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!

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.

This entire discussion has been absolutely incredible to read through! I'm a single parent who's been on CalWORKs for about 14 months, and like so many others here, I was given completely wrong information about savings limits. My worker told me during intake to "keep savings minimal" and mentioned something about a $2,000 limit, so I've been terrified to save more than $1,200 this whole time. Reading that the actual limit is $10,000 and that retirement accounts don't even count is literally life-changing information for me! I have a small 401k from a previous job that I've been worried about, plus I've been wanting to save for a car down payment but was scared it would disqualify us from benefits. What really frustrates me is how this misinformation is clearly affecting families across multiple counties. We're all sharing nearly identical stories of getting vague or outdated guidance from caseworkers. This shouldn't be something we have to figure out through community forums, but I'm so grateful this discussion exists! @Cass Green - thank you so much for confirming this as an actual caseworker! It gives me the confidence to call my worker and ask for written confirmation of the current limits. I'm also definitely going to ask about those IDA programs that were mentioned. To everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge here - you're literally helping families build financial stability and peace of mind. This community is doing what the system should be doing automatically. Thank you all! 🙏

Reading through this entire thread as someone who's been on CalWORKs for about 6 months has been absolutely mind-blowing! My intake worker told me to "be very careful about any savings" and mentioned something about old limits, so I've been keeping my emergency fund under $500 this whole time. I actually turned down some overtime hours at work because I was scared the extra money would push me over some mysterious savings limit! Finding out the actual limit is $10,000 is honestly overwhelming in the best way possible. That means I can actually start building a real safety net for my daughter and myself. I can save for things like car repairs, school supplies, maybe even a security deposit for a better apartment eventually. What really gets to me is how many families are probably still living under this same fear because they got the same vague or outdated information. We're all sharing such similar stories of confusion and unnecessary financial stress. It's clear this is a widespread training issue affecting workers across multiple counties. @Cass Green - thank you SO much for jumping in as an actual caseworker to confirm this information! It gives me the courage to call my worker and ask for written confirmation of the current limits. I'm also definitely going to ask about those IDA programs and other asset-building resources people mentioned. This community is literally more helpful than my entire official CalWORKs orientation process. We shouldn't have to rely on forums to get accurate information about our benefits, but I'm so grateful this space exists. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences - you're helping families like mine finally build toward financial stability! 🙏✨

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the system really is broken when it comes to phone interviews! I had a similar experience last year where they scheduled me THREE times and never called. Here's what finally got me through: 1. Turn off ALL call blocking features temporarily - including "Silence Unknown Callers" on iPhone or similar Android features 2. Contact your cell carrier and ask them to disable spam protection for a few days around your interview 3. Make sure you have strong cell signal where you'll be waiting - I discovered my apartment had poor reception in certain rooms 4. Try the "supervisor trick" others mentioned - call the main county number and ask for the CalWORKs supervisor on duty What really helped me was sending a message through BenefitsCal explaining the missed interviews and requesting they call from a regular county number (not blocked/restricted). Some workers are willing to do this if you explain the technical issues. Also, if you do end up going in person, try to go on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning - Mondays and Fridays are usually the busiest days. And yes, bring snacks and activities for your little one because the wait can be brutal. Don't give up! Your benefits are important and you shouldn't have to jump through hoops just because their phone system doesn't work properly. Keep documenting everything in case you need to file a complaint later.

I've been having the exact same issue with missed phone interviews! What finally worked for me was calling the county's main number early in the morning (around 7:45 AM before they get busy) and asking to speak with a CalWORKs eligibility supervisor about scheduling issues. When I explained that I had two missed interviews and my benefits were at risk, the supervisor was able to see in their system that the calls were never actually made from their end - apparently there had been some kind of technical issue with their phone system that week. She scheduled me for an in-person interview the next day and made a note in my file about the phone system problems so it wouldn't count against me. The whole thing was resolved within 48 hours once I got to the right person. Also, I noticed you mentioned your worker doesn't respond to emails - you might want to ask for a new worker if possible. Some counties allow you to request a transfer if there are ongoing communication issues. Document all your attempts to contact them because that can help your case. Good luck! Don't let them make you feel like this is your fault when their system clearly isn't working properly.

I work as a benefits eligibility worker and can confirm that this is becoming more common with the integrated application system. When you apply for CalFresh, we're required to screen for all potential benefits including CalWORKs, and if you meet the eligibility criteria, we can approve you for both programs during the same process. The $134 is likely your monthly CalWORKs grant amount based on your family size and income. You should have received (or will receive) a Notice of Action letter explaining this approval - check your mail carefully as these sometimes get mixed in with other documents. Before using the cash benefits, I'd still recommend calling to confirm, but if you were auto-enrolled during your CalFresh interview, the money is legitimately yours. Just remember that accepting CalWORKs comes with additional requirements like Welfare to Work participation (though your part-time job likely counts toward this) and different reporting rules than CalFresh alone. The good news is this means you're getting all the support you're entitled to for your family!

This happened to me too about 6 months ago! I was so confused when cash benefits suddenly appeared on my EBT card after only applying for CalFresh. Turns out during my phone interview, the worker did screen me for CalWORKs but didn't really explain that they were approving me for both programs at the same time. I was terrified to use the money at first because I thought it was an error, but after calling (which took forever to get through), they confirmed it was legitimate. The worker explained that they automatically enroll eligible families now instead of making you apply separately for each program. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - make sure you understand the WTW requirements if this turns out to be real CalWORKs benefits. The rules are definitely more complex than just CalFresh, but it sounds like your part-time job should help with the work participation hours. Definitely call to confirm before spending it though! Better to be safe and know exactly what's going on with your benefits.

Update: I finally got through on the phone today after using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. My worker confirmed the system is down until Monday morning. She said I can email my documents directly to her as an alternative (didn't even know that was possible!). For anyone else panicking about deadlines, definitely try to reach your worker directly instead of relying on the app right now.

I've been dealing with the same issue all week! What's really frustrating is that they don't send any notifications about these maintenance windows. I found out from a neighbor that if you have a smartphone, you can sometimes access the mobile version of the BenefitsCal website directly through your browser instead of the app - it might work even when the app is down. Also, if anyone needs to submit documents urgently, most county offices have drop boxes outside where you can leave sealed envelopes with your case number clearly marked. Just make sure to keep copies of everything you submit!