did u report it to the police too? my cousin didnt get her money back until she filed a police report

check you're benefits account online maybe they already added the money back but didn't tell you? happened to my sister last year

I want to add something important: make sure you're enrolled in the online BenefitsCal portal if you aren't already. That way, even if you miss physical mail, you'll get electronic notifications about upcoming deadlines. You can also submit renewals and SAR 7s online, which gives you a confirmation number and timestamp as proof. For your current situation, if your benefits do get discontinued, ask specifically for "expedited restoration" due to hardship. Mention that you have rent due and insufficient funds. This can sometimes move your case to a priority queue. Also, when you go in person, ask for a "Customer Service Request" form. Fill it out explaining your situation and request that they expedite your renewal. Keep the yellow copy as proof.

another thing i forgot to mention - make sure u have proof u mailed it on the 26th cause sometimes they lose paperwork and then blame u!! happened to me twice and i had no way to prove i sent it 😡

yay!!! so glad u got it fixed! the system is so broken its crazy

Great news! Make sure to follow up if the benefits aren't restored within the 48 hours they promised. And for future reference, when uploading documents to BenefitsCal, it's sometimes better to use the mobile app to take photos rather than scanning - their system seems to process photos better than scanned documents in many cases.

Yes, the SAR7 is different from recertification. The SAR7 is a simpler mid-period report that verifies your continued eligibility by updating income, household composition, etc. Recertification is a more comprehensive review of your entire case that happens annually. And you're exactly right about the IRT (Income Reporting Threshold). It's the maximum amount your household can earn before you must report it, even if it's not your regular reporting month. Your IRT amount should be listed on your approval notices - it's based on your household size and is set at 130% of the Federal Poverty Level. If your income ever exceeds this amount, you must report it within 10 days. One thing to keep in mind: even though you only have to report certain changes during your report months, keeping your worker updated on things like address changes should be done immediately. Missing notices is one of the biggest reasons people lose benefits unexpectedly.

U should ask 4 ur workers email!!! My worker lets me email her questions and she usualy responds in a day or 2. Way easier than calling!!!!

wait im confused does snap and calfresh mean the same thing?? i thought they were different programs

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I feel much better now knowing that only the child support I actually receive will count toward my CalFresh eligibility. I'll make sure to bring my bank statements and DCSS payment history to my recertification appointment to show exactly what I've been getting (which isn't much!). Really appreciate all the advice, especially about the IRT reporting requirement. I'll check my notice to see what my threshold is, though I doubt I'll ever get enough child support to reach it at this rate.

Update: I finally got through to my worker using that Claimyr service someone suggested. You were all right - they were projecting my income based on my hourly rate and weekly hours. My worker explained they use my hourly rate ($13.50) × hours per week (20) × 4.33 weeks = $1,169.10, which they rounded to $1,170.83 with some adjustment I didn't fully understand.She also explained about the income disregards, so my actual benefit reduction isn't as bad as I initially thought. Thanks everyone for your help! I'm going to be much more careful with tracking my income reporting going forward.

That's great! Just remember that if your hours ever change significantly (especially if they decrease), report it right away with proof from your employer. CalWORKs can adjust your benefits up if your income goes down, but they need documentation.

forgot to say make sure u check the box for expedited calfresh when u apply! if ur income is low enough and ur rent/utilities are high enough, they can approve u in like 3 days instead of 30. worth a shot

Your situation sounds rough, sending you positive thoughts. When my husband and I split, I also applied for benefits. One thing that tripped me up was the verification process. They kept asking for more and more documents! Make sure you respond quickly to any requests for verification or your application can get denied just for not responding in time. Also just a heads up that they usually send notices through the mail, so make sure your brothers' address is a secure place for you to receive mail. My benefits got discontinued once because I missed an important notice when I was between homes.

Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing here: This is the Summer EBT program (sometimes called Summer P-EBT in some counties), which provides a one-time benefit of approximately $120-130 per eligible child to help with food costs during summer when kids aren't getting school meals. It's separate from your regular CalWORKs cash aid and CalFresh benefits. The payments are being issued on a rolling basis through May and June. If you haven't received yours yet, it doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem. However, if you want to check on the status, you can contact your county office or use BenefitsCal online portal to check for notices. And yes, the total amount is based on the number of eligible children in your household. For a household with 3 eligible children, you'd receive approximately $391 as a single payment.

does anyone know if we get this food benefit thing AND our regular calworks? or do they take it out of our regular amount?

Had the WORST experience trying to report my stolen benefits last month. Spent 4 HOURS on hold with the county office and kept getting disconnected! Finally had to drive all the way to the welfare office and wait another 3 hours to file a report in person. The worker even had the nerve to imply I might have spent the money myself! By the time I finally got someone to take my report seriously, I was already late on rent and got hit with a $75 late fee. The system is DESIGNED to make us fail!!

I just checked the CalWORKs website and found this bulletin about the benefit theft issue: https://benefitscal.com/security-tips It says they're seeing a huge spike in theft right after benefits are issued. I'm going to set an alarm to withdraw mine at 12:01am when it hits my account. Thanks everyone for the advice! I really can't afford to lose this money with rent being due.

I noticed you mentioned working part-time. Have you been meeting your Welfare to Work (WTW) participation requirements? If you're not meeting the required hours or haven't completed your WTW plan, they might have applied a sanction, which would reduce your grant amount. Working 15 hours per week might not be enough to meet the requirements, which are typically 20-30 hours depending on your children's ages.

After reading all these responses, I'm now wondering if MY benefits are calculated correctly! I get $890 for me and my two kids, and I make about $900 a month at my part-time job. I've never understood how they come up with these numbers.