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!