CalWORKs letters coming from two offices and no assigned worker - can't resolve cash aid issues

Unfortunately this is super common with CalWORKs now. Since COVID they switched a lot of cases to "regionalized casework" where they handle cases as a team instead of giving you one dedicated worker. I was so confused when this happened to me! I'm in Baldwin Park and get stuff from both El Monte and Pomona too. If you need to resolve your cash aid issue quickly, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's this service that gets you through to an actual person at DPSS without waiting for hours. Worked for me when I had a similar issue with my benefit amount changing without explanation. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Basically connects you with a real worker who can explain what happened with your benefits.

I work as a benefits counselor and can confirm what's happening. LA County DPSS implemented a "task-based" system where multiple workers handle different parts of your case instead of one dedicated worker. It's frustrating for clients! For Rowland Heights residents, your "home office" is technically Pomona, but your case documents could be processed by either location. Here's what I recommend: 1. Call the Customer Service line (866-613-3777) and request a "case record review" to find out why your cash aid decreased 2. Specifically ask if you hit your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) or if there was a change in your household composition records 3. If you can't get through by phone, visit the Pomona office and bring ALL recent notices A $175 drop usually means either unreported income was detected, someone was removed from your household, or a WTW sanction was applied. Don't wait to resolve this - if there's an error, you want to get it fixed before it affects next month's benefits too.

i live in west covina and have same problem!!! no worker assigned just CUSTOMER SERVICE on everything. when i call nobody knows nothing about my case. i hate this new system!!!! makes me wanna scream. my friend told me they doing this to make less people get benefits cuz its too frustrating lol

IRT stands for Income Reporting Threshold. It's the amount of income you can earn before you have to report it mid-period instead of waiting for your SAR7. Your approval notice should list what your specific IRT amount is. Regarding your question about which office to go to - I'd recommend Pomona if that's your home office like the benefits counselor mentioned. But honestly, what worked for me when I had a similar situation (sudden benefit decrease) was submitting a request through my BenefitsCal account asking for the specific reason for the decrease. Make sure to take screenshots of anything you submit online though - I had to reference my request number when I followed up.

i had this same thing happen but my letters came from El Monte and Lancaster!!! like how does that even make sense lol. For rowland heights definitely Pomona is ur office. El Monte is super crowded all the time dont even bother

There's actually a good reason your Cash Aid might have dropped by $175. Did someone in your household turn 18 recently? Or did you report a change in income on your last SAR7? Even small income increases can cause significant benefit decreases because of how CalWORKs calculates the grant amount. I went through something similar last year. It turned out that my part-time job had a slightly higher reported income for one month, and it triggered a recalculation. I had to bring in my pay stubs showing it was a one-time thing (covered an extra shift) to get it corrected. Don't get too hung up on which office to visit - either one can help you since they're both sending you communications. The more important thing is bringing ALL your documentation when you go.

The no assigned worker thing makes dealing with sanctions SO MUCH HARDER too. I got a WTW sanction last year and it took me 3 months to get it cleared because every time I submitted my cure plan documents they went to some general pile instead of to someone who knew my case. I ended up missing out on like $900 in aid because of their stupid system. For Rowland Heights - I'd go to Pomona. A caseworker finally told me they assign by zip code, and I'm pretty sure Rowland Heights zips go to Pomona.

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to try the Pomona office tomorrow and bring all my paperwork. And I'll specifically ask about the IRT and if there was some income change they recorded that I don't know about. No one turned 18 recently but my older son did get a part-time job - I reported it on my SAR7 but maybe that's what triggered the change? I'll update when I find out more.

Your son's part-time job is almost certainly the reason for the decrease. When a household member has income, CalWORKs does a partial reduction based on a formula. Basically, after some income disregards, they reduce your grant by about 50 cents for every dollar earned. So if your son made around $350, that would explain the $175 reduction. The letters from two different offices is just how their internal processing works now. One office might handle your eligibility determination while another processes your benefits. It's confusing but has nothing to do with your actual case status.

Unfortunately, there's no special exemption for student income in CalWORKs. All earned income in the household counts against your grant (after standard deductions). However, your son might qualify for the Cal-Learn program if he's a teen parent, or for specific WTW exemptions if he's meeting certain educational requirements. One thing to consider: if your son is saving for college, have him look into opening a Coverdell Education Savings Account or 529 plan. These special savings accounts DON'T count against your resource limits for CalWORKs eligibility. Regular savings accounts do have limits that could affect your entire family's eligibility if they exceed $10,211 (the current resource limit for most families).

I'm dealing with something similar in Whittier! Getting letters from multiple offices is so confusing. One thing that helped me was calling the main DPSS number (866-613-3777) early in the morning around 8 AM - the wait times are usually shorter then. When you get through, ask them to do a "benefit history review" for your case. They can tell you exactly what triggered the reduction and when it started. Also, since your son just started working, make sure you understand the "earned income disregard" rules. The first $225 of his monthly earnings shouldn't count against your benefits, but anything over that gets calculated into your grant reduction. It might be worth having him track his hours carefully to stay under certain thresholds if possible while he's saving for college. Good luck at the Pomona office tomorrow! Bring copies of everything - your son's pay stubs, the CalWORKs notices showing the reduction, and your most recent SAR7. Sometimes having all the paperwork right there helps them figure out the issue faster.