CalWORKs payment missing with no warning - does out-of-state travel affect benefits?

Yes, traveling out of state for an extended period could absolutely affect your benefits. California residency is a requirement for CalWORKs, and being gone for a full month might have triggered a residency review. Did you notify your worker before you left? They might have put a hold on your case because they thought you moved.

this happened to my cousin last yr. she went 2 arizona for 3 weeks and came back to no benefits. had to go thru the whole reapplication process cuz they thought she moved. so annoying!!

You need to call them ASAP!!! The county might have gotten a report that you were out of state - maybe from fraud investigation or someone reported you. The rules say you can leave temporarily but you have to MAINTAIN CALIFORNIA RESIDENCY the whole time. Being gone for a whole month looks suspicious to them, even if you had good reason. They probably sent you a letter asking for proof of residency that you didn't get since you were gone.

I work at a community resource center that helps with CalWORKs cases. Here's what you need to know: 1) CalWORKs does allow temporary absence from California if your intent is to return and maintain residency 2) BUT any absence over 30 days may trigger verification of continued CA residency 3) They should have sent a notice before stopping benefits Call your worker immediately with: - Proof you maintain your CA apartment (rent receipts) - Documentation of why you were in MA (mom's medical situation) - Date you're returning to CA If they discontinued you improperly, request an expedited hearing and immediate aid pending the hearing result. You have rights!

just an fyi - CalWORKs has a 3NSECUTIVCE MONTHS out-of-state visit rule. so technically your allowed up to 4 consecutive months out of state as long as you can prove your coming back. but you HAVE to report it on your SAR7 or by calling. it's in the fine print nobody reads lol.

I've been trying to reach my CalWORKs worker for a week about a similar issue and kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. Finally tried a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through in 20 minutes after weeks of trying. They have this demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - basically they wait on hold for you and call when a real person answers. Saved my sanity and my benefits. Might help in your situation since you need to get this fixed ASAP.

The irony of a system designed to "help" people that punishes someone for taking care of their sick parent... RIDICULOUS. CalWORKs is nothing but trap after trap designed to kick you off. You're SUPPOSED to be able to leave temporarily but they'll use ANY excuse. Don't expect help from your worker either - they're looking for reasons to close cases and make their numbers look good.

Quick update on possible solutions: 1. Call your county office ASAP and explain the situation 2. If you can't get through, try the BenefitsCal website and send a message through your account 3. Ask specifically for an "ongoing benefits reinstatement" while they review your case 4. Mention you believe this was an error based on temporary absence rules 5. Be ready to submit proof of your CA apartment and return travel plans Also, you have the right to request an administrative hearing if they don't restore your benefits. The deadline is 90 days from when the action was taken.

So glad you got this resolved! This is exactly why it's so important to know your rights. For anyone else reading this thread - always remember that you can request "Aid Pending" while they review your case if you believe benefits were stopped in error. This means they have to continue your payments while investigating. Also, if you're planning any extended travel (even for family emergencies), try to notify your worker beforehand if possible. A quick call or message through BenefitsCal can save you weeks of stress. The system isn't perfect but knowing how to navigate it makes all the difference!

I'm really glad everything worked out for you! This whole situation highlights a major flaw in the system - they sent you a critical notice while you were away caring for your sick mother, then cut your benefits when you couldn't respond. It's almost like they set people up to fail. For future reference, I've learned that you can also request to have your mail forwarded temporarily or ask a trusted person to check your mail when you're away for family emergencies. The 10-day response window on these notices is just unrealistic when life happens. Thanks for sharing your resolution - it gives hope to others who might face similar situations!