Let us know what happens! I'm curious if going in person works better than calling.

So glad you got it resolved! This is exactly why I always recommend going in person when possible - sometimes these system glitches just need a human to actually look at your case and fix the status. 2.5 hours is a long wait but totally worth it to keep your benefits going. Thanks for updating us - this will be really helpful for other people dealing with the same issue!

I'm in a really similar situation and this whole thread has been incredibly reassuring! I don't have a diploma or any real work experience either, and I was terrified that WTW would just force me into dead-end minimum wage jobs. But seeing that so many people successfully got their GED first and then moved into actual career training is giving me hope. I'm definitely taking everyone's advice about being proactive and calling my worker before orientation to specifically discuss education options. The tip about getting everything in writing is super important too - I don't want to deal with any confusion down the line about what was approved. For those who mentioned childcare assistance, how far in advance do you need to arrange that? I have a 3-year-old and I'm worried about gaps in coverage when I start classes or training. Also, did anyone do vocational training after getting their GED? I'm really interested in medical assistant or dental assistant programs if they're available through WTW. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's making this whole process seem way less scary and more like an actual opportunity to build a better future!

I'm in almost the exact same situation as you - no work history, no diploma, and really anxious about starting WTW! Reading through all these responses has been so reassuring though. It sounds like the program can actually be really helpful if you advocate for yourself from the beginning. Based on what everyone's shared, here's what I'm planning to do (maybe it'll help you too): 1. Call my worker ASAP before orientation to specifically discuss getting my GED as part of my WTW plan 2. Be super clear that I want education first, not just any random job placement 3. Ask about childcare assistance and get that approved early 4. Get everything in writing so there's no confusion later 5. Ask about what vocational training programs they have after GED completion The success stories here are really encouraging - people getting their GED in 4-6 months, then moving into actual career training programs, and ending up in jobs with decent pay and benefits. That's exactly what I'm hoping for instead of being stuck in minimum wage jobs forever. Definitely don't wait for them to contact you - be proactive and call tomorrow! We can do this!

This is such an important thread for our community! As someone who's helped family members navigate CalFresh applications, I can't stress enough how common these types of oversights are - especially with investment income that people don't always think of as "regular income." Mei, you absolutely did the right thing by reporting this immediately. Your experience perfectly demonstrates why transparency and persistence pay off. The fact that you got it resolved with just a minor benefit adjustment shows the system can work fairly when you approach it honestly. For anyone else reading this who might have similar concerns, here's what I learned from helping my sister through a comparable situation: - Screenshot or write down every attempt you make to contact them (call logs, website visits, etc.) - If possible, bring someone with you to the office as a witness when reporting in person - Ask for the worker's name and get any adjustments in writing - Remember that most county workers understand these are complex applications and honest mistakes happen The anxiety around potentially making errors on these forms is so real, but threads like this show that there are reasonable paths forward when you handle things transparently. Thanks for sharing your outcome - it's going to help so many people!

What a relief to see this story end well! As someone who's been on CalFresh for about two years now, I've always been paranoid about making mistakes on my paperwork. Your experience really shows that the county workers are more reasonable than we often expect them to be. I had a similar scare last year when I realized I might have miscalculated some irregular babysitting income, but I was too scared to report it thinking they'd assume I was trying to cheat the system. Reading about how you handled this - especially the part about documenting your attempts to reach them - gives me confidence that I should have just been upfront about it. The advice about using that call service is gold too. I've wasted so many hours on hold just to get disconnected. Definitely going to bookmark that for future reference. Thanks for being brave enough to share both your mistake and the resolution. Stories like this make this community invaluable for those of us trying to navigate these systems honestly!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm also in San Bernardino County and noticed my payment went up last month but wasn't sure why. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the MAP increase is pretty common and legitimate. I'm definitely going to check my BenefitsCal account like you all suggested - I had no idea they posted notices there first! It's frustrating that they don't communicate these changes better upfront, but at least this community helps fill in the gaps. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it really helps those of us trying to navigate this system!

Welcome to the community @Elin Robinson and @Ava Kim! This thread is a perfect example of why this community is so valuable - the official channels often leave us in the dark about changes like the MAP increase, but members here share real experiences that actually help. I've been on CalWORKs for about 3 years and I still learn new things from posts like this. Definitely keep checking your BenefitsCal accounts regularly - I've found notices there weeks before they show up in the mail (if they ever do). And don't hesitate to post questions here - this community is super supportive and knowledgeable about navigating all the confusing aspects of the system!

This entire experience really highlights how stressful and unpredictable these benefit systems can be! I'm new to this community and just started receiving CalWORKs last month, so reading about Dylan's situation was both terrifying and educational. The idea of waking up to find all your benefits seemingly vanished is my worst nightmare - especially when you're already dealing with the stress of transitioning off assistance programs. What really impressed me was how quickly everyone here jumped in with helpful information and reassurance. The suggestion about Claimyr is something I'd never heard of before, and knowing there's a way to bypass those endless phone queues could be a lifesaver in situations like this. I'm definitely going to start implementing all the advice shared here - printing important documents, taking regular screenshots, and keeping better records. It's unfortunate that we have to work around these technical failures, but at least we have this community to learn from each other's experiences. Thanks Dylan for sharing your update and letting us know it was resolved - that gave me a lot of peace of mind as someone new to navigating these systems!

As someone who just joined this community and is new to receiving government benefits, this whole thread has been incredibly informative and honestly a bit scary! The thought of logging in one day to find all your benefits seemingly gone is terrifying, especially when you're depending on them for basic needs. What really stands out to me is how this community immediately came together to help Dylan figure out what was happening - from identifying it as a known system glitch to sharing practical solutions like the Claimyr service and tips about keeping physical documentation. I had no idea these technical issues were somewhat common with BenefitsCal, or that there were services like Claimyr to help bypass those awful phone queues. I'm definitely going to start implementing all the advice shared here - printing important documents, taking regular screenshots, and keeping better records of my case information. It's frustrating that we have to work around these system failures, but at least we have communities like this where people share real experiences and look out for each other. Thanks Dylan for keeping us updated with the resolution - knowing it was just a temporary glitch gives me a lot of peace of mind as I'm learning to navigate these systems!