CalWORKs Cash Aid deposited a week early this month - anyone else?
Just checked my bank account and noticed my CalWORKs payment was already deposited today? It's supposed to come on the 1st of each month (which would be next week), but it's in my account now. Not complaining at all lol but wondering if this happened to anyone else or if I should be worried something's wrong? Last time my payment came on a weird date was when they were adjusting something with my case and then I ended up missing the next month's payment completely. Just wondering if this is a county-wide thing or just my case acting weird again.
22 comments


Lincoln Ramiro
same here!! mine came today too and im usually the 3rd. think its bcuz of the holiday next week maybe??
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Faith Kingston
•Yes, it's because of the Memorial Day holiday next Monday. CalWORKs cash aid payments that would normally be issued on or right after a holiday are typically deposited early. This happens with most government benefits around federal holidays. Nothing to worry about, just enjoy having your money a bit early!
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Emma Johnson
You should call your worker RIGHT AWAY! This happened to me last year and it turned out they were closing my case because I supposedly didn't turn in my SAR7 (even though I did!!). They deposited my last payment early before cutting me off. The payment should ONLY come on your regular payment date, any changes usually mean something is happening with your case!!!
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Liam Brown
•omg now im freaking out. I got mine early too and my worker never answers when I call. been trying to reach someone for 3 weeks about my Welfare to Work hours.
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Olivia Garcia
This is simply because of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday. The benefits system typically issues payments early when there's a holiday that would delay normal banking processing. Your cash aid is fine - you don't need to worry. The payment schedule shifts around holidays, but the amount should be the same as usual. If you're ever concerned about your benefits though, checking BenefitsCal online or calling your county office can help ease your mind. The system will show your next payment date and status.
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Henrietta Beasley
•Thank you! That makes me feel so much better. I forgot Memorial Day was coming up. I'll check BenefitsCal to make sure everything else looks normal with my case.
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Noah Lee
I've been on CalWORKs for 3 years and this happens every time there's a holiday! They always send payments early so people don't have to wait extra days because of bank processing delays. Nothing to worry about at all! I've noticed payments come early before Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year's. It's actually nice they do this instead of making us wait longer.
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Ava Hernandez
•Exactly this! I wish they would TELL people though! My first year on cash aid I almost had a heart attack when my deposit date changed! A simple text message system would solve so much anxiety for recipients.
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Isabella Martin
I got mine early 2 but for a different reson I think,, they sent me a notice saying Im hitting my 48 month time limit next month so maybe thats why yours is early to?? did you get any letters recently? Check ur mail!!
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Olivia Garcia
•These are two completely different situations. Early deposits around holidays are standard procedure and affect everyone. Time limit notifications would not change your payment date - they would just inform you about upcoming changes to your eligibility. Always read your notices carefully to understand what's happening with your specific case.
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Liam Brown
Anyone know how to actually get through to the CalWORKs office? I've been calling every day trying to ask about why my cash aid amount changed and can never get a human!! The automated system just keeps sending me in circles and eventually hangs up on me after 45 mins of waiting!! So frustrating!!
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Henrietta Beasley
•I've had the same problem! I spent two full days trying to get through last month. The phone system is terrible.
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Noah Lee
•Try using Claimyr.com - it's this service that calls the CalWORKs office for you and then calls you back when they have a live person on the line. Saved me HOURS of waiting. I used it last month when I had an issue with my WTW hours not being recorded properly. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE
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Faith Kingston
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!
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Lincoln Ramiro
•thx for this!!! gonna screenshot it
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Henrietta Beasley
•This is super helpful, thank you for the detailed info! Definitely saving this.
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Ava Hernandez
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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Amara Chukwu
•I totally agree! I'm new to CalWORKs and this early deposit had me panicking that something was wrong with my case. A simple notification system would save so much stress and confusion for recipients. Even just posting these holiday schedules on the BenefitsCal website where people could easily find them would help. Thanks everyone for explaining - I feel much better now knowing this is normal!
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Liam O'Sullivan
•@Amara Chukwu Welcome to the community! You re'absolutely right about the communication issues. I ve'been getting CalWORKs for about 2 years now and I still remember that first time my payment came early - I was convinced they were about to cut me off! It s'crazy that such a simple notification system could prevent so much anxiety for people who are already dealing with financial stress. At least this community helps us figure things out together when the county doesn t'give us clear info.
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Keisha Thompson
•@Liam O'Sullivan Thanks for the welcome! Yeah, it's really reassuring to have this community where we can help each other understand what's going on. I was literally about to call my worker in a panic this morning before I saw this post. It makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one who gets confused by these changes. Hopefully they'll improve their communication system someday, but until then at least we have each other to figure things out!
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Luca Russo
I'm pretty new to CalWORKs (just got approved last month) and this really threw me off too! Got my payment today instead of next week and I was worried they made some kind of mistake. Reading through all these comments is so helpful - I had no idea this was normal for holidays. Definitely going to save that calendar someone posted! It's kind of frustrating that they don't tell you about these things when you first sign up. Like a simple "hey, your payments might come early around holidays" would have saved me from stressing out this morning. Thanks everyone for explaining!
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Ellie Simpson
•@Luca Russo Welcome to the community! I m'pretty new here too just (joined a few months ago and) I totally get that stress when something unexpected happens with your benefits. This community has been such a lifesaver for getting real answers when the official channels are confusing or hard to reach. That calendar someone posted is definitely a keeper - I wish they had given us that kind of info during the application process! It s'nice to know we re'not alone in figuring all this stuff out.
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