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

I'm so glad to hear you figured out what happened! The address issue is SO common - I've seen this happen to multiple people where DPSS somehow reverts to an old address even after you've updated it. It's like their system has a mind of its own. Just wanted to add that when you get your benefits restored, double-check that your current address is showing correctly on ALL your paperwork and in your BenefitsCal account. Sometimes you have to update it in multiple places. Also, if you haven't already, consider signing up for text alerts through BenefitsCal so you get notified when they need something from you - it might help prevent this from happening again. Really hoping you get your benefits back quickly! Keep us posted on how it goes.

Wow, this is exactly what I'm dealing with right now too! My CalWORKs got cut off two weeks ago in Riverside County and I'm still trying to figure out what happened. Reading through all these responses is so helpful - I had no idea about the expedited processing option or that I could get my worker's direct number. The address issue you mentioned is concerning because I moved about 6 months ago and thought I updated everything properly. Now I'm wondering if that's why I didn't get any notices either. I'm definitely going to call tomorrow and specifically ask them to verify they have my correct address in ALL their systems. Thanks for sharing your experience and keeping us updated! It gives me hope that this can actually get resolved relatively quickly if I stay on top of it. I'm also going to check out that Claimyr service someone mentioned since I've been trying to call DPSS for days with no luck.

I went through this exact same situation in Riverside County about 8 months ago and it was incredibly stressful! My benefits got cut off without warning and when I finally got to speak with someone, they told me they had sent multiple notices to an address I hadn't lived at in over a year. What really helped me was going to the office in person with ALL my documents - lease, utility bills, pay stubs, everything - even if they didn't specifically ask for them. The worker was able to see exactly what was missing from my file and we got it sorted out right there. I also made sure to get a receipt showing I had submitted everything. One tip I wish someone had told me: ask for a supervisor if the first worker you talk to seems unhelpful or gives you conflicting information. I wasted two weeks getting the runaround from one worker who kept telling me different things, but the supervisor was able to expedite my case once she reviewed it. My benefits were restored in about 12 days and I did get retroactive payments for the time I was without them. Hang in there - I know how scary it is when you have kids to feed and rent to pay, but it will get resolved!