Can't reach my CalWORKs caseworker for days - what are my options before my benefits get affected?

yep welcome to the wonderful world of CalWORKs lol. their never at there desk when u need them! Mine never picks up either so i just show up at the office now and wait till they can see me. sometimes takes all day but at least i get my stuff handled

Ugh, I was hoping to avoid going in person since I'd have to take time off work and find childcare. But maybe that's my only option at this point. How early do you usually go to minimize the wait?

There are a few things you can try before going to the office in person:1. Email your worker through your BenefitsCal account. Make sure to attach any proof of your change in hours.2. Call the general CalWORKs customer service line first thing in the morning (right when they open at 8am) and explain the situation. Ask to speak with a supervisor if your worker isn't available.3. Send your documentation through the BenefitsCal app or website. Take screenshots showing you submitted it as proof.4. If you have an Employment Services Worker for Welfare to Work, sometimes they can help relay urgent messages to your eligibility worker.Remember that as long as you're reporting your change before you go over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), you're doing your part. Document all your attempts to contact them in case there's any issue later.

Thank you for these suggestions! I didn't even think about the BenefitsCal messaging option. Do they actually respond to those in a timely manner? And I didn't know we could ask for a supervisor - definitely trying that tomorrow morning.

I had THIS EXACT PROBLEM last month!!!! My worker ignored my calls for TWO WEEKS and then I got a discontinuance notice saying I didn't provide verification!!! I was FURIOUS! The system is BROKEN and they don't care about us at all. I spent 3 hours on hold with the main line and got hung up on TWICE. Then when I finally got through they said my worker was on vacation and nobody told me or checked her voicemails!!! They should be REQUIRED to have out-of-office messages or something. This is our LIVES they're messing with!!!

omg same thing happnd to me too! they cut my benefits without even telling me why and then i find out my worker went on maternity leave. like how am i supposed to know that??

Have you tried calling at exactly 8:00 AM? That's when I always reach people. After about 9, forget it. I also found out most workers check messages at the end of the day, so if you call and leave a message around 4:30, sometimes they call back before they leave.

I'll definitely try the 8:00 AM trick tomorrow. I've been calling mid-morning which is probably the worst time. The 4:30 tip is interesting too - thanks!

I used to have this problem constantly with my CalWORKs worker - it was so frustrating! I found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through after weeks of trying on my own. You basically put in the number you're trying to call, and they wait on hold for you and call you back when someone actually picks up. Saved me hours of hold time and the stress of getting disconnected. Check out their website at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE that shows how it works. I used it when I needed to update my address and job info before my redetermination.

Does that actually work for county offices? I thought those places had all these automated systems and specific worker extensions that make it impossible for anyone else to get through for you.

It worked for me with the main CalWORKs number. You're right that it doesn't work for direct extensions, but I got through to a person who was able to help with my case even though it wasn't my assigned worker. Better than nothing when you're desperate!

I had to deal with this last month and I found out you can actually go to the county website and look up which supervisor is over your caseworker. Call and ask for the supervisor directly. They usually pick up or call back the same day because they don't want to get in trouble with their boss. Just be polite when you talk to them and explain how many times you've tried to reach your worker. Worked for me!

This is brilliant! I never thought to look up the supervisor. Do you remember where on the county website you found that information? I've been clicking around but can't seem to find an org chart or anything like that.

One more important thing - if you're just reporting a change in hours that doesn't put you over your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), you technically don't need to report it until your next SAR7. The IRT is the amount they told you that you MUST report when your income goes over. As long as you're still under that threshold, you can just report the change on the SAR7 form.However, if your income went DOWN, you should definitely report it because you might get more benefits. If it went UP but still under the IRT, you can wait for the SAR7.This doesn't solve your worker communication problem, but might ease your mind about the urgency if your income change doesn't exceed your IRT.

You just saved me so much stress! My hours actually went down a bit (they cut everyone's schedule), so I'm definitely still under the IRT. I was panicking thinking I had to report any change immediately. I'll still try to reach them, but this takes off some of the pressure. Thank you!

What county are you in? Some counties are WAAAAAY worse than others with this stuff. I'm in LA County and literally the only way I can ever reach anyone is by going in person at 7am and waiting in line before they open. It's ridiculous but it works.

I'm in Sacramento County. It used to be better before the pandemic, but ever since they reorganized how they handle cases, it's been a nightmare. Going in at 7am might be my last resort if nothing else works.

I know everyone keeps suggesting different ways to reach your worker, but honestly, I've found just documenting everything is the most important thing. Take screenshots of your call log showing all the times you called, save your email confirmations if you message through BenefitsCal, and keep a written log of every attempt. That way if they try to discontinue your benefits for

That's a really good point. I'll start documenting everything better. I've been so focused on just trying to reach someone that I didn't think about protecting myself if they claim I never tried to report the change.

I've been in a similar situation and here's what finally worked for me: I called the main county number and pressed "0" repeatedly during the automated menu until it connected me to a live person (sometimes you have to do this 2-3 times). When I got through, I explained that I'd been trying to reach my worker for days about a time-sensitive issue and asked if they could either transfer me directly or have someone else help with my case. They were able to pull up my file and handle the hour change report right over the phone. The key is being persistent but polite and emphasizing that it's urgent. Also, if you have your case number ready and know exactly what you need to report, it makes the process much faster. Don't give up - there ARE people there who can help, you just have to get past the phone system maze!