CalWORKs benefits discontinued in Riverside County - how long to get them reinstated?

I'm in Riverside too and this happened to me back in January. Did you miss your SAR7 report deadline? That's usually why benefits get cut off suddenly. I got mine back in about 3 weeks, not 90 days. They're just giving you the worst-case scenario. Make sure you asked for "expedited processing" on your reinstatement request - if you have kids and no income, they should process it faster.

the county ALWAYS does this!!!! they "lose" your paperwork and then make YOU suffer for THEIR mistakes!!! i had my calworks cut off 3 times last year and each time they claimed they never got my paperwork even tho i have proof i submitted everything on time. the system is designed to kick people off and make it hard to get back on. they WANT you to give up!!!!

When your CalWORKs gets discontinued, you need to understand what caused it to fix it properly. The most common reasons in Riverside County are: 1. Missing your redetermination/recertification appointment 2. Not submitting your SAR7 on time 3. Not providing requested verification documents 4. Income exceeding the IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) 5. Not meeting Welfare to Work requirements Ask your worker specifically why it was discontinued. Different reasons have different reinstatement timeframes. If it was a missed SAR7, providing it within 30 days of the discontinuance can get your benefits restored without a new application. If it's been more than 30 days, you'll need to reapply completely. Also, while waiting for CalWORKs to be reinstated, immediately apply for emergency CalFresh if you haven't already. You can get those benefits within 3 days.

Have you tried calling the Riverside DPSS customer service line? I know it's frustrating because you never get through, but I found this service called Claimyr that helped me actually reach a worker at DPSS without waiting for hours. It's at claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Basically they call for you and when they get a worker, they connect you. I used it when my benefits got messed up and was able to get someone to explain exactly why my case was closed and what I needed to do. Saved me another trip to the office.

my sister had this happen and they told her 90 days but she got it back in like 2 weeks. the trick is to keep bugging them and checking your benefitscal account daily. also make sure you turned in your welfare to work hours if your supposed to do those cuz that's why a lot of people get cut off

I work with families in Riverside County who receive CalWORKs. In my experience, reinstatements typically take 15-21 days, not 90 days. The 90-day timeframe is for completely new applications. Here's what you should do immediately: 1. Call your worker directly (not just the main line) and ask for the specific reason for discontinuance 2. Request a copy of the discontinuance notice if you never received it 3. Ask if you qualify for immediate need/emergency assistance while waiting for reinstatement 4. If it was due to missing verification documents, submit them ASAP and ask for expedited processing 5. Document everything - who you talked to, date/time, what they said If you're at risk of eviction or utility shutoff due to this benefit disruption, also ask about the Housing Support Program through CalWORKs.

Update: I finally got through to someone today! Turns out they sent me a verification request for my rent and utilities that I never received (they had my old address somehow even though I updated it months ago). The worker said since I'm responding within 30 days of discontinuance, they can reinstate without a full reapplication. I uploaded my lease and utility bills through BenefitsCal and they said it should be processed within 10 business days. Thanks everyone for the advice! I'll update again when/if my benefits get restored.

This happened to me last year and it took almost exactly 3 weeks to get my CalWORKs back. but they did give me retroactive payments for the time i was without benefits. so hopefully youll get back pay too for any months you missed. just make sure to tell them youre requesting retroactive benefits for the gap period