Can I get proof of CalWORKs online or must I visit the county office in person?

You can definitely get proof of CalWORKs without going into the office! You have a few options: 1. BenefitsCal website - Log in to your account and look for the "Verification" or "Proof of Benefits" section. You can download and print a verification letter. 2. CalWORKs Mobile App - If your county has one, sometimes you can access benefit verification there. 3. Call your caseworker directly and ask them to email or mail you a verification letter. I've used the BenefitsCal website several times for verification letters for my kids' school programs. It's really convenient and the letter is official - schools and programs accept it with no issues.

DONT BOTHER WITH BENIFITSCAL!!! The website is ALWAYS DOWN or giving errors when you actually need something important. I tried to get proof of benefits last month and the stupid site kept saying "error processing request" over and over!!! Had to take time off work and go in person anyway. The whole system is designed to make everything as difficult as possible for working parents. They want us to fail so they can cut our benefits!!!

I just got proof letter last week without goin in. you can call the IVR number (that automated phone system) and request verification by mail. It took like 4 days to come tho so might be cutting it close for your deadline.

The fastest and most reliable way I've found is calling your county office using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They'll connect you directly to a live person at CalWORKs instead of waiting on hold forever. I was able to get a verification letter emailed to me the same day. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE With your deadline coming up next Friday, this might be your best option if the BenefitsCal site gives you trouble. I tried the website too but in my county it only showed CalFresh verification, not CalWORKs.

Hi there! Just wanted to add that if you have a MyBenefits account (different from BenefitsCal in some counties), you might also be able to access a verification letter there. One important thing to note - make sure whatever verification you get shows your CURRENT benefit amount. My daughter's school rejected my first verification because it didn't specifically show the current month's benefit amount. Also ask your after-school program exactly what information they need on the letter - sometimes they need specific details like the names of all household members receiving benefits.

When I needed proof for my apartment last month I just asked my WTW worker during our regular meeting and she printed it for me right there. Do you have any appointments coming up before your deadline? Might be easiest option if so.

UPDATE: I was able to get the verification through BenefitsCal! For anyone else who might need this, here's what I did: 1. Logged into BenefitsCal 2. Went to "My Benefits" section 3. Found "Proof of Benefits" on the sidebar 4. Selected CalWORKs (they had options for different benefits) 5. Downloaded the PDF and printed it It has all the info my kid's program needed - household members, benefit amount, and it's on official letterhead. Thanks everyone for your help! 💕

@Kendrick Webb So happy you were able to get it sorted! This is such valuable info for other parents in similar situations. I've been in this exact spot before - needing official documentation on a tight timeline while juggling work schedules. It's really stressful! One thing I'd add for anyone else reading this thread: if you run into issues with BenefitsCal being slow or glitchy (which does happen sometimes), try logging in during off-peak hours like early morning or late evening. I've found the system runs much smoother when fewer people are using it. Also keep your case number handy when you log in - sometimes it speeds up the process. Thanks for taking the time to post the step-by-step instructions. That kind of detailed help is exactly what this community needs! 🙏

This whole thread is so helpful! I'm bookmarking it for future reference. @Kendrick Webb thanks for sharing the exact steps - I had no idea BenefitsCal had that feature either. It's crazy how many useful tools are buried in these systems that nobody tells us about. For anyone else dealing with tight deadlines like this, another tip is to screenshot or save a copy of your verification letter once you download it. I learned this the hard way when I needed to reprint mine a few months later and the website was down for maintenance. Having that backup saved me from having to scramble again. Also want to echo what @Dylan Baskin said about trying during off-peak hours. The difference in website performance is night and day! Early morning around 6-7am seems to work really well in my experience. Hope your kid enjoys the after-school program! 😊

Just wanted to jump in and share another option that worked for me recently! If you have the CalWIN mobile app installed on your phone, you can sometimes access benefit verification letters there too. I discovered this by accident when I was trying to check my benefit balance and saw a "Documents" section. The mobile app interface is actually easier to navigate than the full website in my opinion, and it seems to have fewer technical issues. Plus you can do it right from your phone without needing to find a computer. @Kendrick Webb so glad you got everything sorted out! Your step-by-step breakdown is going to help so many parents in the same situation. It's really frustrating how these helpful features aren't more obviously advertised - like why don't they mention this during orientation or send out reminders that online verification is available? Anyway, hope this adds one more tool to the toolbox for anyone else who might need it! 📱