CalWORKs Diaper Stipend vs Monthly $30 payment - confused about what I'm receiving
I'm getting $30 extra in my CalWORKs benefits every month but I'm not sure if this is the diaper allowance? I have a 14-month-old and started noticing this extra amount about 3 months ago. My caseworker never mentioned anything specific about a diaper benefit when I applied. Is the CalWORKs diaper stipend supposed to be $30/month? I want to make sure this money is actually for diapers and not some other benefit that they might ask me to verify or pay back later. Has anyone else with a baby/toddler noticed this extra amount in their cash aid?
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Rajan Walker
Yes, that $30 is most likely the CalWORKs Diaper Benefit! It's specifically for children under 3 years old who are on CalWORKs. The benefit is $30 per month per eligible child and is automatically added to your cash aid amount. You don't need to verify how you spend it, it's just assumed you're using it for diapers. The program started in 2020 and became permanent, so it's a regular part of CalWORKs now for families with kids under 3.
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Jungleboo Soletrain
•Thank you so much! That's a relief to know. So I'll keep getting it until my son turns 3? Do I need to report anything special on my SAR7 about this?
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Nadia Zaldivar
im getting the same thing for my twins. 60 bucks extra each month. its for diapers and my worker told me about it when my babies were born last year. but honestly 30 bucks barely covers a week of diapers lol
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•For real! Especially if ur baby has sensitive skin and needs the more expensive kind. I spend like $80-100 a month on diapers for just one kiddo. Better than nothing I guess but they should make it at least $50.
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Ev Luca
I think I was getting that too but it randomly STOPPED last month and my benefits dropped by $30!!! Did anyone else have this happen? My daughter is only 2 so she should still qualify. I've been calling the county office for TWO WEEKS straight and can't get through to anyone. Every time I call they put me on hold and then it disconnects after like 45 minutes. I'm about to lose my mind over this!!
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Avery Davis
•Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you back when a real person is available. Saved me so many hours of waiting on hold with the CalWORKs office! I was in the same boat trying to figure out why my benefits changed and couldn't get through for days. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - website is claimyr.com. Totally worth it for getting someone on the phone who can actually fix your case.
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Collins Angel
its confusing bc everyone calls it different things. some workers call it diaper benefit, others call it diaper stipend, and my worker calls it diaper assistance. but ya its $30 per kid under 3 years old who gets calworks. u dont have to prove u bought diapers or anything with it which is nice.
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Marcelle Drum
To clarify for everyone: The CalWORKs Diaper Benefit is indeed $30 per month per child under age 3 who is included in the CalWORKs assistance unit. A few important points: 1. It's automatically added - you don't need to apply separately 2. It continues until the month the child turns 3 years old 3. You should see it itemized on your Notice of Action as "Diaper Benefit" 4. This is different from the TANF diaper bank program 5. The money isn't tracked - you can use it for any child needs 6. If you have multiple eligible children, you get $30 for each one If it stopped suddenly and your child is still under 3, that's almost certainly an error in your case. Ask for a supervisor when you call since regular eligibility workers sometimes aren't familiar with all the special benefits.
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Jungleboo Soletrain
•This is super helpful! I just checked my Notice of Action and it does say "Diaper Benefit" but I never noticed that line item before. Glad to know it's automatic and I don't have to do anything special to keep getting it.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
Wait I'm confused now. I've been on CalWORKs for 6 months with my 18 month old and I don't think I'm getting any diaper money?? How do I check if I'm supposed to be getting this??
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Rajan Walker
•Check your Notice of Action - it should list a line item specifically for the diaper benefit. Or log into BenefitsCal and look at your benefit breakdown. If you don't see it, definitely call your worker ASAP because you should be receiving it automatically for any child under 3. If they missed it, they might be able to give you retroactive payments for the months you should have received it.
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Ev Luca
So I finally got through to my worker yesterday and found out why my diaper benefit stopped - apparently when I submitted my SAR7 last month, I accidentally checked a box saying my daughter wasn't living with me anymore (I was rushing and misread the form). So they thought she wasn't in my household! They're fixing it now and said I'll get the missing $30 added to next month's payment. Check your SAR7 forms REALLY carefully everyone!!
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Nadia Zaldivar
•omg ive done that before too!! the forms are so confusing sometims. glad u got it fixed
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Tate Jensen
my cousin gets $30 for her baby but she told me she dosent even use it for diapers she uses cloth diapers instead. is that allowed or is she commiting fraud? just curious
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Marcelle Drum
•It's absolutely allowed. The $30 diaper benefit doesn't have to be spent specifically on disposable diapers. The money is intended to help with diapering costs, but there's no tracking of how you spend it. Cloth diapers are a valid choice too! Many families use cloth diapers for environmental or cost-saving reasons, and they still have expenses related to washing, detergent, and occasional replacements. Your cousin isn't committing fraud at all.
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Jungleboo Soletrain
Thanks everyone for the helpful replies! I feel much better knowing that this is actually the diaper benefit and I don't need to worry about it being some kind of mistake. $30 definitely doesn't cover a month of diapers, but every bit helps!
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Andre Moreau
Just wanted to add that if anyone is having trouble affording diapers even with the $30 benefit, check if your county has any diaper banks or community programs! I found out through my local WIC office that there's a nonprofit near me that gives out free diapers once a month - no income requirements, just show up. Also some churches and food pantries keep diapers in stock. Between the CalWORKs diaper benefit and these community resources, it really helps stretch the budget. You can search online for "[your county] diaper bank" or ask at your local health department - they usually know about these programs.
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Michael Adams
•This is such great advice! I didn't know about diaper banks until I read this. Just looked it up and found one about 20 minutes from me that's open twice a week. For anyone else searching, I also found that some libraries and community centers host diaper distribution events. My library has a monthly "baby basics" giveaway that includes diapers, wipes, and formula samples. Definitely worth calling around to different community organizations!
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Sofia Gomez
I'm new to CalWORKs and have a 10-month-old baby. After reading all these comments, I'm realizing I might not be getting the diaper benefit either! I never knew this was a thing until I saw this post. My caseworker didn't mention it when I applied last month. Should I call them about it or will it automatically start showing up? I'm worried I'm missing out on money I'm supposed to be getting. Also does anyone know if you can get back payments if they forgot to add it from the beginning?
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
•Definitely call them ASAP! The diaper benefit should have started automatically when your CalWORKs case was approved since your baby is under 3. Sometimes caseworkers forget to mention it or there might be a processing error. From what others have said here, you should be able to get retroactive payments for the month(s) you missed if it was their mistake. When you call, specifically ask about the "CalWORKs Diaper Benefit" and mention your baby's age. If the first person you talk to doesn't know what you're talking about, ask for a supervisor - apparently not all workers are familiar with every benefit program. Good luck getting it sorted out!
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Maya Jackson
I just wanted to share my experience with the diaper benefit since I see some people are having trouble getting it or finding out about it. When I first applied for CalWORKs with my 8-month-old, I didn't get the diaper benefit for the first 2 months because there was some kind of system glitch. My worker said it happens sometimes with new cases. But once we got it sorted out, they gave me the back payments for those missed months, so definitely don't give up if you're not getting it! Also, I've noticed that the $30 shows up as a separate line item on my EBT deposit - it's not just mixed in with the regular cash aid amount. So if you're checking your account online or looking at receipts, you might see two deposits on the same day. Just wanted to mention that in case anyone was looking for it and got confused by seeing multiple transactions. One more tip - if you're having trouble reaching your caseworker by phone, you can also send a message through the BenefitsCal website. Sometimes they respond faster that way than returning phone calls. Hope this helps someone!
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Zainab Ahmed
•Thanks for sharing your experience! This is really helpful info. I didn't know about the separate line item showing up as two deposits - that explains why I was confused when I started getting what looked like duplicate payments on the same day. I thought it was some kind of error at first! The BenefitsCal messaging tip is gold too - I've been trying to call for days and getting nowhere. Just logged in and sent a message asking about the diaper benefit. Fingers crossed they respond faster than returning calls like you said. Really appreciate you taking the time to share all these details!
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Carmen Reyes
This thread has been so informative! I'm a new parent and just started receiving CalWORKs benefits two weeks ago for me and my 6-month-old daughter. I had no idea about the diaper benefit until I saw this post. After reading everyone's comments, I checked my Notice of Action and sure enough, there's a line for "Diaper Benefit - $30.00" that I completely overlooked before. It's amazing how much helpful information you can miss when you're overwhelmed with all the paperwork and new programs. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - especially about the diaper banks and community resources. As a first-time mom trying to make ends meet, every bit of help makes a huge difference. I'm definitely going to look into local diaper banks in my area now too!
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Paolo Esposito
•Welcome to the community and congratulations on your daughter! It's so easy to miss important details when you're dealing with all the new parent stress plus navigating government benefits for the first time. I'm glad this thread helped you discover the diaper benefit - it really shows how valuable it is when parents share their experiences with each other. You're absolutely right that every bit of help makes a huge difference, especially in those early months. Good luck with looking into the local diaper banks too! Many of them are super welcoming and understanding about the challenges new parents face. Don't hesitate to ask questions here if you run into any other confusing benefit situations - this community has been really helpful for figuring out all the CalWORKs ins and outs.
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Mateo Martinez
I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been on CalWORKs for about 8 months with my 2-year-old son and I honestly had no clue about this diaper benefit until now. Looking back at my benefit statements, I think I might have been getting it this whole time but just assumed it was part of the regular cash aid amount. I never really paid attention to the line items on my Notice of Action - I just looked at the total amount each month. This is a good reminder to actually read through all the paperwork they send instead of just glancing at it. $30 may not cover a full month of diapers but you're all right that every little bit helps, especially when you're trying to budget everything so carefully. Thanks for sharing all this helpful information about how the benefit works!
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