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I just want to echo what everyone else has said - you absolutely can get CalWORKs for your baby even without the father's signature on the birth certificate! I went through this exact situation two years ago when my son's father was incarcerated during my entire pregnancy. The key is being completely upfront about everything during your application process. When I explained that the father was incarcerated and couldn't establish paternity, my eligibility worker was actually very understanding and helped me complete the good cause exemption form right away. My benefits were approved within a few weeks and I never had any issues with child support enforcement because his incarceration was properly documented. Make sure to bring any information you have about which facility he's in - it really helps speed up the process. Don't let this delay your application though, because every day counts for those retroactive benefits! You're doing such a great job advocating for your baby during what I know is an incredibly difficult time.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's really encouraging to hear from someone who went through the exact same situation and had such a positive outcome. The fact that your eligibility worker was understanding and helped you with the good cause exemption form right during your appointment gives me so much hope for my own interview. I've been worried about how to explain everything, but hearing that being upfront actually made the process smoother is exactly what I needed to know. I do have all his facility information ready to bring, and I'm definitely not going to delay my application any longer after learning about the retroactive benefits. It really helps to know that you got approved so quickly even with the father being incarcerated - it shows that the system really is set up to handle situations like ours. Thank you for the encouragement about advocating for my baby, this whole process has felt overwhelming but this community has made me feel so much more confident about getting the help we need!
I'm so glad you found this community and asked this question! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful for me too as I'm currently pregnant and my baby's father was recently incarcerated. I was panicking about what this would mean for getting CalWORKs when the baby arrives, but seeing all these success stories and practical advice has really put my mind at ease. The information about the CW 51 good cause exemption form is exactly what I needed to know, and it's so reassuring to hear from both parents who've been through this AND a caseworker that this situation is actually pretty common and manageable. I'm definitely saving all this advice for when I need to apply in a few months. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it's amazing how much this kind of peer support helps when dealing with complicated government systems. Wishing you the best with your interview and hope everything works out smoothly for you and your baby!
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The way they calculate your benefits is so confusing!!!! My worker told me EDD counts differently than regular income because it already has taxes taken out or something? But then another worker told me that was wrong. I don't even know who to believe anymore. The whole system is designed to confuse people on purpose I swear.
EDD is considered unearned income (like disability, child support, etc.), while wages from a job are earned income. They are calculated slightly differently for CalWORKs, but both affect your grant amount. Your first worker might have been referring to the earned income disregard that applies to job income but not to unemployment benefits. The system is definitely confusing, but I promise it's not designed to trick you - it's just a complicated patchwork of rules.
Update: I checked our last Notice of Action and our IRT is $2,676. My husband's EDD payment was $840 for two weeks, and I make about $1,100 a month part-time. So combined we're at $1,940, which is under our IRT. Does that mean I can wait until our next SAR7 in May to report it? Or do I still need to report it now?
be carefull, if he gets paid every 2 weeks he mite get 3 payments in 1 month sometimes. thats what happened to us and it put us over the IRT that month but we didnt realize until they came after us for not reporting
You're right to be cautious about the timing! Since you're under your IRT right now, you technically can wait until your May SAR7. But I'd suggest keeping a close eye on when his next payments come. EDD usually pays weekly or bi-weekly, so like Ella mentioned, you could end up with 3 payments in some months depending on the timing. I learned this the hard way when I got caught off guard by an "extra" payment that pushed us over our limit. Maybe set a reminder to check your total monthly income around the 20th of each month so you don't accidentally miss the 10-day reporting deadline if you do go over your IRT.
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Just realized I should mention - if you do choose to mail it, send it certified mail with tracking! It costs a few extra dollars but gives you proof they received it. I've had workers claim they never got my paperwork until I showed them USPS tracking confirmation with the name of who signed for it.
That's a really smart idea! Seems like most people prefer the online method but if I do end up mailing it for some reason, I'll definitely send it certified.
mail it in!!! the website always crashes for me and i hate it. my worker said most people just mail the packets so they expect it that way. i think it depends how comfortable u r with computers tho
This isn't accurate information. Most counties now process 60-75% of recertifications online. Paper applications typically take 2-3 days longer to process because they need to be manually scanned into the system first. If you're comfortable using a smartphone or computer even a little bit, BenefitsCal is almost always the better option.
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This whole thread is so eye-opening and frustrating at the same time! I'm a single mom of 2 and just reading about all these system glitches and lack of communication from the county offices makes me anxious about my own upcoming recert next month. It's honestly ridiculous that families have to rely on third-party services like Claimyr or go through so much stress just to get basic information about their cases. @f791cdc18483 Miguel, I'm so glad you finally got through and it was just a technical issue with your son's school verification! That must have been such a relief. It's crazy that they don't have a system to automatically notify us when documents don't upload properly. @da395ad0139a Dylan, thank you for those practical tips - I'm definitely going to screenshot everything when I do my recert and write down all my call attempts. The supervisor tip is something I never would have thought of. This community is honestly more helpful than the actual CalWORKs system sometimes. At least here we can get real answers and support from people who actually understand what we're going through!
@327c0af4ba16 You're absolutely right Freya - this community really is more helpful than the actual system sometimes! It's sad that we have to rely on each other to figure out how to navigate something that should be straightforward. I'm new here but already learned so much from everyone's experiences. For your upcoming recert, definitely follow Dylan's advice about screenshots and documenting everything. And don't hesitate to use that Claimyr service if you run into issues - it seems like it really works based on what Miguel shared. It's frustrating that we have to pay for a third-party service to access our own benefits, but at least it's an option when the regular system fails us. This thread has been a real wake-up call about how broken the process is, but also reassuring to know we're not alone in dealing with these problems.
Reading through everyone's experiences here is both heartbreaking and infuriating. As someone who's been on CalWORKs for almost 3 years, I can confirm that the "incomplete" status with zero explanation is way too common. The fact that we have to play detective to figure out what's missing from our own cases is absolutely unacceptable. What really gets me is that they expect us to be available 24/7 for their calls and appointments, but when we need help, we get stuck in phone trees or on endless hold. And then they act like WE'RE the problem when benefits get delayed or cut off due to THEIR system failures. Miguel, I'm so relieved you got it sorted out! The school verification issue is classic - I've had documents "not open properly" on their end multiple times. Now I always upload documents in multiple formats (PDF and JPG) and take screenshots of the upload confirmation page. For anyone else dealing with this - don't give up! Keep trying different approaches until something works. Document everything, be persistent, and lean on this community for support. We shouldn't have to fight this hard for basic assistance, but unfortunately that's the reality of the system right now.
@b6ca316eeb5f Aisha, your point about uploading in multiple formats is genius! I never thought of doing that but it makes total sense given how unreliable their system seems to be. The fact that you've been dealing with this for 3 years and still have to fight for basic assistance is just wrong. You're so right about the double standard - they expect us to be instantly available but we can't even get through to a human when we need help. I'm bookmarking all these tips from this thread because clearly we can't rely on the system to work properly. It's sad that we have to become experts at navigating broken systems just to feed our families, but I'm grateful for people like you sharing hard-earned wisdom. This community really is a lifeline when the official channels fail us.
Dmitry Popov
I'm really glad you asked this question because it's something so many people worry about unnecessarily! Everyone here has given you absolutely correct information - credit card purchases and cash advances are definitely NOT income for CalFresh reporting purposes. They're debt that you have to pay back, which is the complete opposite of income. I went through a very similar situation about 6 months ago when my hours got cut and I had to rely on my credit card for groceries and utilities. I was terrified during my recertification that somehow using credit would get me in trouble, but my worker explained it exactly like others have here - CalFresh only cares about actual income sources, not how you manage to pay for things when that income isn't enough. The silver lining in your situation is that with reduced hours, you'll likely qualify for higher CalFresh benefits! Make sure to bring your recent pay stubs to document the change. And definitely look into CalWORKs like others suggested - I wish I had known about that option when I was struggling. One practical tip: I started keeping a simple list of my actual income sources (job, any side work, etc.) to refer to during appointments. It helped me stay focused on what actually needed to be reported instead of overthinking every financial transaction. You're going to do great at your renewal - just be honest about your work situation and don't stress about the credit card usage at all!
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Nora Brooks
•This is such practical advice, especially about keeping a simple list of actual income sources! I think that would really help me stay focused during my renewal appointment instead of getting anxious about things that don't even need to be reported. Your experience of going through the exact same situation 6 months ago is so reassuring - it's good to know that your worker took the time to explain the difference between income and debt management. I'm definitely feeling optimistic now about potentially qualifying for higher CalFresh benefits with my reduced hours. And you're absolutely right about CalWORKs - I had no idea it was even an option for people still working part-time until this thread. It's amazing how much I've learned from everyone sharing their experiences here. Thank you for the encouragement about being honest with my worker. I think I've been creating so much unnecessary stress by imagining they'd be suspicious of my situation when really, reduced hours and financial struggles are probably things they help people with all the time. This whole discussion has been such a relief!
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Payton Black
I'm so glad to see this question being asked and all the helpful responses! As someone who recently went through a CalFresh renewal after experiencing financial difficulties, I can absolutely confirm what everyone is saying - credit card purchases and cash advances are NOT considered income for CalFresh purposes. I was in a very similar situation last year where I had to use my credit card for groceries and even took a cash advance to help with rent. I was terrified about how to handle this during my renewal, but my eligibility worker explained it clearly: credit is debt that you have to repay, not income. CalFresh only cares about money coming in that you don't have to pay back - like wages, unemployment benefits, disability payments, etc. What really helped me was preparing documentation of my actual income changes rather than worrying about credit usage. Since your hours were cut to 22 per week, focus on gathering recent pay stubs to show that income reduction. You'll likely qualify for increased CalFresh benefits, which could help reduce your reliance on credit cards for food purchases going forward. I also want to echo what others have said about CalWORKs - definitely worth applying! Many people don't realize you can qualify for cash assistance while working part-time. The program is designed to supplement employment, and it could help you avoid those expensive cash advances in the future. Don't stress about your renewal appointment. Workers see situations like yours all the time, especially with how many people have had their hours reduced lately. You're being responsible by asking questions and making sure you understand the rules correctly!
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