CalWORKs benefits not adjusted after income drop and rent increase - worker ghosting me for a month
I'm seriously stressing out here. My hours at work got cut back last month (was working 30 hrs/week, now only getting 18-20) AND my landlord just raised my rent by $225. I reported these changes to my CalWORKs worker right away through BenefitsCal and left a detailed voicemail. It's been over a MONTH and I haven't heard anything back! My cash aid amount is still the same even though my income went down and expenses went up. I've left 3 more messages since then but nothing. Will my benefits increase automatically or am I doing something wrong? My kids and I can barely afford food after paying rent now. Do I need to submit something else besides just reporting the change? How long should this adjustment take?
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Christian Burns
You definitely need to be more persistent! Income changes should be processed within 10 days, especially when it affects your ability to meet basic needs. Did you submit actual proof of your reduced hours (like a letter from employer or new paystubs) and the rent increase (new lease)? They won't just take your word for it - you need verification documents even for mid-period reporting. Try to upload those through BenefitsCal if you haven't already.
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Jenna Sloan
•I uploaded my last 2 paystubs showing the lower hours but didn't upload anything for the rent increase because my landlord just gave me a handwritten note. Do I need something more official for the rent? And it's been 10 days since I uploaded the paystubs too - still nothing. 😫
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Sasha Reese
omg the EXACT same thing happened to me last yr!!! my worker didnt call me back for like 6 weeks when my income changed. turned out they never even looked at my case til i went into the office in person. seriously they ignore vm's all the time
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Same! I swear they just delete voicemails without even listening to them. When I finally got someone on the phone they had no record of my SIX previous calls.
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Noland Curtis
This happens a lot, unfortunately. Here's what you need to know: 1. Income decreases are considered "Income Reporting Threshold" (IRT) changes that should be processed within 10 days once VERIFIED. 2. For your rent increase, you need an official notice - a handwritten note won't be enough. Ask your landlord for something with letterhead or an official rent increase notice. 3. Since it's been over 10 days with verification submitted, you should file for a "state hearing" - this will get attention on your case FAST. 4. You can request retroactive benefits back to when you first reported the change once they process it. 5. Call the main CalWORKs office and ask to speak with a supervisor about your unprocessed income change. Be very clear that it's been over a month and you've provided verification.
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Jenna Sloan
•Thank you for this detailed information! I didn't know about the state hearing option - that seems like the nuclear option though? I'm just worried they'll be mad if I do that. How do I even request to talk to a supervisor when I can't get anyone on the phone at all? I've tried calling at different times of day but always get voicemail.
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Diez Ellis
Try Claimyr.com - It got me through to my worker when I was in a similar situation. I had been trying for weeks to reach someone about my benefits not being adjusted after losing my job. The service connects you with a caseworker without waiting on hold forever. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - seriously saved me so much stress and my case was fixed within days after finally speaking to someone.
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Vanessa Figueroa
•Does that actually work? I've been on hold with my county office for HOURS only to get disconnected. It's literally impossible to talk to a real person. Does it work for all counties or just certain ones?
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Diez Ellis
•Yes, it works for most CA counties. I was skeptical too but I was desperate after being hung up on like 5 times. The video demo shows exactly how it works. My worker actually told me they prioritize people they actually speak with over voicemails (which explained why my messages were being ignored).
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Abby Marshall
Can I just point out how RIDICULOUS it is that our benefits system works this way?!!! We're literally the people who need help the most and they make it IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone. Then when we can't get through, our families suffer. I had to borrow money from my mom last month because my worker didn't process my change report for 2 months and my cash aid was too low to cover basics. THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!!
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Seriously! And then they wonder why people don't report changes. Because when we DO report them correctly, nothing happens anyway! My worker made a mistake that cut my benefits for 3 months before it got fixed.
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Christian Burns
One thing nobody's mentioned yet - upload a "Change Report Form" (CW 8) through BenefitsCal in addition to your verification documents. Sometimes workers don't see the documents unless they're attached to a specific form. Also, in your CW 8, write in all caps at the top "URGENT - INCOME DECREASE AND RENT INCREASE AFFECTING ABILITY TO MEET BASIC NEEDS" - this should flag it for priority processing.
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Jenna Sloan
•I didn't know about the CW 8 form! Thank you for telling me. I'll fill that out today. Do I need to reupload the paystubs I already sent or just reference that I already submitted them?
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Christian Burns
•Always reupload - don't assume they can find your previous uploads. Attach everything to the CW 8 and make it as easy as possible for them to process your case. And make sure you keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit along with confirmation numbers/screenshots of your submissions.
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Sasha Reese
btw when you do finally get ahold of someone make sure to ask about emergency assistance too! if ur rent is more than your income now you might qualify for additional help. my worker never told me about this until i was almost evicted and i found out i could have gotten help months earlier!!!!
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Jenna Sloan
•Oh I didn't know about that either! My rent is $1725 now and my income is only about $1100 plus whatever CalWORKs gives me. Is that what you mean? What kind of emergency assistance should I ask about?
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Noland Curtis
•It sounds like you might qualify for "Housing Support Program" through CalWORKs. When you finally reach your worker, specifically ask if you qualify for HSP due to your rent burden being over 50% of your income. There's also a "Housing Assistance" payment for families at risk of homelessness. Since your situation is urgent, make sure to mention that you're at risk of not being able to pay rent - this can expedite assistance.
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Jenna Sloan
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the office! I used the Claimyr service that was suggested below and was connected to a real person in about 5 minutes. They looked up my case and found that my worker has been out on medical leave for 3 weeks, and my case wasn't reassigned! They're expediting my change report now and said I should see an adjustment within 3-5 days. They're also sending me info about the Housing Support Program. Thank you everyone for your help!
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Muhammad Hobbs
•So happy you got through! But seriously, WHY don't they reassign cases when workers are out??? This happens constantly and families suffer. Glad you're getting it sorted out now!
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Christian Burns
•Great news! Make sure to follow up if you don't see changes in 5 days. And remember for future reference - always get the name of who you spoke with, a reference number for the call if possible, and notes about what they promised. Unfortunately you sometimes need to be your own case manager with CalWORKs.
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Victoria Jones
That's such great news that you finally got through! But wow, 3 weeks with no case reassignment is just unacceptable. I'm dealing with something similar right now - my worker hasn't returned calls in 2 weeks and I had no idea they might be out. Did they tell you if there's a way to check if your worker is available before you spend weeks trying to reach them? Also, definitely keep us posted on whether the Housing Support Program works out - I think a lot of us here could probably benefit from that but didn't know it existed!
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