CalWORKs overpayment recovery - do they collect full amount or just the original benefit?

When I had an overpayment last year, they took 10% of my monthly grant until it was paid off. You absolutely have to pay back the entire amount they overpaid you - that includes any extra or supplemental amounts you received during that period. The county considers the entire payment as the overpayment, not just the base grant. Make sure you respond to the NOA within 90 days if you want to request a fair hearing to dispute the amount.

theyve been taking money from me for like a YEAR bcuz i didnt report my bf staying with me and they said he was part of the houshold. u got lucky only $678 mine was over $2000!!!! they take like $75 a month from my benefits now i cant even fight it

I've been through this. Yes, they collect the ENTIRE amount that was overpaid, including any extra supplements or special payments that were happening at that time. They'll automatically start taking 10% of your monthly cash aid to repay it unless you ask for a different arrangement. If you think the overpayment amount is wrong or wasn't your fault, you can appeal it (there should be instructions on the back of your NOA about how to request a hearing). If it was an honest mistake and your first time, you might be able to get an IPV (Intentional Program Violation) waiver, but you'd need to talk to your worker about that.

An IPV is when they think you deliberately committed fraud. A regular overpayment happens when you make an honest mistake or there's a misunderstanding about reporting requirements. Big difference in penalties! With a regular overpayment, they just collect the money back. With an IPV, you can be disqualified from CalWORKs for 6 months (1st violation), 12 months (2nd violation), or permanently (3rd violation).

I spent HOURS trying to get ahold of someone at the county when I had an overpayment issue last month. Everyone here is giving good advice but just to add - if you're having trouble reaching your worker to discuss payment options, I used this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at the CalWORKs office in under 10 minutes. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE but basically they navigate the phone system for you and call you back when they've got a real person on the line. Saved me so much frustration! Their website is claimyr.com if you're interested. My worker was able to reduce my recoupment rate from 10% to 7% when I explained my situation.

dont u have a caseworker u can talk to? they should explain this all 2 u

To specifically answer your original question: You have to pay back the entire overpayment amount, which includes any supplemental or extra payments you received during that time. The county doesn't separate these out - they consider the entire benefit amount as the overpayment. Here are your options: 1. Standard recoupment: They'll reduce your monthly cash aid by 10% until it's paid off 2. Hardship recoupment: You can request a lower percentage (5-9%) if 10% would cause financial hardship 3. Payment plan: If you're no longer on CalWORKs, you can set up a monthly payment plan 4. Compromise: In some cases, they may accept a lump sum payment of 75-90% of the total overpayment amount to settle it completely You have 90 days from the date on your NOA to request a fair hearing if you disagree with the overpayment amount or decision. Make sure you respond even if you're still trying to contact your worker!

One thing nobody mentioned - if the overpayment wasn't your fault (like if the county made an error in calculating your benefits), you might only have to pay back half of the overpayment amount. This is called an "administrative error overpayment" and has different rules. But it sounds like in your case, since you didn't report income, it would be considered your fault (or "client error").

I went through something similar last year. The stress is real, but you do have options! First, definitely respond to that NOA within 90 days - don't let that deadline pass even if you're still trying to reach your worker. From what I learned, you'll need to pay back the full $678 (including any extras), but you can request a hardship reduction if the standard 10% monthly deduction would put you in a bind. I was able to get mine reduced to 6% by explaining my situation in writing. Also, keep detailed records of all your attempts to contact your worker - dates, times, what you discussed. If you end up needing to escalate or request a hearing, that documentation helps. The whole process took about 4 months to resolve for me, but once I got the right person on the phone, they were actually pretty helpful in working out a manageable payment plan. Hang in there - it's overwhelming but definitely manageable once you know your options!