they'll reinstate my benefits once I submit them through BenefitsCal. So frustrating that I could have avoided all this stress if they had just called me or made sure the letter actually reached me. Thanks everyone for the advice and helping me not feel alone in this! I'll be uploading my documents today.

can u check ur EBT card transaction history?? that might show where the person was using the card which could help track them down. just a thought.

One more thing I forgot to mention - make sure you're clear with the county that you need both the identity theft resolved AND immediate aid. These are two separate issues, and sometimes workers conflate them. The fraud investigation can proceed on its own timeline, but they can't deny you emergency benefits if you qualify right now based on your current situation. Request what's called a "presumptive eligibility determination" - this is when they approve you for benefits based on the assumption that you'll be determined eligible once the investigation concludes. If you have kids and no income, you should qualify. They'll likely issue one month of aid while continuing to investigate. Did you apply for regular Unemployment Insurance too? That won't affect your CalWORKs eligibility, and you should be able to receive both since you were working before losing your job.

One more thing - when you do talk to someone, make sure they understand you had BOTH CalWORKs and CalFresh before. Sometimes they only see the active CalWORKs case and might tell you that "everything is fine" not realizing you're missing CalFresh. Be very clear that you're calling about the discontinued CalFresh specifically.

Update: I finally got through to someone! Used that Claimyr service that was recommended and it worked great. The worker reinstated my CalFresh and said I'll get this month's benefits loaded onto my card within 3 business days. She said since I submitted the SAR 7 within the "cure period" (30 days from discontinuance), they could just reactivate it without a new application. Thanks everyone for your help!

This might seem random but did you receive a tax refund recently? I learned the hard way that tax refunds can count as income for CalWORKs in the month received if they include Earned Income Credit. That threw me off one year when my benefits suddenly dropped after I got my tax refund. Just another possibility to consider when you talk to your worker.

I'd suggest preparing for your call with your worker by gathering: 1. Recent pay stubs from both your regular job and DoorDash 2. Your most recent approval notice showing your benefit amount 3. Bank statements showing the reduced deposit 4. Any mail you've received from the county in the last 2-3 months Also, ask specifically about: - Whether they processed your address change correctly - If they're missing any required verification documents - Whether there was a change in your reported household composition - If there are any sanctions or penalties being applied It's much easier to resolve these issues when you have documentation ready.

My recert was two weeks ago and they did ask for bank statements but I think it's because I just started a new job. They were trying to figure out if I reported the right start date because the paystubs didn't match what I initially told them (I got the start date mixed up). Each county seems to handle things differently though.

Update: I called my worker (finally got through!) and she said I don't need to bring bank statements to my recertification unless there's been a major change in my finances. She said as long as I'm under the resource limit and accurately reporting income, it shouldn't be an issue. The birthday money from my mom is considered a gift and since it's under $50 it doesn't even need to be reported. Thanks everyone for the help!

This whole system is RIDICULOUS!!! They already KNOW about the COLA increases because it's THEIR SYSTEM but they still want to punish us if we don't report what THEY ALREADY KNOW!!! Then they hit us with overissuances and act like we're trying to commit fraud. I'm so sick of being treated like a criminal for trying to navigate this impossible system.

Just to clarify something important: even though the COLA is a "known" change, the different benefit systems (CalWORKs, CalFresh, SSI) don't automatically talk to each other as well as they should. The best practice is: 1. If the COLA puts you over your IRT - report immediately (required for CalWORKs) 2. If the change is more than $50/month - report for CalFresh (technically required) 3. If under both thresholds - you can wait until your next SAR7, but reporting now prevents any possible issues Report it through BenefitsCal and get a confirmation number as proof. This covers you completely.

Wait your benefits actually came through? I'm still waiting on mine and it's almost 9AM! I called the EBT customer service number and they said everything looks normal on my account but nothing has deposited yet. This is making me so anxious I can't even focus on getting my kids ready for school. 😫

Just as an update for anyone who might search for this in the future - my worker told me that LA County processes CalWORKs payments in batches by case number groupings. That's why some people get theirs at midnight and others not until morning. She said there's no way to know exactly when your specific payment will post each month, but if your case is in good standing, it should arrive by noon on the payment date at the latest.

the system is SO broken!!!! i had $1500 stolen in november and they DENIED my claim saying i must have given someone my pin!!! i NEVER gave anyone my pin, the thieves are using skimmers at stores and atms to steal the card info. i had to appeal and it took TWO MONTHS to get my money back. the whole time my worker acted like i was lying. such bs how they treat us!!!!

I just went through this whole process last week! Called the LA County DPSS main line after filing my theft claim in person, and the worker was actually really helpful. She expedited my claim after I explained my rent situation. Got my money back in 36 hours! One thing that I think helped - I had filed a police report online about the theft before calling DPSS. The worker said that showed I was serious about the claim and wasn't just trying to get extra benefits. You can file a report online with LAPD if the theft happened in LA city, or with Sheriff's dept if it was elsewhere in the county. Good luck! The system can actually work when you get the right person on the phone.

This happened to me once when I moved apartments within the same building. My Cash Aid processed normally but my CalFresh got stuck in pending because they wanted verification of my new address even though it was literally the same building, just a different unit number. I'd definitely recommend calling sooner rather than later. Here's what helped me: I asked the worker to look specifically at what's causing the delay and if there are any "flags" or "holds" on my CalFresh case. They found the issue right away once I asked that specific question. Good luck!

Update: I finally got through to someone at the county office! Turns out they needed verification of my utility bills that I didn't know about. The worker said they sent a notice last week but I never received it. She's giving me until Monday to submit it and then they'll release my CalFresh benefits. Thanks everyone for pushing me to call instead of just waiting!