CalWORKs benefits suddenly discontinued after reporting changes - how to get them reinstated?

sounds like u hit ur IRT. they should of sent u letter first tho. did u check ur mail careful? sometimes they send it but it looks like junk mail n people throw it away.

This happens more often than you'd think. The most likely explanation is that you went over your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), which would trigger a discontinuance. However, the county is required to send you a Notice of Action (NOA) at least 10 days before stopping your benefits. A few things to check: 1. Look for your most recent SAR7 or annual redetermination paperwork - it should list your current IRT amount 2. Calculate your monthly income (hourly rate × hours per week × 4.33) 3. Check if you have any recent mail from the county (sometimes they get delayed) If your income is actually below the IRT, you need to speak with a worker immediately to correct this. It could also be that something else was triggered during their review of your reported changes - like missing verification documents or an incomplete report.

the EXACT same thing happened to me in Jan!!! i reported my new job and they cut everything off with NO WARNING. turned out they needed a specific paystub verification but never told me. when i finally got thru to my worker she said the computer system automatically discontinued me because i didnt submit proof within 10 days. but HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THEY NEEDED IT if they dont tell me??? the system is designed to kick people off i swear

yeah they reinstated but it took almost THREE WEEKS and i had to get a supervisor involved. they backdated it at least. make sure u ask for backpay when u get it fixed!!!

With your income at $1,627, you're very likely over your IRT. For a single parent with one child, the IRT is usually around $1,500 (varies by family size). What's confusing is that the holidays might have been considered seasonal/temporary income which is treated differently sometimes. You need to talk to a worker ASAP. Have you tried going to the office in person? Sometimes that's faster than calling. Also, do you have any confirmation number or screenshot from when you reported the change? That might help your case.

Let me clarify some things here that might help you: 1. For a household of 3 (you + 2 kids), the CalWORKs IRT should be around $1,755 (as of 2025), so you may actually still be under it with your $1,627 income. 2. Even if you went over the IRT, they're required to send you a Notice of Action (NOA) before discontinuing benefits. They can't just cut you off without warning. 3. There are two possibilities here: either they made an administrative error, or they needed verification of your income change that you didn't provide. Without the verification, the system can auto-discontinue your case. 4. You should file for a State Hearing immediately - you have 90 days from when your benefits stopped. This preserves your right to get aid paid pending if you file within 10 days of the discontinuance. 5. While waiting for your hearing, you still need to speak with a worker to try to resolve this faster. Unfortunately, the phone lines are notoriously difficult to get through.

Have you had any luck getting through on the phone? I had a similar issue last month and was about to lose my mind trying to reach anyone. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at the county in like 15 minutes. They have this system that waits on hold for you and calls you back when a worker answers. Totally worth it in my situation since I was about to miss rent. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE

Yes, once I got through to an actual worker, she was able to see exactly what happened and fixed it that same day. My benefits were back on within 48 hours. The problem wasn't even my fault - there was a glitch in how my income was entered into their system that made it look like I was over the IRT when I wasn't.

im so mad at how they treat us. they expect us to follow EVERY TINY RULE but then they can just cut us off without warning?????? its like they want us to fail

Here's what you should do tomorrow: 1. Go to the county office as early as possible (bring ID and your case number) 2. Ask to speak with a worker about your discontinued benefits 3. Bring your proof of income (pay stubs) and the screenshot of your submitted report 4. Request a "Restoration of Aid" while they investigate 5. If they say you're over the IRT, ask for the exact calculation and what your specific IRT amount is 6. Request immediate issuance of benefits if you're facing an emergency (potential eviction, utilities shut-off, etc.) 7. Ask for a supervisor if the worker can't help you If you can't get to the office, definitely try calling again. Mornings (right when they open) tend to have shorter wait times. And file that State Hearing request form ASAP - you can usually find it online on your county's website.

One more thing - make sure to ask them about your WTW (Welfare to Work) requirements if they reinstate your benefits. Sometimes when these issues happen, your WTW assignment can get messed up too, and you don't want to get sanctioned for that on top of everything else.

UPDATE: I went to the office this morning and after waiting 3 hours, finally spoke to a worker. Turns out there were TWO issues: 1) I was slightly over my IRT (which is $1,580 for my family), and 2) They had requested verification of my new work hours but sent the notice to my old address even though I updated it months ago! The good news: they're reinstating my benefits at a reduced amount based on my new income. The supervisor approved an emergency issuance for this month that I'll get within 3 days. They're also going to update my address in all their systems. Thank you everyone for your help and advice! This community saved me from a potential eviction.

So relieved to hear you got it resolved! This is such a perfect example of why the system is so broken though - they discontinued your benefits for being $47 over the IRT AND sent the verification notice to the wrong address. Like, couldn't they have just reduced your benefit amount instead of cutting you off completely? And how is $1,580 supposed to support a family of 3 in California?? That's barely enough for rent in most places, let alone food, utilities, and everything else. At least you got the emergency issuance approved - that supervisor sounds like one of the good ones. Thanks for updating us, and I hope everything stays smooth from here on out!

Wow, what a rollercoaster! I'm so happy you got this resolved, Ava. Your experience really highlights how broken the system can be - getting cut off for being $47 over the limit while they're sending notices to the wrong address is just ridiculous. But you handled it perfectly by going in person and being persistent. For anyone else reading this thread who might face similar issues: Ava's situation shows how important it is to 1) keep ALL your addresses updated across every department, 2) always submit pay stubs proactively when reporting income changes, and 3) don't give up on the phone calls - sometimes going in person really is the only way to get real help. Thank you for sharing your update - it gives me hope that there are still some good workers and supervisors out there who actually want to help families succeed rather than just kick them off the rolls. Wishing you all the best as you continue working toward financial independence!

This whole thread has been so educational and I'm really glad you got your benefits restored, Ava! As someone who just started receiving CalWORKs last month, reading about your experience has me worried about making the same mistakes. I had no idea that being even $47 over the IRT could trigger a complete discontinuation instead of just a reduction. A few questions for the community: Should I be proactively submitting pay stubs every time I report income changes through BenefitsCal, even if they don't specifically ask for them? And how often should I double-check that my address is updated across all county departments? I moved recently and updated it with my worker, but now I'm wondering if that's enough. Also, does anyone know if there's a way to find out your exact IRT amount online, or do you have to call/visit to get that information? I want to make sure I'm staying well under the limit to avoid any surprises.

This is such an important thread for anyone navigating CalWORKs! Ava, I'm so relieved you got your benefits restored - what a stressful situation to go through. Your experience really highlights some critical issues with the system that I think everyone should be aware of. The fact that you were discontinued for being just $47 over your IRT while they sent verification notices to the wrong address shows how easily people can fall through the cracks through no fault of their own. It's frustrating that the system seems designed to push people off benefits rather than help them maintain stability while working toward self-sufficiency. For anyone else reading this, I think the key takeaways are: 1) Always submit pay stubs immediately when reporting income changes, 2) Verify your address is updated across ALL county departments, not just one, 3) Know your exact IRT amount and track it carefully, and 4) Don't give up - sometimes going to the office in person is the only way to get real help. Thank you for sharing your update and showing that persistence pays off. Stories like yours help the rest of us know what to expect and how to advocate for ourselves in this complicated system!

This thread is such a valuable resource! Ava, I'm so glad you got your benefits restored - what you went through is exactly why I joined this community. As someone who's been on CalWORKs for about 6 months now, reading your experience has me double-checking everything about my own case. The fact that a $47 overage plus a mailing address error almost cost you your housing is absolutely infuriating, but your persistence in going to the office in person shows what it sometimes takes to get real help. I've bookmarked this thread because the advice about proactively submitting pay stubs and verifying addresses across all departments is so practical. One thing that really stood out to me is how helpful this community was in guiding you through the process - from calculating your income to suggesting you file for a state hearing to giving you that step-by-step plan for the office visit. It's proof that we're stronger when we support each other through these bureaucratic mazes. Thank you for taking the time to update us with the resolution. Stories like yours help the rest of us know what to watch out for and how to advocate for ourselves when things go wrong!