CalWORKs Cash Aid reduced after COLA but promised additional allotment never arrived - now out of food!

The same thing happened to a client of mine (I'm a benefits advocate). The issue is that the system incorrectly categorizes anyone who had a benefit reduction due to COLA as not eligible for the supplemental payment. Your worker probably put in a manual override to fix it, but those often get delayed in processing. Call the main office again and specifically ask for a supervisor - mention 'expedited supplemental benefit request' and that you're experiencing a food emergency. They should be able to issue an emergency payment within 3 business days.

I had this exact problem! My SSDI went up by like $40 which reduced my CalWORKs, and then I didn't get the supplemental payment either. I ended up having to visit the office in person after calling for DAYS with no luck. The supervisor told me it was a known system error affecting lots of people and they had to process these fixes manually. After I went in, it took 2 more days but the money finally showed up.

omg the COLA mess is hitting everyone! i didnt even KNOW why my benefits changed til i saw ur post. now im wondering if im missing money too 😩

After spending 4 hours on hold with the county last week for a similar issue, I finally got through using Claimyr.com - it kept my place in line without me having to stay on hold. They called me back when an actual worker was available. Saved me literally hours and I got my issue resolved same day. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE if you want to see it in action. Way better than trying to physically go to the office or getting disconnected after waiting forever.

wait wait wait... was there supposed to be some extra payment in March??? I didnt get anything either but no1 told me about any extra money!!! how much was it supposed to be????

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED TO MAKE US FAIL!!! Every time theres a so-called "increase" in one benefit they just TAKE IT AWAY from another one! I got the same COLA raise and my CalWORKs went down by MORE than what I got from SS!!! Then when they promise to fix it they don't!!!! They hope we'll just give up and go away. DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT!!!

Have you checked your BenefitsCal account to see if there's any notice about the payment? Sometimes they post updates there before the money actually arrives. Also, did you complete your SAR7 on time? If not, that could delay any additional payments. When I had a similar issue last year, I found that the payment was actually processed but sent to my old EBT card that I wasn't using anymore. Might be worth checking all possible accounts.

Just to add some clarity here - the COLA adjustment for 2025 affected a lot of CalWORKs recipients because it increased Social Security and SSI benefits, which count as income for CalWORKs calculations. The supplemental payment was approved to help offset this reduction, but it's been implemented inconsistently across counties. If you're in a food emergency right now, you can also apply for emergency CalFresh benefits. They can be approved within 3 days if you qualify. Your CalWORKs worker should be able to help with that application too.

my neighbor said she got her extra money last week but she had to call like 5 times first!!!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the county office this morning! The worker confirmed there was a system error that affected my case and a bunch of others. She put in for an emergency payment that should be on my EBT card within 48 hours. She also said they're working on fixing everyone else's cases too, but it's a manual process so it's taking time. If anyone else is having this issue, definitely keep calling until you get through!