Can CalWORKs take back money they already deposited? Freaking out!

YEAH they can do this!! they took back $475 from mine last month becuz i went over that IRT income thing in december and didn't report til my SAR7 in january. they said i was 'overpaid' so they just TOOK it with NO WARNING. its total b.s and my worker wouldnt even return my calls for 2 weeks

They shouldn't be taking money back without sending you a Notice of Action first. By law, they need to give you at least 10 days notice before reducing your benefits or collecting an overpayment. Check your mail carefully - you should have received something explaining why they're taking the money. If you didn't get a notice, you can file for a state hearing and request aid paid pending, which means they have to restore your benefits until the hearing is decided. You only have 90 days from the action date to request a hearing though. Did you verify it was actually the county taking the money and not some kind of fraud? Sometimes people's cards get skimmed or hacked.

same thing happened to my cousin last year county said she didnt turn in her verification for her eldest son being in school still but she did they just lost it like they always do lol. she had to go in person with another copy to get it fixed took like 3 weeks tho

This actually happened to me in February! Turned out there was a system error where they accidentally deposited my Cash Aid twice (I didn't even notice the extra deposit), and then they took back the second deposit a few days later. Check your transaction history carefully - do you see two deposits for the same amount close together? If that's the case, they're just fixing their mistake. If not, and they're taking back money you were entitled to, you need to call right away. The problem is actually GETTING THROUGH to a real person at the county office. I spent 3 days trying, getting disconnected, and waiting on hold for hours.

One time i got a deposit and then they took some back because i forgot to submit my children's school attendance records !!! But they sent me like 5 letters first and i ignored them lol my bad

Just to clarify some misinformation in the comments - the county CAN recoup overpayments, but they MUST follow specific procedures: 1. Send written notice (NOA) at least 10 days before taking action 2. Explain the reason for the overpayment 3. Give you appeal rights information 4. Limit recoupment to 5% of your monthly grant (in most cases) If they didn't follow these steps, you have grounds for a hearing. Call the state hearing division at 1-800-743-8525 to request one, and specifically ask for "aid paid pending" which means they have to restore your benefits until the hearing is decided. And request a copy of your case file - you have a legal right to see ALL documents in your case, including notices they claim to have sent you.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you! The stress of unexpected benefit changes is terrible. I've been on CalWORKs for 3 years and had a similar situation last summer. In my case, it turned out my semi-annual report (SAR7) had a discrepancy they needed to resolve. Check your BenefitsCal account for any alerts or messages - sometimes they post notices there instead of mailing them. Did you recently submit any paperwork that might have triggered a reassessment? Or have any household changes they might be adjusting for?

updaTE????? did u figure out why they took ur money?? im worried now they gonna do this to me next month 😭😭😭

That's such a relief that you got it sorted out! This is exactly why I always keep copies of EVERYTHING I send to the county. They "lose" paperwork constantly and then blame us for not submitting it. I scan all my documents and keep them in a folder on my phone so I can resend them immediately when they mess up. For anyone reading this - always keep detailed records of what you submit and when. Take photos of your pay stubs, bank statements, everything. The county workers are overworked and make mistakes all the time, but WE'RE the ones who suffer when they do.