CalWorks
CommunityGovernment Services
Can't reach CalWorks? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
160,000+ people connected since 2021
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the DSS
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the DSS drops your call
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
CalWORKs Cash Aid direct deposit timing - May benefits not arriving on usual early date?
Has anyone with direct deposit to their EBT card noticed Cash Aid coming later this month? I usually get my CalWORKs payment early (my actual benefit date is the 1st), and for April I got it deposited on the 28th. It's already the 29th and nothing for May has shown up yet. I'm trying not to panic since rent is due soon, but I'm wondering if there's some kind of system delay or if it's just me? Anyone else waiting on their May payment that normally comes a few days early? EDIT: Nevermind! Mine just hit my card at 12:32pm today! Guess I should've waited a few hours before posting lol. Still curious if anyone else noticed it came later than usual this month?
Join the conversation
Confused about random CalWORKs payments - was I approved or not?
I'm super confused about my CalWORKs status right now. I applied in early March 2025 and got what they said was the final special state supplement payment (I think that was the leftover COVID thing?). Then weirdly I got $100 on March 31st, followed by another $120 plus $20 cash aid on April 1st. No approval letter or anything in my BenefitsCal account saying I'm approved. These random small payments are confusing me - does this actually mean I got approved for ongoing CalWORKs? My worker never calls me back, and I'm worried about budgeting if I don't know if I'll get more money next month. Should I be expecting a regular payment or was this just some kind of one-time thing?
Join the conversation
CalFresh is a separate program and wouldn't reduce your CalWORKs amount. However, since you mentioned working part-time (15 hours at minimum wage), that's almost certainly why your grant is reduced. With the current disregard rules, they don't count the first $450 of earned income, but then they subtract 55% of your remaining earned income from your grant amount. At minimum wage (approx. $16.50 in 2025) working 15 hours weekly, you'd earn about $1,072 monthly. Minus the $450 disregard = $622. Then 55% of that is about $342. If the maximum grant for one person is around $450-500 in 2025, subtracting $342 would leave you with approximately $108-158, which aligns with the $120 you received. The separate $20 payment might be a special needs supplement or transportation allowance related to Welfare to Work activities.
Thank you! This makes so much more sense now. I'm just glad to know I'm actually approved and these aren't random payments. I'll still try to reach my worker to confirm the details and make sure I understand what I need to do to keep my benefits.
Hey Omar! I went through almost the same exact thing when I first got approved. The prorated payments followed by the small regular amount had me so confused too. Just wanted to add that you should definitely keep all your pay stubs and report any changes in your work hours to your worker right away - even small changes in income can affect your grant amount. Also, once you get connected with your worker, ask about any work-related expense deductions you might be eligible for (like transportation or childcare if applicable) since those can help increase your benefit amount. The system is really confusing but it sounds like everything is working correctly for your situation!
How much CalWORKs Cash Aid and CalFresh will my family of 5 get with zero income?
Can anyone tell me the exact amounts we should get for CalWORKs Cash Aid and CalFresh with absolutely no income? We're a family of 5 - me, my husband, and our 3 kids (ages 8, 6, and 2). Our landlord just raised our rent and I'm trying to figure out if we can make it work when we apply. I've tried calling the county office like 6 times but they keep putting me on hold forever then I get disconnected. Does anyone know the current maximum benefit amounts for 2025? And how long does it take to get approved nowadays?
Join the conversation
be careful with calworks i had it for 8 months and when i finally got a job they kept overpaying me even tho i reported my income every month like i was supposed to and now they say i owe them $2,421 AND they cut my benefits by 10% until i pay it all back its a nightmare
SAME THING happened to me!!! I kept calling and telling them about my job but they didn't process it right and now they say I have an overpayment. I requested a fair hearing and brought all my proof that I reported everything on time and they reduced what I owed by like 70%. DEFINITELY appeal if they try to say you have an overpayment.
Just wanted to share my recent experience since I'm also a family of 5 who just went through this process. We got approved last month and are receiving $1,268 for CalWORKs cash aid and $1,159 for CalFresh with zero income. The amounts everyone mentioned are pretty spot on! A few things that helped speed up our process: 1) Apply online first at GetCalFresh.org or YourBenefitsNow.org to get in the system faster, 2) Gather ALL your documents before your interview (birth certificates, Social Security cards, proof of address, etc.), and 3) If you have kids under 5, mention it during your interview as it can help with work requirements. Also, don't forget about WIC if your kids are under 5 - that's additional food assistance specifically for young children that stacks with CalFresh. My 2-year-old gets formula, milk, eggs, and other basics through WIC which really helps stretch our food budget. The whole process took about 6 weeks from application to getting our first benefits, but we got emergency CalFresh within 3 days since we had literally $0 income. Hang in there - it's stressful but the assistance really does help while you get back on your feet!
This is super helpful @Natalie Khan! Quick question - when you applied online at GetCalFresh.org, did you still have to do a phone interview or did they waive that? I'm trying to figure out if applying online actually saves time or if you still have to go through all the same steps anyway. Also, how long after your interview did you actually receive the physical EBT cards in the mail?
How often do CalWORKs recertifications happen? Every year or longer?
I'm new to the CalWORKs system and trying to understand the timeline for paperwork. Just wondering how often we have to do the full recertification process? Is it something that happens once a year, or do they make you do it more often? Or maybe it's less frequent, like every couple years? I know we have to submit the SAR7 reports, but I'm confused about when the big recertification packet needs to be done. My worker mentioned something about it when I applied but I was so overwhelmed with all the information that I forgot to write it down. Anyone know the schedule?
Join the conversation
Does anyone know if the WTW (Welfare to Work) review is done at the same time as recertification? My worker mentioned something about reviewing my work activity hours during recertification but I'm not sure if that's standard or just something specific to my case.
Yes, your WTW plan and participation hours are typically reviewed during your annual recertification. They'll check if you've been meeting your required hours and if your current plan is still appropriate. If you have an exemption, they'll also verify if you still qualify for it. If anything in your situation has changed, they might need to update your WTW plan.
Thank you everyone for the helpful answers! Really appreciate you all taking the time to explain. I'll mark my calendar for both the SAR7 at 6 months and the full recertification at 12 months. Going to start keeping a folder with all my important documents so I'm prepared when the time comes.
That's a great plan! Having everything organized in one folder makes such a difference. Also, I'd recommend making copies of everything you submit - both for your SAR7 and recertification. Sometimes documents get "lost" in the system and having your own copies can save you from having to scramble to get everything again. Good luck with your first year on CalWORKs!
Join the conversation
Julia Hall
I'm really grateful for all the responses! Nice to know I'm not the only one who was sweating this morning. I wish they would at least send us a text alert when the deposit is processed so we're not constantly checking our cards.
0 coins
Yara Campbell
That's actually a great suggestion about text alerts! Some counties are piloting notification systems, but it's not widespread yet. If you haven't already, you can sign up for email/text notifications through BenefitsCal for some case updates, though payment deposit confirmations aren't currently part of that system. Hopefully they'll expand those features in the future.
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
Same thing happened to me! Usually get mine on the 28th but it didn't come until today around 1pm. I was starting to panic because I have bills due tomorrow. It's so stressful when the timing changes like this - we depend on that consistency to budget and plan payments. At least we all got it eventually but the anxiety is real when you're counting on that money!
0 coins