CalWORKs benefits discontinued right after recertification approval - what went wrong?

This happened to me back in February! It turned out I missed a WTW appointment that was scheduled literally the day after my recertification interview. They never mentioned it during recert and I never got any notice about the appointment. Check your mail VERY carefully - sometimes they send these notices in really plain envelopes that look like junk mail. My benefits got reinstated but I had to go physically to the office and wait 4 hours to talk to someone.

There are a few common reasons this happens after recertification approval: 1) Missing Welfare to Work participation hours or appointment 2) Child support cooperation issue flagged in the system 3) Income reporting discrepancy - sometimes a previous employer reports to EDD and it creates a system flag 4) System glitch where your SAR7 or other verification was filed but not properly recorded The most important thing is to contact your worker directly ASAP. If they reinstate within 30 days, you'll likely get retroactive benefits for the missed period. Ask for a "Notice of Action" explaining why you were discontinued - they're required to provide this. Also check if you received any letters about income exceeding your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) as that can trigger automatic discontinuance.

check ur benefitscal messages. sometimes they send notices through there that never come in the mail. also did u turn in ur SAR7?? even tho u did recert u still gotta do SAR7 if it was due

When this happened to me last year, I tried for THREE DAYS to get through on the phone with no luck. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at the CalWORKs office in about 20 minutes. They basically call for you and then connect you when they reach someone. Totally worth it for me since I was about to get evicted and needed my benefits reinstated ASAP. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Once I got through, it turned out there was a flag on my case because they thought I moved out of county (I didn't). They fixed it that same day and my benefits were back on within 48 hours.

THE EXACT SAME THING JUST HAPPENED TO ME!!!! Approved at recert then cut off two weeks later!!! This system is COMPLETELY BROKEN and they don't care at all about people struggling. I talked to a supervisor yesterday and they said it was because I didn't turn in my "child support cooperation form" which I DID turn in and have the receipt to prove it. Now they're saying it will take 10 DAYS to reinstate my benefits even though THEY made the mistake!!! How am I supposed to feed my kids and pay rent?? I'm so DONE with this broken system!!!

Last time this happened to me it was because I missed checking some tiny box on one of the forms. Apparently even though the worker reviewed everything with me during the interview, they still discontinued me because of this one unchecked box that no one pointed out. Didn't find out until I went in person. Do you have health benefits too through Medi-Cal? Sometimes that's a clue - if your Medi-Cal is still active but CalWORKs was cut off, it's usually a compliance issue rather than an eligibility issue (since they use the same income verification for both).

Since your Medi-Cal is still active, this is likely a CalWORKs-specific issue. Given what everyone has shared, I suspect it's either: 1) A WTW compliance issue 2) A missed checkbox on a form (as someone mentioned) 3) A child support cooperation requirement I strongly recommend going in person if you can. Bring ALL your paperwork, including your approval notice. Ask specifically for a "Case Review" and request to speak with a supervisor if needed. You have the right to request an immediate review when benefits have been discontinued, especially if you received no warning. Also, file for a "Fair Hearing" right away - you can do this online. Even if you resolve the issue before the hearing date, this protects your right to retroactive benefits and puts a formal appeal in the system.

my sister had this happen and it was becuase they sent her a form to her old address even tho she updated her address at recert. she never got the form so they cut her off. check if your address is correct in the system maybe?

I know it seems impossible to reach anyone by phone right now. Have you tried emailing your worker directly? Sometimes that works better than calling the main line. Also, check if your county has an emergency contact number specifically for benefit discontinuance issues - some counties have implemented this after all the problems during COVID. If you're really in a bind, contact your local legal aid office. They often have direct channels to supervisors at CalWORKs and can help get issues resolved faster than going through the normal channels. They might also help you file for emergency assistance if you're at risk of eviction or utility shutoff because of this error.

did u check if they sent u a Notice of Action? it should explain why they discontinued u. sometimes they send it after they already cut u off which is so messed up

Good news - if you never received a Notice of Action before discontinuance, you have an even stronger case for immediate reinstatement. CalWORKs is required by law to provide advance notice before terminating benefits (except in specific fraud cases). When you go to the office, specifically mention that you never received a discontinuance notice. This could actually work in your favor as they may need to reinstate immediately while they investigate what happened. When you get this resolved, I'd recommend signing up for all electronic notifications through BenefitsCal as a backup to mail. That way you'll get emails and texts about important notices in addition to paper mail.