Didn't report my part-time job to CalWORKs - will they discontinue my Cash Aid?

You definitely need to report this ASAP, but don't panic too much. Since your income is below your IRT, it's less likely they'll discontinue your Cash Aid completely. When you report, explain that you were confused about the reporting requirements. They might still count it as an IPV (Intentional Program Violation) since technically you were supposed to report within 10 days of starting work, but in my experience, they usually just calculate if you were overpaid and have you pay back any difference. Longer you wait, worse it'll look though. Call your worker tomorrow!

omg i did this EXACT thing last year lol. worked at target for like 15hrs a week and didnt tell my worker for like 2 months cuz i was scared theyd cut me off. when i finally reported they just calculated the overpayment and took like $37 out of my benefits each month until it was paid back. wasnt a big deal but longer u wait the more youll owe back!!

they WILL cut ur benefits for not reporting!! happened to my sister she got discontinnced and had to do fraud interview and reapply. took 6 weeks to get benfits back. dont listen to these ppl saying its no big deal, county dont play around with unreported income!!

I've been dealing with CalWORKs for 7 years and I can tell you that trying to reach your worker to report this is going to be FRUSTRATING. I spent literally 4 days trying to reach my worker last month when I needed to report a change - kept getting voicemail, left messages that were never returned, got disconnected multiple times... When I finally got desperate, I tried this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person at the CalWORKs office in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - it basically calls the office for you and connects you when a human answers. Worth every penny because I needed to get my income reported ASAP before my next SAR7.

I work as an eligibility case reviewer, so I deal with these situations frequently. Here's what you need to know: 1. You are required to report new employment within 10 days, regardless of whether your income is under the IRT. 2. Since you're past that window, report it immediately through BenefitsCal online or call your worker. Be honest about when you started. 3. The county will determine if there was an overpayment based on when your income would have affected your benefits (usually the month after you started working). 4. For a first-time unreported income issue with amounts under the IRT, it's rarely treated as fraud - typically just processed as an administrative error with a repayment plan. 5. Document everything - when you call, who you speak with, and ask for written confirmation of your report. DON'T wait until your next SAR7 - that would definitely be considered intentional non-reporting and could lead to discontinuance and potential IPV investigation.

THE COUNTY IS ALWAYS TRYING TO KICK PEOPLE OFF!!!! I swear they HOPE you mess up reporting so they can discontinue you! My cousin didn't report his side gig and they made him pay back $3400 AND threatened him with WELFARE FRAUD charges!!!! The whole system is rigged against us!!!!

Quick question - what exactly is your IRT amount? It should be on your last Notice of Action. If your new income actually puts you over your IRT even though you're only working part-time, that could be more serious than if you're still under it. Either way, don't wait - report tomorrow.

btw dont forget to ask about ur WTW hours!!! ur job hours can count towards ur welfare to work requirement if u have one. make sure they credit those hours!!

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to report your job? How did it go?

That's awesome that it worked out so well! Thanks for updating us - it's really helpful to hear how these situations actually turn out. I've been putting off reporting a small change myself because I was worried about the same thing. Your experience gives me the confidence to just call and get it over with. It sounds like being honest and proactive really makes a difference with the workers.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in a similar situation - started a new job 3 weeks ago and completely forgot about the 10-day reporting rule until I saw this post. Like you, I'm making way under my IRT (about $800/month) but I've been losing sleep worrying they'll discontinue my benefits. Reading everyone's experiences here, especially how yours turned out, makes me feel so much better about reporting it. I'm definitely going to use that BenefitsCal online reporting tonight and then call my worker tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your story and the follow-up - it really helps to know that being honest and proactive works out better than hiding it!

This whole thread is so reassuring! I've been on CalWORKs for about 8 months now and I'm always paranoid about messing up the reporting requirements. It's really helpful to see that when people are honest about mistakes and report income that's still under their IRT, the workers are generally reasonable about it. @Matthew Sanchez I'm really glad everything worked out for you! It sounds like you handled it perfectly by reporting online first and then following up with a call. That's definitely the approach I'll take if I ever find myself in a similar situation. For anyone else reading this who might be in the same boat - it seems like the key takeaways are: 1) Don't panic if you're still under your IRT, 2) Report ASAP through multiple channels, 3) Be completely honest about the timeline, and 4) Ask about WTW credit for your work hours. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is such a lifesaver for navigating all the CalWORKs rules!

I'm so grateful to everyone who shared their experiences here! I've been on CalWORKs for about 6 months and posts like this are exactly what I need to see. The reporting requirements can feel so overwhelming, especially when you're already stressed about making ends meet. @Matthew Sanchez your situation sounds almost identical to mine - I just started a part-time retail job (18 hours/week at $16/hr) and I'm definitely under my IRT, but I was terrified about reporting it because I thought they might reduce my benefits immediately. Reading how supportive your worker was when you were honest about the delayed reporting gives me so much confidence to handle my own situation properly. The advice about using both BenefitsCal online reporting AND calling your worker is brilliant - having that paper trail while also getting direct confirmation seems like the smartest approach. And I had no idea about getting work hours credited toward WTW requirements, so thanks to everyone who mentioned that! This community really shows how much better things go when people support each other with real, practical advice instead of just panicking together. You all made what seemed like a scary bureaucratic nightmare feel totally manageable!

This entire thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation - started working at a grocery store about 5 weeks ago, only 15 hours a week at $15/hr, and I've been absolutely terrified to report it because I was convinced they'd immediately cut my benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences, especially how @Matthew Sanchez's situation turned out, has given me the courage to finally make that call. I'm definitely under my IRT (mine is $2,156 for my family size and I'm only making about $900/month), but I've been paralyzed by fear of the bureaucracy. The advice about reporting through BenefitsCal first then calling is so smart - I never would have thought to create that paper trail. And I had absolutely no idea that work hours could count toward WTW requirements! That's going to be huge for me since I've been struggling to find enough approved activities to meet my 30-hour weekly requirement. Thank you all for being so open about your experiences - it's incredible how much less scary this all feels when you realize the workers are generally reasonable if you're honest and proactive. I'm reporting online tonight and calling first thing Monday morning!

Reading through this whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! As someone who's relatively new to CalWORKs (been on for about 4 months), I had no idea that there were so many nuances to the reporting requirements. What really stands out to me is how much better things seem to go when people are upfront and proactive rather than trying to hide income or waiting until the last minute. @Matthew Sanchez, your experience really shows that the anticipation and anxiety is often worse than the actual process - especially when you're still under your IRT like most people in this thread seem to be. The practical tips everyone has shared are gold - using both BenefitsCal and calling for dual documentation, having all your employment details ready before you call, asking about WTW credit for work hours. These are the kinds of real-world strategies that make navigating the system so much easier. It's also really reassuring to hear from @Amelia Cartwright who works in the system that first-time unreported income under the IRT is usually handled as an administrative error rather than fraud. That takes away so much of the fear factor! Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this kind of community support makes such a huge difference when you're trying to do right by the rules but feeling overwhelmed by the bureaucracy.

This entire discussion has been so incredibly helpful! I'm in week 3 of a new part-time job (cashier at a local market, about 16 hours/week at $15.75/hr) and have been absolutely paralyzed with anxiety about reporting it to CalWORKs. My income is definitely under my IRT ($2,248 for my household size), but I kept putting off the call because I was terrified they'd immediately slash my benefits or worse. Reading @Matthew Sanchez's experience and seeing how it actually played out has been such a relief - it sounds like the workers are much more reasonable than I feared when you're honest and your income is still under the threshold. The dual reporting strategy everyone mentioned (BenefitsCal online first, then follow up with a call) is brilliant and something I never would have thought of. I'm also really grateful for the tip about asking for WTW credit for work hours - I had no idea that was even possible! I've been struggling to find enough approved activities to meet my weekly requirement, so knowing my job hours can count toward that is huge. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences instead of just the scary stories you usually hear. I'm definitely reporting online tonight and calling my worker tomorrow morning. This community support makes navigating all these requirements so much less intimidating!

This thread has been such a game-changer for me! I've been on CalWORKs for about 2 months and just started a part-time job at a local coffee shop (12 hours/week at $16/hr). Like so many others here, I was completely panicking about the 10-day reporting rule that I missed by about a week. Reading through everyone's experiences, especially @Matthew Sanchez's positive outcome, has given me the confidence to stop procrastinating and just handle this properly. My income is definitely under my IRT ($2,089 for my family), so I'm hoping for a similar result. The advice about dual reporting through BenefitsCal AND calling is brilliant - I never would have thought to create that documentation trail. And I had absolutely no clue about work hours counting toward WTW requirements! That's going to be such a huge help since I've been stressed about meeting my participation hours. Thank you all for being so open about your experiences and creating such a supportive space. It's incredible how much better this feels when you realize you're not alone in navigating these challenges. I'm reporting online tonight and calling my worker first thing tomorrow!

This entire thread has been such a lifesaver for everyone dealing with reporting anxiety! As someone who just started receiving CalWORKs benefits last month, I was completely unaware of so many of these nuances until reading through all your experiences. What really stands out to me is how consistently the dual reporting approach (BenefitsCal online + worker phone call) has worked well for people, and how being under the IRT seems to make such a huge difference in outcomes. @Matthew Sanchez, your follow-up showing everything worked out perfectly really demonstrates that honesty and quick action pay off way more than hiding and worrying. I'm also amazed by how many people mentioned the WTW credit for work hours - that seems like such an important detail that isn't well-communicated in the initial paperwork! For those of us trying to meet participation requirements, knowing that employment hours can count toward that is incredibly valuable information. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences here, especially @Amelia Cartwright for the insider perspective on how these situations are actually handled. This kind of community support and practical advice makes navigating the CalWORKs system feel so much more manageable for newcomers like me!