Confused about CalWORKs redetermination bank statement requirements - just December or entire year?

they only needed my december statement when i did mine last month. the worker just wants to see ur current balance. they cant ask for the whole year thats crazy!!

Thanks! That's what I thought too. Did they ask for anything else during your redetermination that was unexpected?

For the annual redetermination (what they call the SAWS 2 Plus renewal), they typically only need your most recent bank statements from the month before your redetermination. In your case, that would be December's statements. However, if there were any large deposits or unusual activity in your account, your worker might request additional months to verify the source of those funds.The CalWORKs program rules state they need verification of current resources, not historical records for the entire year. If you're unsure, you can call your worker back and ask for clarification on exactly which months they need. Make sure to submit what they ask for by the deadline they gave you to avoid any interruption in your Cash Aid.

Thank you so much for explaining that! There was a deposit from my tax refund a few months ago, maybe that's why she was vague about it. I'll call tomorrow to double check.

OMG I hate when they do this!!!! My worker did the same thing last year and when I asked which months she needed she just said

same experience here last month!! they just want december but dont explain right

Last time I went through redetermination, I had a hard time getting through to my worker to ask these exact questions. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at my county office without waiting on hold forever. You can see how it works in their demo video here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE They connected me right away and I was able to confirm they only needed the most recent month's statement. Saved me so much stress wondering if my benefits would be cut off for incomplete verification.

does that actually work? i always get disconnected after being on hold for like an hour

Yes, it worked for me! I was surprised too, but I got through to a real person in about 10 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own.

The official CalWORKs policy on verification during redetermination is that they need to verify your current resources to determine ongoing eligibility. For bank accounts, this means your most recent statement(s) at the time of redetermination. However, there are three situations where they might request additional months:1. If you have irregular income or deposits2. If there's a discrepancy in what you reported versus what they see3. If you're self-employed or have variable incomeIf none of these apply to you, politely but firmly ask your worker to specify exactly which months they need. Get it in writing if possible (email or text). Remember that you have rights in this process, and they should be clear about what verification they need and why.

This is really helpful information. I do have some side income from babysitting that varies month to month, so maybe that's why they want to see more statements. I'll definitely ask my worker for specific months.

omg make sure u check ur EBT account after ur redetermination!!! they cut my cash aid by $75 after my redetermination and didnt even tell me why til i called and complained

Thanks for the heads up! That's awful they didn't notify you. I'll definitely keep an eye on my amounts.

Just to provide an update on the bank statement requirements - I checked with a CalWORKs eligibility specialist today, and the standard requirement is the most recent month's statement for all accounts. If your worker needs additional months, they must specify exactly which months and provide a reason why. Also, if accessing past statements is difficult, you can sign a release form allowing the county to verify directly with your bank. This saves you the hassle of tracking down statements. Just be sure to submit the most recent month's statement along with the signed release form by your deadline.

I didn't know about the release form option! That would be so much easier than trying to get everything from the bank. Thank you for this information!

yah i always jus give them my last month statements. if they need more theyll tell u. also dont forget to tell them bout any money u got from other places not just bank cuz they check everything now with the computers

I finally got through to my worker! She confirmed she only needs December's statement to verify my current resources. She said she was asking about the whole year just to see if I had access to my statements in case she needed to check something, but she doesn't actually need me to submit all of them. So relieved! Thanks everyone for your help - I've submitted my December statement through BenefitsCal and should be all set now.

Great news! Glad you got it sorted out. It's always best to get that direct confirmation from your worker. Make sure to keep your December statement on file for your own records too, just in case there are any questions later.

So glad you got through! It's RIDICULOUS how they stress us out with vague requests. Glad it worked out!!

I'm so glad you got clarification from your worker! This whole thread has been really helpful for understanding the bank statement requirements. I'm coming up on my redetermination soon and was wondering the same thing. It's frustrating how workers can be so vague about what they need - it causes unnecessary stress when you're already worried about keeping your benefits. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here, especially about the release form option that lets the county verify directly with the bank. That sounds like it could save a lot of hassle!

This is such a common issue! I just went through my redetermination a few weeks ago and had the exact same confusion. My worker initially made it sound like I needed months of statements, but when I pressed for specifics, she clarified that she only needed the most recent month. I think sometimes they ask vaguely to see what you have access to, but the actual requirement is just your current statement. The key is to ask directly "which specific months do you need me to submit?" and get a clear answer. Don't stress too much - they can't discontinue your benefits for not providing documents they haven't clearly requested!

I'm new to this community and going through my first CalWORKs redetermination next month, so this entire discussion has been incredibly helpful! I was getting really anxious about what documents I'd need to prepare, but reading everyone's experiences has put my mind at ease. It's good to know that the standard requirement is just the most recent month's bank statement, and that if they need additional months, they have to specify exactly which ones and why. I'll definitely use the advice about asking directly "which specific months do you need me to submit?" to get clear guidance from my worker. The release form option that lets the county verify directly with the bank also sounds like a great backup plan. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating the system!