I'm so sorry you're going through this! I had my CalWORKs stolen about 6 months ago and it was such a nightmare. Mine took 16 business days to get replaced - way longer than they initially told me. The key things that helped me were: 1) calling every single day to check status, 2) asking to speak with a supervisor when regular workers couldn't help, and 3) documenting EVERYTHING (dates, times, who I spoke with, reference numbers). Also definitely apply for that emergency assistance/immediate need payment while you wait - even if it's partial, it's better than nothing when you have kids to feed. And if you haven't already, make sure you've changed your PIN and requested a new card. The person who stole your benefits might still have access otherwise. Hang in there - I know it's incredibly stressful but most people do eventually get their money back. The system is just overwhelmed right now with all the theft cases. 💙

I'm a caseworker at one of the county offices and I want to give you some insider tips that might help speed things up. First, when you call, specifically ask for the "EBT theft unit" - don't just talk to general intake. They handle these cases faster. Second, if you're facing immediate hardship (which you clearly are with rent due), mention that you want to file for "emergency food assistance" in addition to your theft claim - it's a separate process but can get you some help within 24-48 hours. Third, if it's been more than 10 business days without a decision, you can file a complaint with the state - sometimes that gets counties moving faster. I've seen too many families struggle while waiting, and there ARE ways to get help faster if you know what to ask for. Keep advocating for yourself!

I'm new to this community but your post really caught my attention because I'm going through something very similar right now! I reported an income change about a week ago when I started a new position that increased my monthly income from around $2,100 to $4,200, and just like you, my CalFresh benefits loaded yesterday even though I haven't heard back from my worker yet. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational and reassuring. It sounds like you absolutely did everything correctly by reporting your income change immediately through BenefitsCal - that timely reporting within the 10-day window is what protects you from overpayment issues. The consistent message from everyone who's been through this is that benefits loaded after your proper report are safe to use until you receive an official Notice of Action. Your income jump from $1,900 to $3,800 with 2 kids sounds like it will probably result in losing CalWORKs Cash Aid but you might still qualify for reduced CalFresh since those programs have different income limits and calculation methods. The waiting period seems to average 2-4 weeks based on what others are sharing, which is frustrating but apparently normal given how understaffed the county offices are. I'm definitely going to try calling my worker again tomorrow and might look into that Claimyr callback service someone mentioned if the regular phone lines keep dropping calls. It's so helpful to have this community of people who've been through the exact same situation recently! Congratulations on your new job! Even though navigating all these benefit changes is stressful, doubling your income is a huge accomplishment and a step toward financial stability. We're both moving in the right direction even if the transition feels overwhelming right now.

I'm new to this community but your post really speaks to me because I just went through this exact situation about a month ago! I started a new job that increased my income from $2,000 to $3,600 monthly and reported it immediately through BenefitsCal, just like you did. Then I had the same panic when my benefits loaded and I hadn't heard anything back from my worker. Everything everyone is telling you here is absolutely spot on - you did everything right by reporting within that 10-day window, and that timely reporting protects you from overpayments. I was terrified to touch my EBT card for the first week, but my worker eventually explained that benefits loaded after a proper report are yours to use until they officially process your case and send you that Notice of Action letter. It took exactly 3 weeks for me to get my official letter, and just like others have mentioned, I lost my CalWORKs Cash Aid but kept reduced CalFresh benefits. With your income going from $1,900 to $3,800 for a family of 3, you'll probably see the same outcome I did. The waiting is definitely the hardest part - I must have refreshed my BenefitsCal account a hundred times looking for updates! But keep those screenshots of your submission safe and don't stress about using what's on your card. You followed the rules perfectly. And congratulations on doubling your income! I know all these benefit changes make it feel complicated, but you're making huge progress toward financial independence. That's something to be really proud of even while navigating this stressful transition period.

I'm in a similar situation and this thread has been so helpful! I've been hesitant to look for work because I was afraid of losing my benefits, but hearing everyone's real experiences with the earned income disregard makes me feel so much more confident about taking that step. One question I haven't seen addressed - for those who are working while on CalWORKs, how do you handle it when your hours vary from week to week? Like if some weeks you work 15 hours and other weeks you work 25 hours? Do you report based on your average monthly earnings or do you have to report every time your weekly hours change significantly? I'm looking at retail jobs and most of them seem to have pretty variable scheduling, so I want to make sure I understand the reporting requirements before I start. Don't want to accidentally mess up my benefits by not reporting correctly!

This thread is amazing - thank you all for sharing such detailed, real-world experiences! As someone who's been on CalWORKs for about 6 months now, I was also really nervous about how working would affect my benefits. Reading everyone's actual examples with dollar amounts and time frames makes it so much clearer than the confusing paperwork they give you. I'm especially grateful for the tips about asking your caseworker to run the numbers beforehand and keeping organized pay stubs from day one. Those are the kind of practical details that can save so much stress later on. One thing I'm curious about - for those who've been working part-time while on CalWORKs, have you found that having that work history helped when you eventually applied for full-time positions? I'm thinking long-term about building toward complete self-sufficiency, and I'm wondering if employers view part-time work experience while receiving benefits positively or if it even matters to them. Either way, you've all convinced me that working part-time is definitely the right move. Time to update my resume and start applying! Thank you for creating such a supportive and informative discussion.

I'm new to this community but this thread has been incredibly eye-opening about the CalFresh system! @Gemma Andrews I'm so relieved you got your benefits restored - what a stressful ordeal that must have been. Your experience really highlights how many hidden pitfalls exist in the system. I had no idea verification requests could end up in spam folders or that there were services like Claimyr to help with the broken phone system. @Melina Haruko thank you for explaining what code 815 means and for the advocacy resources - having someone who actually understands the system codes is invaluable. @Chloe Taylor the assembly member suggestion is genius, I never would have thought of that approach. It's both helpful and infuriating that we need all these workarounds just to access basic services. I'm bookmarking this entire conversation as a resource guide. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share something that might help others in similar situations. When I was having issues with my CalWORKS case last year, I discovered that many counties have a separate "expedited" phone line for people whose cases were closed in error. It's not well-publicized, but if you call the main number and specifically ask to be transferred to the "case closure review unit" or "expedited services," you might get through faster than the general customer service line. Also, I learned that if you mention you're facing "immediate hardship" due to the closure, they're supposed to prioritize your call. It's frustrating that we have to know these magic words, but it worked for me when nothing else did. @Gemma Andrews I'm so glad you got your situation resolved through Claimyr - it's encouraging to see that there are multiple paths to getting help even when the main system fails us!

I just wanted to add my experience from applying for CalWORKs about 5 weeks ago - I was in almost your exact situation! I had around $1,900 in savings and was making about $980/month from part-time work. I was so nervous about the bank account verification that I almost didn't apply. Yes, they absolutely do check your actual bank account balances. I had to bring 3 months of statements for both my checking and savings accounts to my eligibility interview. But here's what really surprised me - my worker was actually impressed that I had emergency savings! She said it showed I was planning responsibly for unexpected expenses like car repairs (exactly what you mentioned). Your $1,800 is so far under the $10,000 resource limit that it won't even be a consideration. The worker barely glanced at my account balances before moving on to verify my income through pay stubs. My advice: be completely honest on your application about all accounts, bring organized paperwork to your interview, and don't stress about your modest savings. The whole process took about 6 weeks from application to first payment. CalWORKs is designed exactly for working families like yours who are doing their best but still need support to make ends meet. You're taking a smart step by applying - don't let anxiety about the verification process stop you from getting help you clearly qualify for!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I was in a very similar situation when I applied for CalWORKs about 3 months ago - working part-time making around $950/month and had about $2,100 in savings that I was absolutely terrified would disqualify me. Everyone here is absolutely right - yes, they do check your actual bank account balances and you'll need to provide 3 months of statements for ALL accounts during your eligibility interview. But your $1,800 savings is completely fine! The $10,000 resource limit gives you plenty of room, and what really surprised me was how positive my eligibility worker was about seeing emergency savings. She actually told me it was "refreshing" to see someone who had planned ahead for unexpected expenses like car repairs. She said too many families come in with absolutely nothing saved and then struggle when their car breaks down or they have other emergencies. My biggest piece of advice: organize all your paperwork before your interview (bank statements, pay stubs, ID, Social Security cards, rent receipts, utility bills) and be completely transparent about everything. Don't try to hide any accounts - honesty is definitely the best policy here. The whole process took about 5 weeks from application to first payment for me. CalWORKs is designed exactly for working people like you who are doing everything right but still can't quite make ends meet. Your situation sounds like a textbook case of what the program is meant to help with. You've got this - don't let anxiety stop you from getting support you clearly deserve!