CalWORKs benefit amount didn't increase at 6-month pregnancy mark - anyone else?

ya they were supposed 2 increase ur benefits. i got the increase when i was 6 months along last year. didnt even have to call nobody just happened

The CalWORKs program should indeed adjust your cash aid amount once you reach the second trimester (around 6 months) of pregnancy. This is when they count the unborn child as part of your household size for benefit calculation purposes. If you've already submitted the pregnancy verification through BenefitsCal and it's been 3 weeks with no change, there are a few possibilities: 1. Your worker hasn't processed the verification yet (common with current backlogs) 2. The verification might not have clearly indicated how far along you are 3. There could be a system issue where your case hasn't been updated I would definitely recommend contacting your worker directly to follow up. Sometimes documentation falls through the cracks, especially with digital submissions.

OMG the exact same thing happened with my sister last year!! They didn't increase her benefits until she was already 8 months and she had to fight with them to get backpay for the missed months. If I were you I'd go down to the office in person because the phone lines are useless. Bring all your pregnancy paperwork with you.

I went through this EXACT issue in January and turns out my worker marked my verification as "received" but didn't actually process the change. The system doesn't automatically update - a human has to actually input the information and recalculate your benefits. Honestly the phone system is terrible right now. I tried calling for two weeks straight and couldn't get through. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Once I actually talked to someone, they fixed it on the spot and I got my increase plus backpay on my next payment. Definitely worth making sure they fix it and backdate to when you hit 6 months!

they always doing stuff like this smh county workers don't care about us at all 🙄 make sure u ask for the supervisor if they give u problems

The system is supposed to recognize your pregnancy status once you reach the second trimester (specifically after the 6th month begins), but like many CalWORKs processes, the actual implementation varies by county and worker. Here's what you should do immediately: 1. Submit a formal change report if you haven't already (in addition to the verification) 2. Request direct contact with your eligibility worker 3. Ask specifically for the change to be backdated to when you reached 6 months pregnant 4. Get everything in writing when possible By policy, they must include the unborn child in household calculation after the first two trimesters. But nothing happens automatically - you have to advocate for yourself. Make sure to mention specifically that you're requesting a "pregnancy special need" adjustment.

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the county office! They confirmed they received my pregnancy verification but it was sitting in a queue waiting to be processed. The worker I spoke with went ahead and updated my case while I was on the phone. My benefits will increase starting next month AND they're giving me back pay for this month since I was already past 6 months when I submitted my verification. Thank you all for your help! For anyone dealing with this same issue - definitely keep calling until you reach someone. The squeaky wheel gets the grease!

That's such great news! I'm so glad you were persistent and got it resolved. It's frustrating that these benefits don't update automatically like they should, but your experience gives me hope for my own case. I'm currently 5 months pregnant and want to make sure I'm prepared to follow up right when I hit 6 months. Did they mention anything about what specific documentation they need beyond just the pregnancy verification form? And was there a particular time of day you found better for getting through on the phone?