CalWORKs cash aid didn't increase after adding newborn but CalFresh did - normal or mistake?

congrats on ur baby! the same thing happened to me last year and i was freaking out. turned out my worker made a mistake and didnt actually process the baby as a new household member for cash aid even tho they did for calfresh. definitely call ur worker asap!!! the increase should be automatic and start the month after u reported the birth

It definitely should increase! Cash Aid amounts are based on your household size, and a newborn counts as a full household member. When you add a baby, both CalFresh and CalWORKs should increase the following month after you report the birth and provide verification (usually the birth certificate or hospital records). If you've already provided the verification and your CalFresh increased but not your Cash Aid, there's likely an error in processing. Your worker might have updated only one program and not the other. I'd suggest calling your county office directly and asking specifically about your CalWORKs grant amount calculation.

When I had my second baby my cash aid went up by like $122 I think? But that was in 2023 so amounts might be different now. Did you get a notice of action in the mail about your CalFresh increase? Usually you'll get separate notices for both programs if they both change.

I work in benefits advocacy, and this is almost certainly a processing error. Here's what might have happened: 1. Different workers might handle different parts of your case and the CalWORKs part wasn't processed 2. The worker might have entered the baby in the system but forgot to run the EDBC (Eligibility Determination Benefit Calculation) for CalWORKs 3. There could be a system glitch where the household composition update didn't trigger a benefit recalculation You should call right away and request an immediate review of your Cash Aid grant. The increase should be retroactive to the month after you reported the birth with proper verification. Make sure to ask them to check that your CalWORKs household size shows the correct number including your newborn.

I had this exact problem when I added my baby to my case! I spent three days trying to reach someone at the county office with no luck. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Once I got through, they fixed my cash aid amount right away and even gave me retroactive benefits for the month they missed. The extra cash was on my card the next day. Definitely worth getting this fixed because diapers are expensive!

MAKE SURE YOU CALL ABOUT THIS!!! The county makes mistakes ALL THE TIME with CalWORKs! When I had my baby last year they didn't increase my cash aid either and I had to call THREE TIMES before they fixed it. And guess what? They owed me almost $200 in backpay for the months they messed up! Don't let them get away with this - you and your baby deserve every penny you're eligible for!!!

btw did u also apply for the $900 one-time CalWORKs pregnancy special needs payment? u can get that if ur pregnant while on cash aid and then theres also the $500 diaper allowance for kids under 3

Just to clarify about the diaper stipend - it's actually $30 per month (not $500) for each child under 3 years old on CalWORKs. It should be automatically added to your cash aid amount, but since there seems to be an issue with your case update, you'll want to make sure they've applied that too. When you finally reach your worker, ask them to verify: 1. That your newborn has been added to your CalWORKs household 2. That your grant amount has been recalculated based on the new household size 3. That the diaper benefit has been added 4. Whether you're eligible for any retroactive payments Also, request a detailed breakdown of your cash aid calculation so you can understand exactly what you should be receiving.

Hey Bruno! Congrats on your new baby! 🎉 This is definitely not normal - your CalWORKs cash aid should have increased automatically when you added your newborn, just like your CalFresh did. The fact that only one program updated is a clear sign there was a processing error. I've seen this happen to several people in my family and it's always been a mistake on the county's end. Sometimes different workers handle different parts of your case and things get missed. The good news is that once you get it fixed, you should get retroactive payments for any months they missed. Since you're having trouble reaching your worker by phone, you might also try going to the office in person if possible, or submitting a written request for review. Document everything - keep notes of when you called, who you spoke with, etc. You deserve that increase and the extra support for your little one! Don't give up!

This is definitely a processing error - I went through the exact same thing! When I added my daughter to my case, only my CalFresh increased at first too. Turns out my worker forgot to update the household size for CalWORKs even though they did it for food stamps. Here's what worked for me: if you can't get through by phone, try going to the office first thing in the morning when they open. Bring all your paperwork including the birth certificate and your EBT card statements showing the CalFresh increase but no cash aid change. Ask to speak with a supervisor if your regular worker isn't available. They should give you retroactive payments once it's fixed! Mine took about a week to show up on my card after they corrected it. Also make sure they add the $30 monthly diaper allowance that someone mentioned - that should be automatic but clearly nothing is automatic when it comes to these county offices! Good luck mama, you got this! 💪

Congrats on your baby! 🍼 This exact same thing happened to me when I had my son - CalFresh increased right away but CalWORKs stayed the same. It was definitely a mistake on their end. What I learned is that sometimes the county workers process CalFresh and CalWORKs separately, and one gets missed. The increase should be automatic and retroactive to the month after you reported the birth. If you're having trouble getting through by phone (which is so common!), try calling right when they open at 8am - that's usually the best time to actually reach someone. You can also try asking for a supervisor if your regular worker isn't responding. Make sure when you do get through to ask them to verify your household size is correct for CalWORKs and that they recalculate your grant amount. You should also get that $30/month diaper allowance others mentioned. Don't let them brush you off - you and your baby deserve every benefit you're eligible for! The retroactive payment was a lifesaver for me when I finally got it sorted out.

Hey Bruno, congrats on your little one! 🎉 This is definitely NOT normal - your CalWORKs cash aid should have automatically increased when you added your newborn, just like your CalFresh did. The fact that only one program updated is a red flag that there was a processing error. I've been on CalWORKs for a while and this happens more often than it should. Usually what happens is the worker updates one system but forgets to process the other, or there's a glitch where the household size change doesn't trigger the benefit recalculation for both programs. Here's my advice: keep calling but also consider going to the office in person if you can. Bring your birth certificate/hospital records and your EBT statements showing the CalFresh increase but no cash aid change. Ask them to specifically verify that your CalWORKs household size shows the correct number including your baby and that they've recalculated your grant amount. You should also be getting that $30/month diaper allowance that others mentioned - make sure they add that too! And once it's fixed, you should get retroactive payments for any months they missed. Don't give up, mama - you and your baby deserve every penny you're entitled to! 💪

Hey Bruno! First off, congratulations on your new baby! 🎉 This is definitely not normal and sounds like a processing error on the county's part. When you add a newborn to your CalWORKs case, both your CalFresh and Cash Aid should increase automatically - the fact that only one updated is a clear red flag. I went through something similar when I had my daughter. What happened was my worker updated the CalFresh system but completely forgot to process the CalWORKs side. It took me three weeks of calling before I finally got someone who knew what they were doing to fix it. Here's what I'd suggest: Try calling first thing at 8am when they open - that's usually your best shot at getting through. If that doesn't work, go to the office in person with your birth certificate and your EBT card statements showing the CalFresh increase. That's solid proof that they processed part of your case but not all of it. When you do get through, make sure they verify that your CalWORKs household size is correct and ask them to recalculate your grant amount. You should also be getting an additional $30/month diaper allowance for your baby that should be automatic. The good news is once they fix it, you should get retroactive payments for any months they missed! Don't give up - you and your little one deserve every benefit you're entitled to. Keep us posted on how it goes! 💪

Hey Bruno, congrats on your new baby! 🎊 This is definitely a processing error - your CalWORKs cash aid should have increased automatically just like your CalFresh did. I had the exact same thing happen when my son was born last year. What likely happened is your worker updated one system but missed the other. It's frustratingly common! Here's what worked for me: call RIGHT at 8am when they open (much better chance of getting through), and if that fails, go to the office in person with your birth certificate and EBT statements showing the CalFresh increase as proof. When you get someone, ask them to verify your CalWORKs household size includes your baby and request they recalculate your grant amount immediately. Also make sure they add the $30/month diaper allowance - it should be automatic but nothing seems to be with these county offices! The silver lining is you should get retroactive payments once it's fixed. In my case, it was almost $250 in backpay that showed up within a week of them correcting the mistake. Don't give up mama - you and your little one deserve every benefit you're entitled to! Keep us posted on how it goes! 💪

Congratulations on your new baby! 🍼 This is definitely not normal and sounds like a processing error. Your CalWORKs cash aid should have automatically increased when you added your newborn, just like your CalFresh did. I'm a caseworker and see this happen unfortunately often - usually what occurs is the worker updates one system but forgets to process the household size change for the other program. Sometimes different staff handle CalFresh vs CalWORKs updates and things fall through the cracks. Here's what you should do: Call first thing at 8am when the office opens for your best chance of getting through. If you can't reach anyone by phone, go to the office in person with your birth certificate and your EBT card/statements showing the CalFresh increase as proof that they partially processed your case. When you speak with someone, specifically ask them to: 1. Verify your CalWORKs household size includes your newborn 2. Recalculate your grant amount based on the correct household size 3. Apply the $30/month diaper allowance (should be automatic for kids under 3) 4. Process any retroactive payments you're owed Don't let them brush you off - this should have been automatic and you deserve the full benefits you're eligible for. The retroactive payments should cover any months they missed since you reported the birth. Keep pushing until it's fixed!