Approved for CalWORKs after 6 denials - how do I make sure it doesn't get discontinued?

Congrats on finally getting approved! To keep your benefits active, these are the absolute must-do things: 1. Submit your SAR7 income report EXACTLY when it's due (usually 6 months after approval) - mark this date on every calendar you have 2. Report within 10 days if your income goes above the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) listed on your approval notice 3. Complete your annual redetermination/SAWS2 on time 4. If you're required to participate in Welfare to Work (WTW), make sure you attend EVERY appointment and complete your required hours 5. Respond to ALL county communications - sometimes they send requests for verification that seem repetitive but missing these can cause automatic discontinuance The most common reason people lose benefits is missing the SAR7 deadline or not reporting income changes. Set multiple reminders for yourself!

omg i feel this so hard. got denied 4 times before getting approved last year. make sure u keep ALL ur paystubs even if ur not working rn. they randomly asked me for proof of no income 3 months in and almost cut me off when i couldnt prove i wasnt working lol. make copies of EVERYTHING u send them!

The system is DESIGNED to kick people off! I was approved for 3 months, then got a Notice of Action saying I was discontinued because I "failed to provide verification" - for documents I HANDED to my worker IN PERSON with a receipt! Had to file for a fair hearing to get reinstated. My advice: document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots of your BenefitsCal uploads, get names of workers you speak with, and ALWAYS request receipts for documents. They'll try to claim they never received something to discontinue you.

you should have automatic wtw exemption since ur baby is under 12mo. it says right in the calworks handbook single parents with child under 12mo are exempt from wtw requirements. but in my experience you have to actually ASK for it or they pretend u need to do the activities anyway. call ur worker and specifically request the exemption form. and yes IRT is monthly gross income.

I've been helping people navigate CalWORKs for years, and here's what I've learned makes the biggest difference in keeping benefits active: 1. Set up a dedicated folder (physical and digital) for ALL CalWORKs paperwork 2. Your WTW exemption for having a child under 12 months needs to be documented - call your worker to confirm it's in your case notes 3. Most important: whenever you call the county, use Claimyr.com - it's been a game-changer for my clients. They'll wait on hold for you and connect you directly to a CalWORKs worker instead of spending hours trying to get through. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE 4. Request email/text notifications if your county offers them - many do now 5. Put every deadline and appointment in your phone calendar with multiple reminders The system is unfortunately designed with hurdles, but being organized and proactive will help you maintain your benefits!

keep an eye on your mail!! they be sending important notices that look like junk mail sometimes, and if you miss responding to one of those verification requests, BOOM you're discontinued. happened to me twice. and when you do welfare to work after your baby turns 1, make sure you get child care assistance setup AT LEAST a month before your exemption ends. the whole system is like a trap waiting for you to make one tiny mistake 😫

congrats!!! just remember u only get 48 months of calworks in your ENTIRE LIFE so make sure ur using this time to get on ur feet. ive seen too many ppl use up all their months and have nothing to fall back on later

To answer your question about the 48-month time limit: No, months when you have an exemption (like for having a child under 12 months) DO NOT count toward your 48-month lifetime limit. So right now, your CalWORKs clock is essentially paused until your baby turns 1. However, this is something you should monitor carefully. Sometimes counties make mistakes in tracking exempt months. You can request a "Time on Aid" report at any time to see exactly how many months have been counted against your 48-month limit.

Let me tell you about another SCAM they pull - they'll send you notices about mandatory appointments with like 2 days notice when they KNOW you won't get the letter in time, then cut you off for "failure to comply" when you miss it! ALWAYS check your BenefitsCal account every few days even if you're not expecting anything. I got a notice in the mail AFTER the appointment date had already passed! Then had to spend 3 weeks getting my benefits turned back on. They prey on new moms especially because they know we're exhausted and overwhelmed.