Everyone keeps saying "food bank" but nobody mentions how hard it is to actually GET to a food bank when you have no gas money and little kids!!! Not everyone has reliable transportation or lives near public transit. And carrying bags of groceries + diapers + kids on a bus is a nightmare if you've ever tried it. The system assumes everyone has resources they don't have. Sorry about your situation OP, it's truly maddening.

Just to clarify on the CalFresh increase after job loss - yes, you SHOULD get more food stamps when your income decreases. However, it's not automatic. You need to report your job loss as a change in circumstances. If you already provided your final pay stub, that's a good start, but make sure they've actually processed it as a change. And regarding the CalWORKs timeline - regular applications should be processed within 30 days, but they often take the full time. That's why pushing for expedited CalFresh (3 days) is so important in your situation.

Another thing to check - did you update your address recently or change your EBT card? Sometimes when info changes, the system gets confused about where to send the benefits and they show as pending until it resolves. This happened when I got a replacement card.

Just wanted to follow up - did your benefits come through? If you called and the system said pending, that typically means payment was authorized and just waiting for overnight processing. Curious if things worked out as expected or if you're still having issues.

Does anyone know if the grocery store can tell its ebt cash vs regular debit when u pay? Kinda embarrassing sometimes

I gotta say be careful about how much you take out at once. When my benefits first got approved, I was so happy I went and withdrew it all. Then I lost my wallet the next day with $550 inside! The county won't replace stolen/lost cash. Now I only withdraw what I need for a couple days at a time.

Another thing to consider - did you apply for CalFresh at the same time? Sometimes they process that faster and you'll get food benefits while still waiting on Cash Aid. Check if you got an EBT card in the mail and if there's any money on it for food. At least that would help a little while you're sorting out the CalWORKs mess.

update us when u find out what the holdup is!! i bet its gonna be something they never told u about lol thats how they always do

i just wanted to say im so jealous lol... my county is ALWAYS late with my payments, never early!! which county are you in that actually gives early deposits?? ours always has "system issues" 🙄

Update us after you call - I'm curious what they say! And don't forget if you need to provide any verification documents later on, keep the originals and only send copies. I learned that one the hard way when they claimed they never received my pay stubs and almost discontinued my case.

ppl saying they got reimbursed but what about if it happens AGAIN?? my cousin got his money stolen 3x last year and the 3rd time they refused to replace it said he was "negligent" with his card security. the whole system is trash

After you get through this immediate crisis, remember to practice these security steps for the future: 1. Change your PIN immediately (and don't use obvious numbers like birth dates) 2. Check for skimming devices at ATMs (wiggle the card slot before inserting) 3. Use ATMs inside banks when possible, not standalone ones 4. Set up text alerts for all transactions 5. Consider withdrawing all cash aid at once instead of making multiple smaller withdrawals Also, counties are now implementing enhanced security measures for EBT cards. Ask your worker if your county has the new chip-enabled cards yet.

u might get an overissuance notice but probly not for $500 its not much. my friend reported late income of $2000 and they made her pay back like $120 in benefits. but she got a payment plan so its not a big deal just like $10 a month they take out. benifical is better than calling anyway cuz theres a record of when u submitted it

To follow up on my earlier comment, I recommend taking a screenshot of your BenefitsCal submission as proof you voluntarily reported the income. This shows good faith on your part. The county distinguishes between honest mistakes and intentional program violations. Since you're self-reporting before any investigation, this would likely just be treated as an unintentional household error at most. For future reference, any income change over $100 needs to be reported within 10 days if you're on Change Reporting, but if you're on Semi-Annual Reporting (SAR), you generally report on your SAR7 unless your income goes over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT).

the cola is always the same percentage for all counties but the actual $ amount is different bc base grants are different by county. and there's no one-time adjustment coming that i know of, that person is probably thinking of the diaper stipend for kids under 3

did anyone else notice that the last increase was supposed to be 3% but when i did the math it was actually 2.83%?? not complaining about free money but just saying they always round down somehow and its a little sus

When my exemption ended, I just filled out a WTW2 form showing my work hours and brought in my pay stubs. I was already working 32 hours so didn't need anything else. But my friend who worked 22 hours had to do job search workshops for the rest. The most important thing is DON'T MISS ORIENTATION even if you're working! They can sanction you for that. Also make sure you're reporting your income correctly on your SAR7 forms. Sometimes people think having a job means they can't get CalWORKs anymore but that's not true - they just adjust your grant amount based on earnings.

No one answrd the part about keeping ur kid with u. I was in same boat. You can ask for "reasonable accommodations" for your WTW plan based on your childcare needs. Put it in WRITING to your worker. They can be flexible with the type of activities but not really with the total hours. Be super clear that u need activities u can do while watching ur kid or from home because of childcare issues. They have online options for some of the extra hours. Worst case u could do like 1 day of activities without ur kid if u have someone who can watch them just for that day each week. Good luck!

also dont forget the IRT!!! if ur over the income reporting threshold u need to report it even if its not time for ur SAR7 yet. for a family of 3 i think IRT is like $2,800? but check ur last notice of action it tells u what ur IRT amount is

Based on what you've shared, here's what I would do in your situation: 1. Call your worker ASAP (using Claimyr if you can't get through) and ask specifically about lump sum averaging for worker's comp settlements 2. Get documentation from your lawyer outlining what portions of the settlement are for medical expenses versus lost wages 3. Ask your doctor for updated documentation about your work limitations for your WTW exemption 4. Create a budget for how you'll handle expenses if you do lose benefits for one month 5. Report the settlement within 10 days of receiving it, but not before 6. If you have a bank account, be aware that the month after you receive the settlement, your resources will be checked to make sure you're still under the $10,000 limit The good news is that even in the worst-case scenario where you lose benefits for one month, you should be automatically reinstated the following month without having to reapply.