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my cousins friend got her benefits canceled for not reportin taxes but I think it was cuz she had a side job she didnt tell them about and they found out from her taxes
That's a completely different situation. If you have unreported income (like a side job) that shows up on your tax return, then yes, you could definitely get in trouble. The county can and does cross-check with tax records. The original question was specifically about tax refunds from already reported income, which is treated differently.
I want to add one more thing - make sure you're not confusing CalWORKs and CalFresh rules. They're similar but not identical. For CalFresh (food stamps), tax refunds don't count as income OR resources for 12 months after receipt. But for CalWORKs, they only don't count as income - they DO count as resources after a month. It's easy to get the programs mixed up since many of us have both.
That's a good point! I do have both and get confused about which rules apply to which program. Thank you for clarifying!
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just wanna say im sorry this happened to u. when my benefits got stolen last yr i had to feed my kids ramen for a week before they replaced the money. the system totally sucks and they treat us like were liars. hope u get ur money back quick
Thank you ❤️ I'm so worried about feeding my kids too. Gonna try to borrow some money from my sister to get through until this gets fixed.
ALSO make sure your mailing address is up to date with the county!! A lot of benefit theft happens because people are stealing cards right out of mailboxes when they get sent out. If you've moved or aren't getting mail reliably, you can have your EBT card held at the county office for pickup instead of mailed.
My address is up to date but I live in an apartment complex with those group mailboxes so maybe someone got into those? I'll definitely ask about pickup options.
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this is why i always submit my SAR7 early... gives me time to sort out any weirdness before my benefits get effected. i do mine like 2 weeks before its due and then check the app a few days later. seems like your all good tho since u said the amount didn't change!
That's smart! I'm definitely going to start doing that. This month I cut it too close to the deadline and gave myself unnecessary stress.
Hey, one other thing - make sure you're regularly checking your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) when you get your SAR7 approval. Sometimes they update your IRT amount without making it super obvious. If your income ever goes above that amount, you have to report it within 10 days, even outside your normal SAR7 reporting period. I found out the hard way when I got a raise and didn't report it because I thought I only had to report on the SAR7... ended up with an overpayment I had to pay back 😩
Oh wow, I didn't know that! Where exactly do they list the IRT? Is it on the approval notice?
Yes, your IRT appears on your approval notice. It's usually on the first or second page and will say something like "Your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) is $XXXX." This is the monthly gross income limit - if your household's total income goes above this amount before your next SAR7, you must report it within 10 days. This is one of the most common causes of CalWORKs overpayments!
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Has anyone else noticed they seem to be denying more people lately? My neighbor got denied 2 and she only makes like $2400 a month with 3 kids. Seems like they tightened up the rules or something
YES!! I've been saying this for months! Ever since they did that "system update" last fall, I know at least 5 families who got denied or had their benefits cut for no good reason. My theory is they're trying to push people off benefits to save money. My worker straight up told me they're "enforcing the rules more strictly" now. What she really meant was they're finding any excuse to deny people!!
I want to correct something important: for appeals, you need to request the appeal within 90 days of receiving your Notice of Action. When you submit the appeal form, check the box for "continuing benefits" if you were already receiving aid that they're trying to cut off. In your case, since this is a new application denial, focus on gathering strong evidence of all possible deductions. For a family of 6 in LA county with a disabled spouse, you should also immediately apply for: 1. Medi-Cal (if you haven't already) 2. IHSS for your husband's care needs 3. Housing assistance programs (separate from CalWORKs) 4. LIHEAP for utility bill assistance 5. School meal programs for the children Lastly, request an "expedited determination" on your CalFresh case review, as $25 sounds suspiciously low for a family of 6 even if you're over the CalWORKs limit.
This is so helpful! We do have Medi-Cal already thankfully. I didn't know about IHSS though - is that something that would help with my husband's care? He has severe rheumatoid arthritis and needs help with many daily activities. I'll definitely request that expedited determination for CalFresh too because $25 barely buys anything these days.
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My SAR7 was due this month and I haven't turned it in yet will I still get the extra amount???
You need to submit your SAR7 immediately! The extra allotment will only be issued to households with active CalFresh benefits. If your benefits are discontinued due to not submitting your semi-annual report, you won't receive the supplement. If you submit your SAR7 now and they process it before the 18th, you should still get it.
Update: I finally got through to my worker! The extra CalFresh benefits are DEFINITELY coming on the 18th for everyone regardless of which system your county uses. And like many of you said, it's ONLY for CalFresh (food), not for CalWORKs Cash Aid. Thanks everyone for your help! She also reminded me my next SAR7 is due next month, so glad I checked in.
good to hear! how long did u have to wait on hold? every time i call the dss i wait like 2 hours and then get disconnected 😡
Honestly it was brutal. Called 6 different times, finally got through after waiting 1hr 45min. But at least I got answers!
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Here's the official calendar of adjusted payment dates for 2025 holidays: - January (New Year's): Payments due Jan 1-2 issued Dec 30-31 - January (MLK Day): Payments due Jan 20 issued Jan 17 - February (Presidents Day): Payments due Feb 17 issued Feb 14 - May (Memorial Day): Payments due May 26 issued May 23 - July (Independence Day): Payments due July 4 issued July 3 - September (Labor Day): Payments due Sept 1 issued Aug 29 - October (Columbus Day): Payments due Oct 13 issued Oct 10 - November (Veterans Day): Payments due Nov 11 issued Nov 10 - November (Thanksgiving): Payments due Nov 27-28 issued Nov 25-26 - December (Christmas): Payments due Dec 25-26 issued Dec 23-24 Save this list if you want to know when your payments might come early!
thx for this!!! gonna screenshot it
This is super helpful, thank you for the detailed info! Definitely saving this.
Happens EVERY holiday but they NEVER bother to tell anyone! I've been on CalWORKs for 5 years now and I still get confused when my payment date shifts. Would it kill them to send a text notification? "Your payment will arrive early due to the holiday" - how hard would that be? The communication from the county is absolutely terrible. Same with EBT deposits - they also come early before holidays.
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Update: I just called my CalWORKs worker and asked about the WTW exemption while waiting for SSI decision. She said I need to get documentation from my doctor about why I can't work and submit it on some exemption request form. Has anyone done this? What kind of medical documentation did they accept?
You'll need to submit a CW 61 form (Medical Report form) completed by your doctor. It needs to clearly state your diagnosis, what activities you cannot perform, and the expected duration of your condition. Make sure your doctor is specific about your limitations rather than just stating you can't work. For example, "Cannot stand for more than 15 minutes" or "Cannot lift more than 5 pounds" is better than just "Unable to work." This exemption can be approved for up to 12 months depending on your condition.
one thing nobody mentioned is that when u switch from calworks to ssi ur medi-cal might change too. my coverage got messed up for almost 2 months during the transition and i couldn't get my medications. make sure u ask about this specifically!!
Oh no, I didn't even think about the Medi-Cal issue! I take daily medications so I can't have any gap in coverage. I'll definitely ask about this, thanks for the heads up.
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just remember to be nice to the workers even when ur frustrated. my gf works for the county and shes trying her best but has like 300+ cases to manage. the nice ppl actually get better help cuz the workers WANT to go the extra mile for them lol. just sayin
That's good advice. I've been trying to stay patient even though it's frustrating. I can't imagine managing 300+ cases! No wonder there are mistakes sometimes. I'll definitely keep being polite when I call tomorrow.
I went through something similar last year with my CalFresh benefits. After months of frustration, I finally found out my worker had checked a box in the system indicating I was receiving "transitional benefits" when I wasn't supposed to be. This locked my benefit amount at the minimum level. The system problems you're describing with having to call every month to activate your benefits could be related to what they call an "issuance code" problem. It's basically a flag in their computer system that's preventing the automatic issuance. Did you by any chance also apply for CalWORKs at the same time as CalFresh? Sometimes when the systems try to coordinate between programs, these weird glitches happen. Worth asking specifically about this when you call.
I did actually apply for both programs at the same time! I was denied for CalWORKs because our income was slightly over the limit, but approved for CalFresh. I wonder if that created some kind of system conflict like you mentioned. I'll definitely ask about the issuance code - thank you for giving me the right terminology to use!
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The county is such a mess these days, I swear! Their system is probably just behind in processing your CalWORKs discontinuance. SAR-7 is absolutely required for both programs. The fact that CalFresh stopped but not your Cash Aid is just a system glitch or backlog. BUT there's good news - if your CalWORKs hasn't been officially discontinued, you might be in what's called the "cure period" where you can still submit the SAR-7 without having to reapply. Get that form in IMMEDIATELY! Don't wait for them to cut you off. Being proactive looks much better than waiting until they demand the money back.
Update: I submitted my SAR-7 yesterday along with a note explaining that I misunderstood and thought it only affected CalFresh! The worker I spoke with said they'll review it within 3 business days and let me know about both my CalFresh and CalWORKs status. She did mention I might need to do a new application for CalFresh since it's been over 30 days, but there's a chance my CalWORKs might continue without interruption if they process it before their system runs the discontinuance. Fingers crossed, and thank you all for the advice - I definitely would have been in a much worse situation if I'd just waited!
That's great news! You did exactly the right thing by acting quickly. Even if you have to reapply for CalFresh, at least you've prevented a potential overpayment situation with your CalWORKs. For future reference, always remember that the SAR-7 is due by the 5th of your report month, and affects ALL your benefits. Setting a calendar reminder on your phone can help make sure you don't miss future deadlines.
Isabella Ferreira
ok so actually it IS the first 3 working days BUT July is weird bc of July 4th holiday. I just checked the benefits calendar and 4th is a county holiday so that pushes everything back a day. First working day is Monday 7/3, second is Wednesday 7/5, third is Thursday 7/6 because Tuesday 7/4 doesn't count. so if ur case # ends in 5 like u said, you'll get paid 7/5 i think
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Amina Toure
•thank u!! I wish my worker would explain things like this!! where did u find that calendar? is it on the county website?
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Oliver Zimmermann
I wanted to add - if you regularly have issues with timing your rent payment, you can request what's called a "hardship exception" for your payment date. You need to submit a written request explaining that your rent is due before your regular payment date and you're experiencing hardship. Some counties will adjust your payment schedule to accommodate rent due dates, but it's not guaranteed and takes time to process. Worth asking about for future months though!
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Amina Toure
•wow ive been on calworks for 2 years and no one EVER told me this was an option!! im gonna ask about this next time i talk to my worker. THANK YOU!!!
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