CalWORKs Cash Aid suddenly discontinued without notice - no mail or call from county?

did u report any income recently? same thing happened 2 me last year bc i reported on my SAR7 that i made like $200 more than my IRT. they cut me off with no notice too, suuuuper annoying

This is probably related to your new income. Even though you just started CalWORKs, if you reported income that puts you over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), they can discontinue your Cash Aid mid-period. The county is supposed to send a Notice of Action at least 10 days before cutting benefits, but unfortunately, these often get delayed in the mail or sometimes don't get sent at all due to worker error. Check your IRT limit on your approval notice (it varies based on family size). If your new job puts you over that amount, that's likely the reason. However, you still should have received proper notice, and you have the right to request a hearing if you believe this was done incorrectly.

OMG I HAD THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN!!!!! I swear the system is designed to trick us into losing benefits. They literally approved me then two months later - POOF - benefits gone with NO EXPLANATION! I ended up having to spend THREE DAYS trying to reach someone. Turns out they needed some verification document they never bothered to tell me about and automatically discontinued me when they didn't receive it. DON'T ASSUME IT'S YOUR INCOME! It could be literally ANYTHING - missing verification, a change they think you didn't report, a system error, or just a worker who made a mistake. The county NEVER admits when they mess up.

You should try using Claimyr to get through to a person at the county. I was in a similar situation last month with my CalWORKs suddenly showing discontinued on the BenefitsCal app, and I couldn't get through on the phone either. Someone from my church group recommended Claimyr - they get you connected to a real person at the county office without the ridiculous wait times. It worked amazingly well for me! You can check out how it works at claimyr.com or watch their demo video: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Once I finally talked to someone, it turned out they needed a school verification form for my teenager that I never knew about. They reinstated my benefits within 24 hours after I submitted it.

I work as an eligibility assistant (not a caseworker) in a different county, and I can tell you there are several common reasons this might happen: 1. Missing verification - The county might need proof of something (rent, utility bills, school enrollment, child support cooperation, etc.) that wasn't clearly communicated 2. Income reporting - Even if you're under the IRT, sometimes the system flags cases incorrectly 3. System errors - BenefitsCal and the county systems don't always sync correctly 4. WTW participation - If you have Welfare to Work requirements and missed something 5. Change in household - System sometimes interprets data incorrectly The most important thing is to contact your worker ASAP. Request an appeal immediately (you have 90 days, but sooner is better). If you appeal within 10 days of when you were supposed to get the notice, you might be able to continue getting aid while waiting for the hearing.

same happened to me last year turns out they sent the notice to my old address even tho i updated my address online but it didnt transfer to their system or something dumb like that. u should def check if they need any verification documents bfore u try appealing, sometimes thats faster than the whole appeal process

UPDATE: Finally got through to someone! Turns out they needed verification of my rent payment and utilities that I never knew about. The worker said a letter was sent requesting these documents 3 weeks ago but I NEVER received it. They gave me 10 days to provide the documents and said they'll reinstate my benefits once I submit them through BenefitsCal. So frustrating that I could have avoided all this stress if they had just called me or made sure the letter actually reached me. Thanks everyone for the advice and helping me not feel alone in this! I'll be uploading my documents today.

So glad you got it figured out! This is exactly why I always recommend people keep calling until they get answers - it's usually something simple like missing paperwork that they never properly communicated. The fact that you never received that verification letter is unfortunately super common with county offices. Quick tip for the future: after you upload your documents today, I'd suggest calling back in a few days to confirm they received everything and ask for a timeline on when your benefits will be reinstated. Sometimes the verification review process can take longer than expected, and it's better to stay on top of it rather than assume everything is moving along smoothly. Hope you get your benefits back soon! This whole situation is stressful enough without having to worry about whether you'll be able to pay rent.

This is such a common problem and it's infuriating how the county offices handle it! I went through something similar last year where my benefits got discontinued because they claimed I didn't respond to a request for verification, but I never received any notice either. What worked for me was going to the county office in person with all my documents - sometimes face-to-face gets faster results than phone calls or online submissions. If you can't make it in person, definitely keep calling until you get a case worker who can walk you through exactly what they need. Don't just rely on the automated system or general customer service. Also, once you get this sorted out, ask them to put a note in your file about the mailing issue so it doesn't happen again. And consider setting up text alerts through BenefitsCal if you haven't already - sometimes those come through even when mail doesn't reach you. Hang in there! The system is broken but your benefits should get restored once you provide what they're asking for.

Wow, reading through all of this really shows how broken the county notification system is! I'm dealing with something similar right now - my Cash Aid got discontinued last week and I also never received any notice in the mail. It's like they expect us to be mind readers or something. The advice about keeping detailed records and screenshots is so important. I started a little notebook where I write down every phone call I make, who I talked to, and what they said. It's already helped me catch inconsistencies when different workers tell me different things. @CosmicCommander I'm glad you got it figured out! It gives me hope that my situation will get resolved too. The stress of not knowing why your benefits got cut off is absolutely horrible, especially when you're already struggling financially. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to know we're not dealing with this alone.

This thread is so helpful and eye-opening! I'm new to CalWORKs and had no idea that missing mail notices were such a common problem. Reading everyone's experiences makes me realize I need to be way more proactive about staying on top of my case. @CosmicCommander I'm so relieved you got it sorted out! The fact that you never received the verification request letter but they still discontinued your benefits without proper notice is exactly the kind of thing that makes this system so stressful for families who are already struggling. For anyone else dealing with similar issues, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Don't assume it's about income - could be missing paperwork, 2) Keep calling until you get a real person who can explain what's happening, 3) Document EVERYTHING, and 4) Consider going in person if phone calls aren't working. I'm definitely going to set up those text alerts and start keeping a log book like Omar suggested. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories - it's scary how common these notification failures seem to be, but at least we can help each other navigate this broken system!

This whole thread is a perfect example of why we need better advocacy and oversight of county CalWORKs offices! The fact that so many people are experiencing the same issue - benefits discontinued without proper notice - shows this is a systemic problem, not just individual worker errors. What really gets me is that families are put in impossible situations where they have to choose between spending days on the phone trying to reach someone or potentially losing hundreds of dollars in benefits they depend on for basic needs like rent and food. The 10-day notice requirement exists for a reason - people need time to respond or appeal before their lifeline gets cut off. I'd encourage anyone dealing with this to also consider filing a complaint with your county's client advocate or ombudsman if the situation isn't resolved quickly. Sometimes a formal complaint gets faster action than just calling the regular worker line. You can also contact legal aid organizations in your area - many offer free help with CalWORKs issues. @CosmicCommander I'm so glad you got it resolved! Your experience highlights how important it is for people to share these stories so we know we're not alone and can learn from each other's strategies for navigating this broken system.