CalWORKs worker wants to 'review transactions' - could my benefits be at risk?

Deep breath! This happens sometimes. My worker called me about transactions too and it turned out they just needed to verify some income I reported on my SAR7. Do u remember if u included all ur paystubs with the SAR7? They might just need more info about ur job since its new.

There are a few reasons why your CalWORKs worker might need to review transactions: 1. Income verification: If your reported income on the SAR7 doesn't match what they see in their system (through EDD employment records), they need to reconcile this. 2. Over-the-IRT reporting: If your income went over the Income Reporting Threshold at any point, even temporarily, they may need to verify this was properly reported mid-period. 3. Eligibility verification: Sometimes they conduct random reviews to ensure ongoing eligibility. 4. EBT usage patterns: In rare cases, they might review unusual EBT transaction patterns, though this is typically for CalFresh/SNAP, not Cash Aid. As for the birthday cake - that's absolutely allowed! Food purchases aren't restricted for Cash Aid portion of your EBT, and even for CalFresh, birthday cakes are permitted.

they do this to EVERYBODY trust me. its a scare tactic to make u call them back fast lol. half the time they just want to ask u about something simple but they make it sound all scary. my worker did the same thing and all she wanted was to tell me to resubmit a form that didnt go thru right on benefitscal. classic county bs!!!

I'm dealing with something similar right now. My worker called about "transaction review" and it turned out they were doing a mid-year audit because I switched jobs twice in 3 months. They needed to verify my income wasn't going over the IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) between reporting periods. The most important thing is to call them back quickly. If you don't, they can mark it as "failure to cooperate" and potentially discontinue your benefits. It's probably nothing serious if you reported your job change properly, but they do need to verify everything matches up. I've found that trying to call the main CalWORKs line is almost impossible - I was on hold for HOURS multiple times. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a worker. Their service calls the county for you and when they reach someone, they connect you. Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. It saved me so much stress when I needed to resolve my transaction review quickly.

OMG they did this to me last year and it was TERRIFYING!!! I thought I was going to jail or something lol. Turns out they just needed to verify a deposit in my bank account that looked like income but was actually my sister paying me back for spotting her rent money. Make sure you have your bank statements ready if they ask for them. Sometimes they need to verify deposits don't count as income, especially if they see regular deposits that aren't from your job. I know it's scary but most likely it's just routine verification. The way they phrase things makes everything sound so much worse than it is!!!

When a CalWORKs worker mentions "reviewing transactions," they're typically conducting one of three types of reviews: 1. Income verification - comparing your reported earnings with what employers report to EDD 2. Resource limit check - ensuring bank accounts don't exceed the $10,000 resource limit 3. Fraud prevention review - standard random checks they're required to conduct The best approach is to call back promptly with any documentation ready. If you've been honest in your reporting (which it sounds like you have), there's rarely anything to worry about. These reviews are standard procedure and happen periodically to all participants. One important note: if you worked overtime that wasn't reported and it pushed you over your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold), you were required to report that mid-period within 10 days. If you didn't, there could potentially be an overpayment issue they're trying to resolve. Either way, addressing it promptly is your best course of action.

i had worker call me about transactions turned out i got reported for welfare fraud by my STUPID EX who told them i had a secret job i didnt report!!!!!! it was totally FALSE but i had to do a whole fraud interview with an investigator and everything!!! make sure u call back asap and have all ur paperwork ready cuz these people will assume the worst if u dont defend urself right away!!!!

Update: I was finally able to reach my worker! Turns out they just needed to verify a deposit in my account from my mom (birthday gift money for my daughter) and make sure I still meet the resource limit. The worker was actually super nice and it took like 5 minutes to clear up. Thanks everyone for the advice and calming me down! My benefits are safe.

So glad everything worked out for you! This is exactly why I tell everyone not to panic when they get these calls. The county workers really do need better training on how to leave voicemails - saying "need to review transactions ASAP" sounds so ominous when it's usually something simple like verifying a gift deposit. Thanks for updating us with the resolution - it'll help other people who find this thread when they're going through the same thing!