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!

I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now! Been trying to reach my worker for 3 days straight about updating my work schedule before my recertification. It's so stressful when you're trying to do the right thing and report changes but can't get through to anyone. I'm definitely going to try some of these suggestions - especially the 8am call time and the "press 0 repeatedly" trick. It's frustrating that we have to jump through so many hoops just to follow the rules they require us to follow. Hoping you get through soon!

I'm new to CalWORKs and reading all of this is honestly making me nervous about what I'm getting into! I just got approved last month and so far my worker has been pretty responsive, but it sounds like that might not last. Should I be proactive and get contact info for supervisors and backup numbers before I actually need them? Also, can someone explain what the IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) is exactly? I want to make sure I understand my responsibilities from the start so I don't run into these same problems down the road. Thanks for all the detailed advice everyone - this thread is like a masterclass in navigating the system!

Wow, reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying! I'm also pretty new to the CalWORKs system (about 6 months in) and thankfully haven't hit this problem yet, but now I know what to expect. The documentation tip is huge - I've been pretty casual about keeping records but after seeing what some of you went through, I'm going to start taking screenshots and keeping a log of all my communications. One thing I wanted to add that might help - my county has a "Customer Service" line that's separate from the main eligibility line, and sometimes they can at least confirm whether your worker received documents or put notes in your case even if they can't make changes. It's not ideal but at least you get some kind of response. The number should be on your benefits letter or county website. Hope you get through soon Sean, and thanks to everyone sharing their strategies - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't get anywhere else!

I'm reading through all these responses and feeling both grateful and frustrated - grateful that there are people here who actually understand what we're going through, but frustrated that this seems to be such a widespread problem! I never realized how many tricks and workarounds we need just to do basic communication with our caseworkers. It really shouldn't be this hard to report changes when we're trying to follow the rules. I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy first, then the "press 0 repeatedly" method if that doesn't work. And I'm going to start documenting everything from now on - call logs, screenshots, the whole thing. It's crazy that we have to protect ourselves like this, but clearly it's necessary. Thanks everyone for turning my panic into an actual action plan. This community is honestly more helpful than the actual system sometimes!

This whole thread is a goldmine of practical advice! I've been on CalWORKs for about a year now and have definitely experienced the frustration of unreachable caseworkers. One thing I learned that might help - if you're in a county that uses the BenefitsCal system, you can actually check the status of your case online to see if any actions are pending or if your worker has left notes about your situation. It won't solve the communication problem, but at least you can see if they're aware of your attempts to contact them. Also, I keep a simple notebook just for CalWORKs stuff - date, time, who I talked to (or tried to), what it was about, and what happened. Sounds old school but it's saved me twice when there were discrepancies about what was reported or when. Sean, definitely try that 8am call strategy - it's worked for me more times than not. And don't beat yourself up about this situation - the system is designed poorly, not you!

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! Been trying to reach my worker for over a week about reporting some changes before my SAR7 deadline. What's been working for me is calling right at 7:58am and staying on the line - sometimes I get through to someone even if it's not my assigned worker. Also, I discovered you can send secure messages through the BenefitsCal portal and they're supposed to respond within 2 business days (though that doesn't always happen). The key thing someone told me is to always send a follow-up email summarizing any phone conversations you do manage to have - that way there's a paper trail. I've also started taking photos of my call log showing all the attempted calls as backup documentation. It's ridiculous that we have to work this hard just to follow their rules, but at least we're not alone in this struggle! Definitely try that 8am call strategy everyone's mentioning - it seems to be the magic time when people actually pick up.