CalWORKs making me travel from Perris to Indio for interview despite having local office - help!

same thing hapened to me last year! they assigned me to the hemet office even tho im in moreno valley. its bc each office handles diff zip codes, not based on whats closest to u. u can call the customer service line and ask if u can change locations but honestly they rarely do it. something about caseload distribution

This is definitely frustrating but it happens because of how Riverside County divides their caseloads. Each office is assigned specific zip codes regardless of actual distance. I work with CalWORKs recipients and can tell you that you should call the main Riverside County DPSS line at 1-877-410-8827 and explain your transportation hardship. Request a telephone interview instead - they are required to accommodate hardships, especially transportation issues. Make sure to mention you don't have reliable transportation and cannot reasonably get to Indio. They can conduct the interview by phone and then you'll only need to submit your verification documents, which can be done electronically through BenefitsCal or at your local office.

they do this ALL THE TIME! riverside county is so messed up with how they assign cases! i live in lake elsinore and they made me go to BANNING for my interview. like wtf??? when i finally got a worker assigned i asked about it and they said something about caseloads being uneven so they distribute by computer not by location. its total bs especially for people with no cars

You absolutely can and SHOULD request a reasonable accommodation for this situation. Call the Riverside County DPSS Customer Service Center (877-410-8827) immediately and explain that you have a transportation barrier to attending the interview in Indio. Under CalWORKs regulations, they must provide alternatives for people with barriers. Specifically request: 1. A telephone interview instead of in-person 2. If documents need to be submitted in person, request to use the Perris office 3. Ask that your case be transferred to an office more accessible to you If they refuse, ask to speak with a supervisor. Make sure to document the date/time of your call and who you spoke with. They are required to accommodate reasonable requests like this, especially when transportation is a barrier.

I had this EXACT problem last month trying to get through to change my interview location! After spending hours on hold, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at DPSS in under 5 minutes. They have this system that basically waits on hold for you then calls you when a real person answers. Literally saved me hours of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Once I got through, I explained my transportation situation and they switched my interview to phone instead. So much easier!

Did you sign up for CalWORKs and CalFresh together in the same application? Sometimes when you apply for both they route you differently than if you just applied for one program. Also check what address you put on your application - if you accidentally put a previous address or had a typo in your zip code, that could send you to the wrong office. Definitely call and explain your transportation issues though - they should accommodate you with a phone interview at minimum.

this is classic dpss nonsense, they do this to make it harder for people to actually get benefits. they hope youll just give up! dont let them win - call and DEMAND a phone interview. they have to give you one if you say you cant get there. ive been dealing with these tactics for YEARS with riverside county. the whole system is designed to be as difficult as possible

One more thing to know - once your case is approved, you can request a case transfer to your local office. While they might not change your interview location easily, after approval you have more rights to request a transfer based on accessibility. Just make sure you complete the initial application process first (interview and document submission), then submit a formal written request for case transfer once approved. Include documentation of your transportation barriers if possible.