CalWORKs renewal interview - case worker didn't call at scheduled time, what now?

same thing happened to me back in January!! waited all day and nothin. turns out they were backlogged and didnt call til the next day without tellin me. maybe check ur voicemail?

This is exactly why I hate the system!!!! They expect us to be available EXACTLY when they say but then don't even bother showing up themselves. The SAME EXACT THING happened for my WTW appointment and they tried to sanction me even though THEY missed the call. You need to document EVERYTHING - write down the date/time you were waiting, take screenshots of your call log showing no incoming calls, and file a complaint immediately!!!! Don't let them blame you for THEIR mistakes!!!

Don't panic, this happens fairly often. First, try to call your worker directly if you have their direct number. If not, you should send an email to your worker (if you have their email) explaining that you were available but didn't receive the call. Most importantly, you need to call the CalWORKs office ASAP to reschedule your interview. They typically give a 10-day window before taking negative action. Make sure to document the date/time of your calls and who you spoke with. If you can't get through on the main line, try calling right when they open in the morning.

I used to work as a clerk (not eligibility worker) at a county office and let me tell you, they get super behind on interviews especially at the beginning of the month. Your worker is probably handling 300+ cases and sometimes things slip through the cracks. It's not right, but it happens. You should receive a "Failed to Complete Interview" notice in a few days that will give you instructions to reschedule. You typically have 10 days from when that notice is mailed to complete the interview before they take action on your case.

I had this exact problem last month with my redetermination. After trying for days to reach someone, I tried Claimyr.com and was able to get through to an actual caseworker in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have this service where they wait on hold for you and then call you when they reach a real person. I watched their demo video first (https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE) to make sure it was legit. My worker was able to reschedule my interview for the next day, and I didn't lose my benefits. Definitely worth it since I couldn't afford to keep missing work to sit on hold all day.

Dont wiat 2 long to fix this!! My cousin didnt get her call either and thought theyd call back but they never did and her cash aid got cut off and she had to start the whole application process over again!! It took like 2 months to get benefits back and she almost got evicted

Just to clarify some information here - if your CalWORKs benefits get discontinued due to a missed interview, you don't actually have to reapply from scratch in most cases. You have 90 days to complete the recertification process, and if you do so within that timeframe, they can restore your benefits back to the original discontinuance date without a new application. You'd need to: 1. Complete the interview 2. Submit any requested verification documents 3. Ask them specifically to "rescind the discontinuance" That said, it's much easier to just get the interview done before any discontinuance happens. If you haven't already, check your BenefitsCal account - sometimes they post notices there before they arrive in the mail.

I just remembered another option - go to your local DPSS office IN PERSON!! Sometimes that's the only way to get anything done. Bring all your paperwork and explain that you were waiting for your phone interview but nobody called. They might be able to do the interview right there or at least reschedule it. Better than sitting around waiting for them to possibly cut you off!

update us when u figure it out!! im curious what happened. good luck

UPDATE: Finally got through this morning after calling for an hour straight when they opened! The worker apologized and said they had a system outage yesterday that messed up their call schedule. She rescheduled my interview for tomorrow afternoon and assured me my benefits won't be affected. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

So glad you got through and everything worked out! A system outage would definitely explain why so many people have been having issues with missed calls lately. Thanks for updating us - it's really helpful to know how these situations get resolved. Hope your interview goes smoothly tomorrow!

That's such a relief that you got through and it was just a system issue! I've been in similar situations where I was panicking over something that was completely out of my control. It's so frustrating how they make us feel like we're the ones who messed up when it's their technical problems. At least now you know for future reference that system outages can cause these missed calls. Definitely keep that worker's contact info handy in case you need to reach them directly next time!

I'm so glad you got this resolved! A system outage makes total sense - that probably explains why so many people have been posting about missed calls lately. It's really frustrating that they don't notify us when there are technical issues like this, but at least your worker was understanding about it. Thanks for posting the update, it's really helpful to see how these situations get worked out. Wishing you the best with your interview tomorrow!

This is such a helpful thread! As someone who's been on CalWORKs for a few years now, I've dealt with missed interview calls multiple times and it's always nerve-wracking. The system outage explanation makes so much sense - I noticed a lot of people in my area were having similar issues this week. @Tasia I'm really glad you got it sorted out! For anyone else dealing with this, I've learned that keeping a detailed log of all your interactions (dates, times, who you spoke with) has saved me so many headaches when issues like this come up. The workers really do appreciate when you're organized and can reference specific details. Good luck with your interview tomorrow!

Wow, reading through this whole thread has been so eye-opening! I'm still pretty new to CalWORKs (just got approved a few months ago) and honestly had no idea that system outages could cause missed interviews like this. @Tasia I'm so relieved everything worked out for you - that must have been incredibly stressful! It's really encouraging to see how supportive this community is and how everyone jumped in with advice and their own experiences. I'm definitely going to bookmark some of these tips about documenting everything and keeping detailed logs, just in case I run into similar issues down the road. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge here - it's so valuable for those of us who are still learning how to navigate this system!

This whole situation really highlights how broken the communication system is between CalWORKs offices and recipients! I'm so glad you were able to get through and that it was just a system outage, @Tasia. It's ridiculous that we have to stress ourselves out over technical problems on their end, but at least now we know that system issues can cause these missed calls. I've been on CalWORKs for about a year and I'm definitely going to start keeping better records of all my interactions like some people suggested here. Thanks for sharing your experience and keeping us updated - it really helps to know how these situations get resolved! Hope your rescheduled interview goes perfectly!

This thread has been incredibly helpful to follow! As someone who just started the CalWORKs application process last month, I had no idea that system outages could cause missed interview calls like this. @Tasia I'm so relieved you got it resolved and that your worker was understanding about the technical issue! It's really reassuring to see how this community comes together to help each other navigate these challenges. I'm definitely taking notes on all the advice about documenting everything, keeping detailed logs, and having backup plans like that callback service or going to the office in person. Thank you for sharing your experience and keeping us updated - it really helps those of us who are new to the system know what to expect and how to handle these situations if they come up!

This whole experience really shows how important it is to have a community like this! I'm relatively new to CalWORKs (been on it for about 6 months) and reading through this thread has taught me so much about what to expect and how to handle situations like missed interviews. @Tasia I'm so glad everything worked out and that it was just a system issue on their end! It's frustrating that we don't get notified about technical problems that affect our appointments, but at least now we know this can happen. I'm definitely going to start keeping better documentation of all my interactions like everyone suggested - taking screenshots, writing down dates/times, and getting worker ID numbers. This community is such a lifesaver for learning how to navigate the system. Thanks for sharing your update and letting us know how it got resolved!

I'm so new to this whole CalWORKs process (literally just submitted my application last week) and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! @Tasia I can't imagine how stressful that must have been waiting for a call that never came - I would have been panicking too. It's such a relief to know it was just a system outage and not something you did wrong. Reading through everyone's advice about documenting everything, keeping detailed logs, and having backup options like going in person or using callback services has given me so much useful information I never would have known otherwise. I'm definitely going to start implementing these strategies from day one. Thank you for sharing your experience and the update - it really helps those of us just starting out understand what we might encounter and how to handle it. This community is amazing!

This whole thread is such a perfect example of why this community is so valuable! I just started receiving CalWORKs benefits a couple months ago and honestly had no clue that system outages could cause missed interview calls like this. @Tasia your situation must have been so stressful - I would have been a complete wreck thinking I was going to lose my benefits! It's really encouraging to see how everyone jumped in with practical advice and their own experiences. I'm definitely taking notes on all the documentation tips people shared - screenshotting call logs, keeping detailed records, getting worker ID numbers. I never would have thought to do any of that on my own. Thanks for keeping us updated on how it got resolved - knowing that system issues do happen and that workers are usually understanding about it makes me feel so much more prepared if something similar happens to me. This community really does help make navigating CalWORKs feel less overwhelming!

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I just got approved for CalWORKs a few days ago and have my first interview scheduled for next week. Reading about @Tasia's experience with the system outage and seeing how supportive everyone was really helps ease my anxiety about the whole process. I had no idea that technical issues on their end could cause missed calls - I probably would have panicked just like you did! All the advice about documenting everything, taking screenshots, and keeping detailed logs is so helpful. I'm definitely going to start implementing these strategies right from my first interaction. It's also really reassuring to know that workers are usually understanding when technical problems happen on their end. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and advice - this community is such an amazing resource for people like me who are just starting this journey!

This thread has been incredibly eye-opening for me! I just submitted my CalWORKs application yesterday and honestly had no idea that system outages could cause missed interview calls like this. @Tasia I can only imagine how terrifying that must have been - waiting by the phone and then panicking when they didn't call! Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been like getting a crash course in how to navigate the system properly. I'm definitely going to start documenting everything from day one - taking screenshots, keeping detailed logs with dates and times, and getting worker ID numbers. The tip about that callback service is interesting too, though I hope I won't need it! It's so reassuring to know that when technical issues happen on their end, the workers are usually understanding about it. Thank you for sharing your story and the update - it really helps those of us just starting out know what to expect and how to be prepared. This community is amazing for supporting each other through these challenges!