CalWORKs phone interview no-show - how long should I wait for the worker to call?

they do this ALL the time!! i waited 3 hrs for my interview last month and they finally called at 4pm for my 1pm appt. its so disrespectful of our time but whatcha gonna do

Unfortunately, this happens a lot with CalWORKs interviews. Workers get backed up with other cases or emergencies. The official policy is that they should call within 30 minutes of your scheduled time, but realistically, they can be hours late. You should wait at least 2-3 hours if possible. If they don't call today, you can call the office tomorrow and explain you were waiting but never received the call. Ask for your interview to be rescheduled without having to restart your application. Make sure to document the date/time you were waiting to show you complied with the appointment.

I heard they sometimes mark you as a "no show" even when THEY dont call. Happened to my cousin who waited 4 hours and then got a letter saying she missed her interview!! She had to appeal it and everything. Make sure u document everything!!!

You might want to try Claimyr to get through to the CalWORKs office faster. I was in the same situation last month - waited 2 hours for a call that never came, then couldn't get through on the phone the next day. Claimyr got me connected to a real person in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE The service basically waits on hold for you then calls you when they reach a person. Saved me so much stress and I got my interview rescheduled for the next day. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.

Were you given a time window or just 1pm exactly? Sometimes the appointment notices say something like "between 1-3pm" in the fine print. Check your BenefitsCal account or your appointment letter to see if there's a window specified. Also, double-check that your phone number is correct in your application. I've seen cases where people miss interviews because the worker has an old or incorrect phone number. If they don't call by the end of the day, you should call IMMEDIATELY tomorrow morning. Don't wait. Explain that you were available for your interview but didn't receive a call. Request a "good cause" determination so your application isn't denied for a missed interview.

im waiting for my recertificaiton interview right now too! been waiting 45 min past my time. this is my 3rd recert and they ALWAYS call late. just hang in there, they usually call eventually. worst case you'll get a letter in a few days saying you missed it and need to reschedule.

Just checking in - did your worker ever call? If not, here's what you should do: 1. Call your county office tomorrow morning and explain what happened 2. Ask to speak with a supervisor if the receptionist isn't helpful 3. Request that they document in your case notes that you were available but did not receive a call 4. Ask for an urgent reschedule since your benefits are pending If you receive a "failure to complete interview" notice, immediately file for a fair hearing to appeal. You have 90 days to appeal, but do it as soon as possible. For your rescheduled interview, I recommend sending an email to your worker (if you have their email) right before the interview time stating that you're available for your interview. This creates a paper trail proving you were ready.

So glad they finally called you! 2+ hours late is absolutely ridiculous but unfortunately totally normal for CalWORKs. I've been through this same situation multiple times and it's always nerve-wracking when you're waiting for such an important call. For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar situation - Alberto's experience is pretty typical. Most workers do eventually call the same day, just very late. The key is to be patient if you can afford to wait, but also be prepared to advocate for yourself if they mark you as a no-show. Congrats on getting approved Alberto! Hope your benefits come through quickly so you can get caught up on your bills. The stress of waiting for CalWORKs approval while behind on rent and utilities is no joke. 💪

This is such a common problem and it's so frustrating! I'm glad you finally got your call and got approved. For future reference, I always keep a log when waiting for CalWORKs interviews - write down the exact time you started waiting, any calls you received or didn't receive, and when they finally called. This documentation has saved me twice when workers tried to claim I was unavailable. Also, pro tip for anyone dealing with this: if you have other appointments you can't miss (like picking up kids), you can usually call the CalWORKs office in the morning and ask if they're running behind schedule. Sometimes they'll give you a heads up if they know they're going to be hours late. It doesn't always work but worth a try! The system really needs to respect people's time better. We shouldn't have to put our entire day on hold for a phone call that might or might not come when scheduled. 😤