Didn't report my part-time job to CalWORKs - will they discontinue my Cash Aid?
So I started a part-time job about 6 weeks ago and totally failed to report it to CalWORKs within the 10-day reporting period. I'm only working like 10-12 hours weekly at $15.50/hr, so my income is still below the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), but I'm seriously freaking out that they'll cut off my Cash Aid for not reporting on time. I know I messed up, but I was honestly scared they'd immediately reduce my benefits, and my kids' school expenses have been crazy this month. Would they really make me reapply from scratch just for being late to report a small part-time job? Has anyone gone through this? Will I get in trouble for income that's actually under my IRT but not reported on time?
21 comments
Join the conversation
Ella Thompson
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!
0 coins
Matthew Sanchez
AuthorThank you!! I'm going to call first thing tomorrow. So if they do calculate an overpayment, will they take it out of future benefits? I'm already stretching every dollar...
0 coins
JacksonHarris
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!!
0 coins
Matthew Sanchez
AuthorThat's actually a huge relief to hear! $37 a month I could handle. Did they make you fill out any special forms or did you just call your worker?
0 coins
Jeremiah Brown
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!!
0 coins
Ella Thompson
Did your sister's situation involve income over her IRT though? That makes a big difference. If income is under the IRT and wouldn't have affected benefit amount in the first place, they're usually less harsh than when someone fails to report income that would have reduced their benefits substantially.
0 coins
Royal_GM_Mark
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.
0 coins
JacksonHarris
does this actually work?? i swear i spent 3 hours on hold last time i had to call my worker
0 coins
Royal_GM_Mark
Yeah it did for me! I was skeptical too but got through to San Bernardino County in like 8 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. I think different counties might have different wait times though.
0 coins
Amelia Cartwright
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.
0 coins
Matthew Sanchez
AuthorThis is SO helpful, thank you! I'm definitely going to report it tomorrow. Would it be better to report online through BenefitsCal or try calling? I'm worried if I just do it online they might not see it right away.
0 coins
Amelia Cartwright
I recommend doing both. Report it online first through BenefitsCal (this timestamps your report) and then follow up with a call to your worker. The online system creates a formal record that you cannot be accused of fabricating later, and the phone call ensures it gets attention promptly. Make sure to print or screenshot your online submission confirmation page as proof.
0 coins
Chris King
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!!!!
0 coins
Rachel Clark
Was your cousin over the IRT though? That's what matters. They don't usually go that hard unless the income was way over what would make you eligible. OP is still under their IRT from what they said.
0 coins
Rachel Clark
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.
0 coins
Matthew Sanchez
AuthorMy IRT is $2,311 for my family size. I'm nowhere near that with this job - I'm making around $650-700/month at most. I've already put in a report on BenefitsCal this evening and I'm going to call first thing tomorrow morning.
0 coins
JacksonHarris
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!!
0 coins
Matthew Sanchez
AuthorThat's a great point! I'm supposed to be doing 20 hours of WTW activities weekly, so my 10-12 hours working should definitely count toward that. Thanks for the reminder!
0 coins
Ella Thompson
Just wanted to follow up - were you able to report your job? How did it go?
0 coins
Matthew Sanchez
AuthorYes! I reported online last night, then used that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get through to my worker this morning. They're going to calculate if there was any overpayment but said since my income is so low it might not affect my benefit amount at all. They also confirmed my work hours will count toward my WTW requirement. Such a relief - wish I hadn't waited so long to report it!
0 coins
StarStrider
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.
0 coins