As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by this incredible success story and the outstanding level of support everyone provided throughout this thread! @Zainab, huge congratulations on your hard-fought victory - your determination to persist through multiple incorrect denials is truly inspiring and shows what effective advocacy can accomplish. What really strikes me as someone new to understanding these benefit systems is how your experience exposes such concerning training gaps among eligibility workers. The fact that you had to escalate three times just to find someone who understood that VA Chapter 35 benefits are educational assistance rather than regular income is deeply troubling - and it makes you wonder how many other deserving students are being wrongfully denied without knowing they can fight back. This thread has become an absolutely invaluable resource! From the specific MPP section citations to practical tools like Claimyr, the community's response demonstrates the power of shared knowledge and experience. Your detailed documentation of what actually worked - bringing specific regulations, VA documentation, enrollment schedules, and escalating to knowledgeable supervisors - creates a perfect roadmap for other families facing similar bureaucratic battles. This is exactly why communities like this are so essential. When people share their hard-won expertise and real-world strategies, it helps others overcome systemic barriers that shouldn't exist in the first place. Thank you for refusing to give up on your daughter's case and for taking the time to update us with your victory. This thread will undoubtedly help countless other veterans' families secure the benefits they're rightfully entitled to!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely blown away by this incredible thread and @Zainab's amazing victory! Your persistence through multiple incorrect denials is truly inspiring and shows what determined advocacy can accomplish when bureaucratic systems fail. What really concerns me as someone new to these benefit systems is how your experience reveals such fundamental training problems. If multiple eligibility workers don't understand that VA Chapter 35 benefits are educational assistance - not regular income - it makes you wonder how many other deserving students are going without food assistance they desperately need. The level of expertise and support this community provided is remarkable. From the specific MPP section references to practical tools like Claimyr, everyone contributed actionable knowledge that directly helped resolve your case. This thread has become an invaluable resource that shows not just the problems students face, but the exact solutions that work. Your detailed follow-up about what succeeded - bringing documentation, citing specific regulations, escalating to knowledgeable supervisors - creates a perfect blueprint for other families. It's exactly why communities like this are so crucial for helping people navigate complex systems and overcome barriers that shouldn't exist. Thank you for not giving up on your daughter and for sharing your journey with such detail. This thread will undoubtedly help countless other veterans' families get the benefits they're entitled to!

I just went through this exact situation a few months ago! You definitely need to report the SDI approval to your CalWORKs worker ASAP, even though you haven't received payments yet. I made the mistake of thinking I could wait until the money actually hit my account, and it created a mess that took weeks to sort out. Here's what I learned: Call your worker tomorrow and tell them you were approved for disability in July but are still waiting for payments. Ask them to document this in your case notes - this creates a paper trail showing you reported proactively. When your payments do start coming (mine took 4 months!), you'll already have everything set up properly. Also, don't panic about losing all your benefits. SDI counts as unearned income, so after the $90 monthly disregard, it reduces your CalWORKs cash dollar-for-dollar. But here's the good news - you can stay on CalWORKs with $0 cash aid and keep your Medi-Cal, childcare, and other supportive services. That was actually better for me because the disability paid more than CalWORKs anyway. One more thing - definitely ask about disability exemptions from your WTW requirements when you call. If your condition affects your ability to work, you might qualify for Good Cause which can exempt you from workfare hours. This was huge for me when I was dealing with my health issues. The phone system is brutal but don't give up! Some people mentioned Claimyr which helps you get through faster. Whatever you do, don't wait - protecting yourself from overpayments is worth the hassle of making that call.

I'm new to this community but going through something similar right now! Just got approved for SDI two months ago but still waiting on my first payment. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear I need to call my CalWORKs worker ASAP to report the approval even without getting paid yet. What really helped me understand this was seeing how many people got hit with overpayments when they waited vs. those who reported proactively. The tip about asking them to put a note in the case file is brilliant - I'm definitely going to request that when I call tomorrow. One question for those who've been through this: did any of you have trouble getting your worker to understand that you wanted to report income you hadn't received yet? I'm worried they might think I'm confused or wasting their time since there's no actual money to report right now. Also, thanks everyone for explaining the $90 disregard and how SDI counts as unearned income. As someone completely new to navigating these systems, this thread has been incredibly educational. It's such a relief to know I can keep childcare and Medi-Cal even if my cash aid drops to zero once the disability payments start.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it might help others in similar situations! I was on CalFresh for about 6 months without reporting a small savings account (had maybe $200 when I applied), and when I lost my job last month and needed to apply for CalWORKs, I was really anxious about potential issues. I decided to be completely transparent on my CalWORKs application and reported ALL my accounts, including the one I hadn't mentioned for CalFresh. During my eligibility interview, I even brought up my concern about the unreported account. My worker was actually really understanding and explained that CalFresh and CalWORKs have different asset verification processes, so not reporting it previously wasn't going to be an issue as long as I was being honest now. She confirmed that CalWORKs does much more thorough bank account verification than CalFresh typically does, using their Asset Verification System. My account had about $800 at the time (well under the $10,000 limit), and she said that was totally fine - especially since some of it was from my tax refund. The whole process went smoothly, and I was approved! The key really is just being upfront about everything on your new application. Don't let worry about past applications prevent you from getting the help you need now. The county workers understand that different programs have different requirements, and they appreciate honesty over anything else.

I'm new to this community and wanted to thank everyone for sharing their experiences! I'm in a very similar situation - been on CalFresh for about 7 months and didn't report my checking account when I applied because it only had around $180 at the time. Now I'm facing possible job loss and considering CalWORKs, but I was really worried about the unreported account. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. The consensus seems clear - be completely honest on the CalWORKs application going forward, regardless of what was reported on previous CalFresh applications. It makes total sense that different programs have different asset verification requirements. My account currently has about $720 from some freelance work, so I'm well under the $10,000 resource limit. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to be totally transparent about all my accounts when I apply for CalWORKs. It's such a relief to know that honesty is appreciated by the county workers and that so many people have successfully navigated similar situations. This thread has been a lifesaver for understanding these confusing benefit requirements - thank you to the original poster for asking this important question and to everyone who shared their experiences!

I'm so excited for you getting your own place! I went through something similar a few months ago and totally understand the stress about benefits. One thing I learned that might help - when you report your move through BenefitsCal, there's actually a specific section for "Change of Address" that walks you through exactly what documentation you need. They'll ask for your lease agreement and proof of any utility responsibilities. Also, since your rent is going from $600 to $1450, that's actually a pretty significant increase in your shelter costs which should definitely help your CalFresh calculation. The shelter deduction can be substantial - in my county it added about $200+ to my monthly benefit calculation. Just make sure when you upload your lease that it clearly shows the monthly rent amount and your move-in date. Some people forget to include the utilities part, but if you're now paying electric/gas/water separately, make sure to mention that too because the standard utility allowance is usually around $400+ which gets added to your shelter deduction. The whole process took about 2 weeks for my benefits to get recalculated after I reported everything. Don't panic if there's a slight delay - they usually backdate any increases to when you reported the change. You're going to do great in your new place!

Congratulations on your new apartment! That's such an exciting milestone. I completely understand your anxiety about how this might affect your benefits - it's totally normal to worry about that. From what I understand, you'll definitely want to report your address change within 10 days through BenefitsCal or directly to your caseworker. The good news is that moving itself won't disqualify you from benefits, and since your rent is increasing significantly from what you were paying your mom, this could actually help your CalFresh benefits through the shelter deduction. One thing I'd suggest is gathering all your documentation before you report - your lease agreement, any utility setup paperwork, and maybe even a simple letter explaining your previous living arrangement and rent amount. Having everything organized will make the process smoother. It sounds like you've been responsible with your benefits so far, so don't let fear keep you from taking this important step toward independence. The fact that you're asking these questions shows you want to do everything correctly. Best of luck with your move - having your own space is going to be amazing!

I'm also new to CalWORKs and just got approved for Stage One childcare! My mom will be watching my 2-year-old and 6-year-old while I complete my WTW hours. This thread has been incredibly helpful - so much better than the vague information my caseworker provided. From reading everyone's experiences, I'm now prepared for the 4-6 week wait for the first payment and understand about the 70% rate for family providers. One question I have that I haven't seen addressed - does anyone know if the childcare payments are affected at all if you're also receiving other CalWORKs benefits like CalFresh? I want to make sure there won't be any issues or reductions when multiple programs are involved. Also, for the attendance forms, do you submit one form per child or is there a single form that covers all children being watched? My mom will have kids of different ages so I want to make sure we're tracking everything correctly from the start. Thanks to everyone who's shared their real experiences here - it's made this whole process feel much more manageable for us newcomers!

I'm also brand new to CalWORKs and just starting the childcare approval process! My grandmother is going to watch my 4-year-old twins while I attend my job training program. This entire thread has been incredibly informative - thank you all for sharing your real experiences! From reading through everyone's responses, I'm getting a much clearer picture of what to expect: the 4-6 week wait for first payment, the 70% rate for family providers (around $4-5/hour per child), and the importance of submitting those monthly attendance forms by the 10th. I do have one question - has anyone dealt with childcare for twins specifically? I'm wondering if there are any special considerations or if the payment is just calculated as two separate children at the regular rate. Also, since my grandmother is in her 70s, are there any age restrictions or additional requirements for older family providers? The tip about calling the childcare payment unit directly instead of trying to reach your regular caseworker is golden - I'm definitely going to try that for county-specific rate information. Thanks again everyone for making this process feel so much less overwhelming for us newcomers!