CalWORKs case update delay after adding new household member - BenefitsCal not showing changes

It can take anywhere from 3-10 business days for BenefitsCal to update after a household composition change. The system is pretty slow with updates! Your next payment should include the additional amount for your daughter even if the portal hasn't updated yet. I'd recommend checking your Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) balance on your scheduled deposit date to confirm the correct amount is there. If it's still not updated after 10 business days, definitely call your worker.

mine took FOREVRRRR to update!! like 2 weeks i swear. but the money was right on my next payment even tho the website still showed old info.

The BenefitsCal system is frustratingly slow with updates. The good news is that the actual benefit calculation system is separate from the online portal. Your benefits will likely be correct on your payment date even if the portal doesn't show the update yet. You should receive a Notice of Action (NOA) in the mail within 10 days that confirms the addition of your daughter and shows your new benefit amount. That's your official documentation. I would keep checking your mail for that NOA.

wait why are you just now adding your daughter? doesnt she live with you already? i thought you had to report everybody in the household or they consider it fraud

Have you tried calling the county office to confirm the status? When I added my nephew to my case last year, I had the same issue with BenefitsCal not updating but was told the changes were actually processed in their system. If you can't get through to your worker, I highly recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). It helped me actually reach a live person instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - totally worth it when you need answers quickly about your benefits.

OMG THIS EXACT THING hapened to me with my sons case!!! i added my newborn in april and benefitscal didnt update till MAY but i still got the right payment in april. so weird how the website is so slow but the payments r right.

This is completely normal with CalWORKs case updates. The eligibility system (CalSAWS) that determines your benefits and the BenefitsCal portal that you use to view your information are actually separate systems that sync periodically, not in real-time. Here's what's happening behind the scenes: 1. Your worker entered the change in CalSAWS (the county system) 2. The change was approved and your new benefit amount calculated 3. The information will eventually sync to BenefitsCal, typically in 5-10 business days Your payment will reflect the correct amount even if BenefitsCal hasn't updated yet. The most important document is the Notice of Action (NOA) that you should receive in the mail confirming the household addition and benefit change. Keep that for your records.

I went through this same situation when I added my stepson to our case about 6 months ago. The BenefitsCal portal took almost 2 weeks to show the update, but like others have mentioned, the actual payment was correct on the scheduled date. One thing that helped me was calling the EBT customer service line (1-877-328-9677) the day before my payment was due to check my expected deposit amount. They can see the updated benefit calculation even when BenefitsCal hasn't synced yet. Also, make sure to update your CalFresh case too if your daughter is being added there as well - sometimes people forget that step and it can cause delays with food benefits.

I had the exact same experience when I added my teenage daughter to my case earlier this year! The caseworker processed everything on their end but BenefitsCal didn't reflect the changes for about a week and a half. I was panicking because I needed to know the exact amount for budgeting purposes. What really helped me was taking a screenshot of my current BenefitsCal page showing the old household info, then comparing it to my EBT deposit when it came through. Sure enough, the payment was for the correct increased amount even though the website still showed the old information. The Notice of Action that comes in the mail is definitely your most reliable source - it will show your daughter's addition and the new benefit calculation. That's what I used to verify everything was processed correctly before the online portal caught up.

This is such a common frustration with the CalWORKs system! I went through the same thing when I added my grandmother to my case as a dependent adult. The caseworker assured me everything was processed, but BenefitsCal didn't update for almost 2 weeks. What helped ease my anxiety was understanding that the payment system and the online portal are completely separate. Your benefits are calculated in the county's CalSAWS system, while BenefitsCal is just a viewing portal that syncs later. Think of it like your bank account - sometimes mobile app updates lag behind actual transactions. I'd suggest calling your county's CalWORKs line the day before your payment is due to confirm the amount will include your daughter. Also, keep checking your mail for that Notice of Action - it's your official proof that everything went through correctly. The school supply money will be there when you need it!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Just added my son to my case two weeks ago and BenefitsCal still shows the old household info. My caseworker said everything was approved but I keep refreshing the portal hoping to see the update. Reading all these responses is so helpful - I had no idea that the payment system and BenefitsCal portal were separate! I was getting really worried that something went wrong with my case. Going to stop obsessively checking the website now and just wait for my Notice of Action in the mail. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it's such a relief to know this delay is totally normal.

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! Just had my nephew added to my case last week and I've been constantly checking BenefitsCal with no updates showing. Reading everyone's responses here has been so reassuring - I had no idea the payment system and online portal were completely separate! My caseworker also told me everything was processed but seeing the same old household info on the website was making me panic. Now I understand it's just a viewing portal that updates way later. I'm going to stop refreshing it every hour and just wait for my Notice of Action to arrive in the mail. Has anyone here ever had an issue where the NOA didn't come within the 10 days? Just wondering if I should be concerned if it takes longer than that to show up.

I'm dealing with this same frustrating situation right now! Added my daughter to my CalWORKs case about 10 days ago after she moved in with me permanently, and BenefitsCal still shows the old household composition. My caseworker assured me everything was processed on their end, but seeing no changes on the portal was really stressing me out. Reading all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that the eligibility system (CalSAWS) and BenefitsCal portal were separate systems that sync on different schedules! That explains why so many of us have experienced this same delay. I was starting to think there was an error with my case. I'm going to follow the advice here and call the EBT customer service line before my next payment date to verify the correct amount will be deposited. Also keeping an eye out for that Notice of Action in the mail since that seems to be the most reliable confirmation. It's such a relief to know this 1-2 week delay is completely normal and doesn't mean anything went wrong with the case processing!