Confusing CalWORKs partial payment after case closure and reopening - is this all I'll get this month?

Yes, they do prorate your benefits based on when your case was reopened. Since your case was closed and then reopened a week later, they're only giving you benefits for the remaining portion of the month. The payment you received is likely calculated from your reapplication date to the end of the month, not for the full month. That's why it's smaller than usual.

samee thing happened to me in january!!! my case got closed cuz i didnt turn in my SAR7 on time (forgot lol) and when they reopend it i only got like half my normal amount. sucks but thats how they do it. next month you should get the full amount again

I used to work for the county, and this is standard procedure. When your CalWORKs case closes and reopens, your Cash Aid is prorated from the date of reopening. The formula is: (Monthly Grant ÷ Days in Month) × Remaining Days. So if your monthly grant is normally around $850 for a family of three, and they reopened your case on the 8th of a 31-day month, you'd get approximately $246 (which matches what you received). For future reference, always request a "good cause" determination immediately if you miss an appointment. If you have a valid reason like car trouble and notify them right away, they can sometimes prevent the case closure altogether.

Have you tried asking if you qualify for CalWORKs Homeless Assistance? Even if you're not homeless yet, if you're at risk of becoming homeless (like if you can't pay rent), you might qualify for temporary help. It's a program specifically for families on CalWORKs who need help with housing emergencies. You have to ask specifically for it though - workers don't always tell you about all available programs.

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE US FAIL!!! they close cases over the smallest things and then make us jump through hoops to get them reopened and then don't even give us our full benefits. its RIDICULOUS how they treat people who are just trying to survive. they should backdate your benefits to when they closed your case because it wasn't even your fault!!!!!

You might want to try Claimyr if you need to get through to your caseworker quickly to discuss this. I was in a similar situation last month and spent days trying to reach someone. A friend told me about this service where they basically wait on hold for you then call you when a real person answers. I used it at claimyr.com and got through to my worker in about an hour instead of days of trying. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. It really helped me get my issue resolved faster than waiting for callbacks that never came.

wait did u have to do a new application or did they just reopen ur old case?? cuz sometimes if u have to do a whole new application they make u wait longer for benefits

One more thing to keep in mind - if you're struggling to pay rent this month because of the reduced CalWORKs payment, you should contact 211 right away. They can refer you to emergency rental assistance programs in your area. Many counties have special funds set aside for exactly this kind of situation. Some churches and community organizations also offer one-time emergency assistance. Don't wait until you're behind on rent to start looking for help!

i had something similar happen last yr. make sure they didn't change anything else when they reopened ur case. sometimes they mess up and change ur household size or income or something. might be worth checking ur notice of action to see the exact calculation they used

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My case got closed last month for missing paperwork and when they reopened it, I only got about half my usual amount. It's so stressful when you're already struggling and then they cut your benefits even more. What I learned is that you should definitely ask about any emergency assistance programs - not just the homeless assistance but also things like one-time cash grants for emergencies. Some counties have different programs available. Also, if you haven't already, make sure to ask your worker to put you on the list for any cancellation appointments so you don't miss future recertifications. They can sometimes fit you in sooner if someone else cancels. Hang in there - this community has been so helpful for navigating all these confusing rules!