To summarize what everyone's saying: While there's no automatic system that will immediately cut your benefits if your mother claims your child on taxes, it creates a contradiction that could cause problems. For CalWORKs, you're saying you have primary responsibility for your daughter. For IRS purposes, your mother would be claiming she provides more than half of your daughter's support. If you want to avoid potential complications with your benefits, the safest approach is to make sure your tax filing is consistent with what you report to CalWORKs. This means you should be the one claiming your daughter as a dependent.

Smart decision! I went through something similar and learned that consistency across all government systems is crucial. Your mom probably means well, but the potential risk to your stability just isn't worth it. One thing to consider - if your mom is providing significant support through childcare and purchasing items for your daughter, make sure you're accurately reporting any cash assistance she gives you on your SAR7 forms. The county needs to know about all sources of support, but as long as your daughter lives with you primarily and you're her main caretaker, you should be fine claiming her on taxes yourself. Also, once you complete your WTW program and get stable employment, you might be able to revisit the tax situation with your mom if circumstances change. But for now, protecting your Cash Aid is the priority.

I hope everyone affected by this files a complaint with the state. Go to cdss.ca.gov and find the complaint form. The more of us that complain, the more pressure there is to fix these ongoing system problems. They can't keep leaving families stranded like this!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! As a single mom who's been on CalWORKs for 2 years, I know exactly how terrifying it is when you can't access your benefits right before rent is due. The system failures are way too common and they never seem to learn from them. Since you got confirmation from your worker about the system issue, I'd suggest also asking them for a formal letter on county letterhead that you can give to your landlord. Some landlords are more understanding when they see official documentation. Also, if your landlord does charge you a late fee because of this, keep all the documentation - the county should reimburse you since it's their system failure, not anything you did wrong. Hang in there! This community has really good advice and we're all rooting for you to get through this. 💙

This is such a helpful thread! I'm new to CalWORKs and had no idea there were so many different ways to access cash benefits when ATMs aren't working. The cash back method at stores is genius - I would have never thought of that. It's really frustrating how hard it can be to reach someone at the county office when you have urgent issues like this. Definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service someone mentioned too. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and solutions!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My CalWORKs cash aid shows up when I check my balance, but every ATM I try gives me a "transaction declined" message. It's so stressful when you need the money for bills and can't access it. Reading through all these responses has been really helpful though - I had no idea about the cash back option at stores. I'm going to try that tomorrow at my local grocery store. Also going to look into that Claimyr service to try to reach my caseworker faster. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this and that there are workarounds while we get it sorted out with the county!

UPDATE: I called this morning after trying 5 times yesterday and getting disconnected. Finally got through and requested the diaper benefit. The worker confirmed I qualify and said they'll add it going back to when my daughter was born! Should see the payment in about 2 weeks. Thank you everyone for your help! I never would have known about this if I hadn't asked here.

Congratulations on getting approved! That's awesome that you'll get the back pay from when your daughter was born - that should be around $270 if my math is right ($30 x 9 months). For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, here's what I learned when I got the diaper benefit for my son: - Call early in the morning (around 8-8:30am) to have the best chance of getting through - Have your child's full name and birthdate ready when you call - Ask specifically for "CalWORKs Diaper Assistance" - some workers know it by different names - Keep notes of when you called and who you spoke with in case there are any issues Also want to echo what others said about asking about ALL the benefits you might qualify for. I found out I was missing out on the childcare benefit too, which has been a huge help. These programs exist to help us but they really don't make it easy to know what's available!

I just wanted to reach out because I'm in almost the exact same situation! I'm getting married in about 6 weeks and have been absolutely terrified about what will happen to my 3 kids' CalWORKs benefits. My fiancé works in construction making around $20/hour, and like you, he has no legal relationship to my children from my previous marriage. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - especially hearing from people who actually went through this and didn't lose their benefits completely. I had no idea about things like the Earned Income Disregard or all the deductions they make before calculating the "countable" income. I'm definitely going to use that Claimyr service to get through to my worker and get exact numbers for our situation. It's such a relief to know that getting married doesn't automatically mean losing everything, even though the system is definitely frustrating. Thank you for asking this question - you've helped more people than just yourself! Wishing you all the best with your wedding and hoping everything works out with the benefits! 💕

I'm so sorry you're going through this stressful situation right before your wedding! As someone who works with families navigating CalWORKs, I can confirm that stepparent deeming is real, but the situation isn't always as dire as it initially seems. When you marry, your husband's income will be considered, but the calculation involves many deductions that can significantly reduce the "countable" income. Here's what typically gets deducted from his gross income: $90 monthly personal needs allowance, work-related expenses (transportation, uniforms, tools), health insurance premiums he pays, and any child support he pays for other children. They also apply the Earned Income Disregard - the first $225 of his monthly earnings plus 50% of the remainder is excluded from the calculation. At $19/hour, if he works 40 hours weekly, that's roughly $3,040 gross monthly. After all the standard deductions and disregards, the actual "countable" income could be substantially lower - possibly around $1,200-1,400, depending on his specific expenses. With two children, you might see a reduction rather than complete elimination of benefits. I'd strongly recommend calling your worker immediately to get the exact calculation for your specific situation. Don't let fear overshadow this happy time - with proper planning, many families successfully navigate this transition. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! 💕