Do I need to call CalWORKs about my new job after submitting paystubs and receiving IRT notice?

You should be fine since you already submitted paystubs and received an IRT notice in response. The county obviously knows about your job since they sent you that congrats notice and calculated your new IRT. The IRT notice means they've processed your reported income and adjusted your benefits accordingly. You don't need to call unless your income goes OVER that IRT amount they listed.

Thank you! That's a huge relief. The IRT amount they gave me is $3,178 which is way more than I'll make at this job.

no your still supposed to call even with the paystubs because you have to verbaly tell them its a new job not just wage changes. i got in troble for this exact thing last year

Oh no, that's exactly what I was worried about! Did they cut your benefits or give you an overpayment?

The correct answer is that you've done enough by submitting the paystubs IF the county processed them correctly as a new job (which it appears they did based on the congratulations notice). The key is whether they recognized it as new employment versus just increased income from an existing job.However, to be 100% safe, it never hurts to call your worker and confirm they have all the information they need about your new employment. You should specifically ask if they need:1. Your job start date2. Employer information3. Your work schedule (if it impacts Welfare to Work requirements)If you're also on CalWORKs with Welfare to Work requirements, you definitely want to make sure this employment is properly recorded toward your participation hours.

Thank you for the detailed response! I am on CalWORKs too, and I do have WTW requirements. I should definitely make sure they know this counts toward my hours. I'll try calling tomorrow.

Just wondering - how long did it take between when you submitted the paystubs and when you got the notice? I submitted mine like 3 weeks ago and haven't heard anything!

It took about 10 days for me to get the notice after I uploaded my paystubs through BenefitsCal.

I've been dealing with CalWORKs for YEARS and let me tell you, ALWAYS CALL to report changes!!! Even if you think they know, even if they send you something that looks like they know. The left hand never knows what the right is doing in these offices and YOU will be the one who gets punished with an overpayment or fraud investigation!!!I submitted paystubs once and thought everything was fine, then 6 months later got hit with a $4,200 overpayment notice because they claimed I never \

Wow that's terrifying! I definitely don't want an overpayment. I'll try to call tomorrow for sure after hearing this.

If you're having trouble reaching your worker by phone (which is super common), you might want to try using Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to actual caseworkers instead of sitting on hold forever. I used it last month when I needed to report a job change and couldn't get through after trying for days. The service calls the county for you and then connects you when they reach a human. You can see how it works at claimyr.com or watch their demo video at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE It saved me hours of hold time and potential benefit problems. Just mentioning it because reporting employment changes is definitely something you want to make sure gets done right.

Thanks for the suggestion! I've tried calling my worker before and it's literally impossible to get through. I'll check out that service if I can't get through tomorrow.

Your fine, counties are different but the congratulations notice means they know u have a job. As long as u keep sending paystubs each month they can't say u dint report. The IRT is the amount u need to call about if u go over it. Thats the only time u need to call mid-period.

This is TERRIBLE advice! Following this could get someone in serious trouble. The rules CLEARLY state you must report new employment within 10 days regardless of paystubs. The SAR7 and mid-period reporting requirements are completely different things!!

Just to clarify some confusion in this thread - the reporting rules are different for CalFresh versus CalWORKs:For CalFresh: If you submit paystubs and get an IRT letter, generally that's sufficient documentation of your new job.For CalWORKs: You technically should report new employment within 10 days through a mid-period report (regardless of whether you submitted paystubs).However, since you received a notice specifically congratulating you on employment, it appears the county has properly recorded your new job for both programs. To be fully compliant though, you should try to reach your worker just to confirm the new employment is properly documented in your case record for CalWORKs specifically.

Thank you for explaining the difference! I didn't realize they had different reporting requirements. I'll definitely call to confirm everything is recorded correctly.

Update: I called my worker today and got through right away (miracle). She confirmed they have all the info about my new job correctly recorded for both CalFresh and CalWORKs! The paystubs I submitted were processed correctly and there's nothing else I need to do except report if I go over my IRT. She also updated my WTW plan to count my current employment hours. Thanks everyone for your help!

You got SUPER lucky reaching someone! But glad you got it confirmed - always better to be safe than sorry with these benefits!