Can you withdraw a CalWORKs application online? Trying to cancel for my sister

congrats to ur sister on the job!! i dont think u can cancel it online, when i tried to withdraw my application last year i had to call. but good luck getting thru lol took me 3 days of calling

You can't withdraw a CalWORKs application through BenefitsCal. Your sister will need to contact her county office directly. I recommend she does this in writing as well as by phone - that way there's documentation. She can email or fax a signed withdrawal letter stating she wants to withdraw her application because she found employment. Make sure she includes her name, case number (if she has one), and the date she submitted the application originally. Alternatively, if she already has an interview scheduled, she can simply tell the worker during the interview that she wants to withdraw. They'll document it in the system.

I had something similar happen when I applied then got a job offer right after. You absolutely CANNOT withdraw online - it's ridiculous how many things you can't do on BenefitsCal despite it supposedly being the "modern" system. 🙄 What worked for me was calling my county office, but I got disconnected THREE TIMES before finally getting through. It was so frustrating I almost gave up. The worker was able to notate in the system that I wanted to withdraw, but she also recommended I submit something in writing with my signature. If your sister wants to skip the phone nightmare, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person within 15 minutes after days of trying on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - it basically calls for you and holds your place in line. Saved me so much time and frustration.

Jus wanna add, tell her make sure to write down the name of whoever she talks to!! I called to cancel mine and they said they would but then I got approved anyway and they said I never called!!! No record of my call in their system supposedly. So get names and ask for some kind of confirmation number or email.

To correctly withdraw a CalWORKs application, your sister should follow these steps: 1. Call her county office and inform them she wishes to withdraw her application (get the worker's name and ID number) 2. Follow up with a written withdrawal request that includes: - Full name - Case or application number - Date of birth - Last 4 of SSN - Clear statement of intent to withdraw - Reason for withdrawal (employment - but she doesn't need to provide details) - Signature and date 3. Keep a copy of everything she submits The county should then send her a withdrawal confirmation notice. If she doesn't receive this within 7-10 days, she should follow up again. As for your concern about approval - if her application is properly withdrawn, it won't be processed further. However, if she gets benefits accidentally deposited, she should NOT use them and contact the county immediately, as using benefits you're not entitled to can lead to overpayment issues.

She can email it if the county accepts emails (most do now). She should address it to her assigned worker if she knows who that is, or to the general CalWORKs unit. Make sure she includes her case info in the subject line and keeps a copy of the email. Some counties also have secure messaging through BenefitsCal that she could use instead.

Dealing with this EXACT situation right now!!! Why is everything so complicated with the county?? I applied for CalWORKs in January then got a job two weeks later. Called to cancel and they said they'd note it in my file. But then I got a letter saying I needed to come in for an interview anyway!!! I called again and they said I needed to write a letter to withdraw. Like WHY couldn't they have told me that the first time?? The whole system is designed to make you give up I swear.

Update: My sister was able to withdraw her application! She used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got through to a caseworker in about 20 minutes. They took her withdrawal over the phone but also told her to send an email confirmation to the general county email with her case number and personal info. They said she'll get a confirmation letter in about a week. Thanks everyone for your help!

That's awesome that your sister got it sorted out! I'm dealing with something similar - applied for CalWORKs but then my hours got increased at my part-time job and now I might not qualify anymore. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like I should probably call to withdraw too rather than risk getting approved and then having overpayment issues later. The written confirmation step seems super important based on what everyone's saying. Thanks for sharing the update!