Congratulations on your pregnancy! As someone new to this community, I wanted to share what I learned from a similar situation. You should absolutely report your pregnancy right away - your mother-in-law is correct! When you report your pregnancy, CalFresh will immediately count you as a household of 2, which should significantly increase your monthly benefits. The increase is retroactive to when you report it (not when you became pregnant), so don't delay. For CalWORKs cash aid, you're right that you typically need to wait until your third trimester unless you have pregnancy complications preventing you from working. However, getting into the system early makes the transition much smoother. I'd recommend using the BenefitsCal website to report online rather than dealing with phone wait times. Make sure to have your pregnancy verification form from your doctor ready to upload - they'll need your due date clearly stated. Also apply for WIC immediately! It's completely separate from CalFresh and you qualify right away when pregnant. WIC provides vouchers for nutritious foods specifically for pregnancy and is much easier to access than other programs. Since you mentioned you and your partner handle food separately, just be honest about your actual living arrangement. The system is designed to help pregnant women, not create barriers. Don't stress too much - you've got this mama! 💕

Congratulations on your pregnancy! As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to add my voice to all the excellent advice you've received. Your mother-in-law is absolutely right - you should report your pregnancy immediately! I recently went through this process myself and can confirm that reporting pregnancy increases your CalFresh benefits right away since they count you as a household of 2. My benefits went from around your amount to over $400/month just from reporting pregnancy. The key is getting that pregnancy verification from your doctor with your due date clearly stated. Everyone's advice about using BenefitsCal online is spot on - it's so much easier than trying to get through on the phone. For CalWORKs, you're correct that you typically wait until third trimester, but starting the process early helps everything go smoother. Don't forget about WIC! It's separate from CalFresh and you qualify immediately when pregnant. They provide vouchers for milk, eggs, and other nutritious foods specifically for pregnancy. The WIC office is usually much more responsive than the welfare office too. Since you mentioned handling food separately from your partner, just be honest about your actual living situation. The system is designed to support pregnant women, not create obstacles. You've got this - take that first step and report your pregnancy this week! Best of luck mama! 💕

As someone who's dealt with this exact situation multiple times, I can confirm everything others have shared here. The fraud protection system is actually pretty sensitive - I've had my card blocked just for using it at a different grocery store chain than usual, even within California! One thing I'd add is that when you call EBT customer service, be prepared with your full SSN, card number, and be able to verify some recent transactions. They ask a lot of security questions before they'll remove the block. Also, if you're planning to be out of state for more than a few days, ask them how long the "travel authorization" lasts - sometimes it's only good for 30 days and you might need to call again for longer trips. The whole system definitely needs better upfront communication, but at least the protection has gotten better since the skimming got so bad. I lost $400 in cash aid to skimmers at a gas station ATM last year and it took 3 weeks to get it replaced. So while the travel blocks are annoying, I'd rather deal with a phone call than lose all my benefits again.

I'm really glad this worked out for you! This whole thread has been incredibly educational - I had no idea about the travel notification requirements either. It's honestly shocking that this information isn't clearly communicated when you receive your EBT card. For anyone else reading this who might travel frequently, it sounds like calling ahead before your trip might be the smartest approach to avoid getting stuck without access to your benefits. The fraud protection makes total sense given all the skimming horror stories, but the lack of clear guidance from the state is really problematic. Also want to echo what others said about keeping that EBT customer service number (1-877-328-9677) saved in your phone and having all your card info ready when you call. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical knowledge that helps families navigate these systems successfully!

Definitely report your pregnancy NOW! I wish I had known about the pregnancy supplement when I was expecting my daughter. I only found out about it after she was born and missed out on 3 months of extra money. When you call to report your pregnancy, make sure to ask specifically about the "pregnancy special needs" payment - sometimes they don't automatically tell you about it. You'll need a doctor's verification form but it's worth the extra $47/month. After your baby arrives, don't stress too much about getting the birth certificate right away. The hospital discharge papers work fine initially to add the baby to your case. I brought mine to the office the day after we got home from the hospital and they processed it same day. Also, once you report the birth, your next payment date might be different since they have to recalculate everything. Mine came a few days later than usual but it was the full increased amount. Good luck with everything and congrats on your upcoming arrival! 🍼

Hey Gabriel! I just went through this exact situation 6 months ago. Definitely report your pregnancy NOW - don't wait! You're missing out on the pregnancy special needs payment ($47/month) for every month you don't report it. I reported mine at 6 months and still got 3 months of back payments. Here's what worked for me: Called my caseworker, told them I was pregnant, and they sent me a form for my doctor to fill out. Once I returned that, they added the pregnancy supplement to my next payment. After my baby was born, I went to the office with the hospital discharge papers within a week. They had me fill out the SAR 3 form right there and added my son to my case same day. My cash aid went from $607 to $817 starting the next month. Pro tip: If you can't reach your caseworker easily, try calling first thing in the morning (8 AM) or right after lunch (1 PM). Those seem to be the best times to actually get through. And don't stress about the birth certificate - hospital papers work fine to get things started! You've got this mama! 💕

Hey StarGazer101! I'm new here but I've been dealing with the same issue. I found that the LA County DPSS also has a text service that might help you get info faster than calling. You can text "CASE" to 211411 with your case number and they'll send you basic payment info. It's not as detailed as calling but at least you can get some info without waiting on hold forever! Also, if you go to any LA County library, they have computers where you can access your BenefitsCal account and sometimes the "pending transactions" section shows up better on the full website than on mobile. Hope this helps!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share what worked for me recently! I was having the exact same problem trying to find out when my next CalWORKs payment was coming. After trying all the phone numbers people mentioned here, I finally had luck with a different approach. I went to my local DPSS office first thing in the morning (around 8:30 AM) and asked them to print out my payment schedule. The worker was super helpful and gave me a sheet showing all my upcoming payment dates for the next 3 months for both CalWORKs and CalFresh. She said they can always do this for you in person, even if you can't get through on the phone. It took about 15 minutes total including the wait. The office address finder is on the LA County DPSS website if you need to find your local office. Hope this helps other people who are struggling with the phone system!

I moved from California to Utah last year while on CalWORKs and learned this the hard way - definitely report your move BEFORE you leave! I waited until after I got to Utah and it caused so many problems. My CA benefits got terminated immediately once I reported, but Utah's application process took almost a month. The gap was really tough financially. One thing that helped me was calling Arizona's DES office before I would have moved to ask about their application process and what documents to bring. They told me I could actually start the application process online before arriving, which saved some time. Also make sure to get copies of all your CA paperwork (verification of income, rent receipts, etc.) because Arizona will want to see recent documentation even though you're starting fresh with their system. The benefit amounts are definitely different too - Arizona's cash assistance is lower than CalWORKs, so budget accordingly. But you're absolutely doing the right thing by asking these questions and planning to report everything properly. Your sister is lucky to have you looking out for her!

Just want to echo what others have said about reporting this ASAP - I work at a county eligibility office (not as a worker but in admin) and I see these situations all the time. The key thing is getting that written notice submitted before you move, even if it's just a few days before. You can submit the AR 3 form through BenefitsCal online which gives you a confirmation receipt, or you can email it to your worker if they accept email submissions. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you ask your CA worker about any outstanding requirements you might have, like work participation hours or appointments. Sometimes when people move out of state with incomplete requirements, it can affect their ability to get benefits in the new state if there's a "sanction" that follows them. Arizona will likely ask if you've ever been sanctioned or had benefits terminated in another state. Also, keep all your documentation from the move organized - lease agreements, proof of when you reported the change, etc. If there are any questions later about overpayments or timing, having that paper trail will protect you. Good luck with everything and I hope your sister's health improves!