Do I need to report pregnancy to CalWORKs? Will my Cash Aid increase during pregnancy or after baby comes?

Yes, you need to report your pregnancy to CalWORKs. California requires you to report any change that could affect your eligibility or benefit amount within 10 days. For your benefits, though, the cash aid amount won't increase until after the baby is born and you provide verification (usually the birth certificate). There's no automatic pregnancy increase for CalWORKs. However, there are two important things you should know: 1. You might qualify for a WTW exemption due to pregnancy if your doctor provides medical verification that you're unable to work or participate in your activities. This would protect you from sanctions. 2. Once you're in the second trimester, you should apply for the CalWORKs Special Needs Pregnancy supplement. It's an extra $47/month (if you have no other earned income) and starts when you're verified as being in your second trimester.

congrats on ur pregnancy! when i was pregnant last year i didn't report it until i was like 5 months lol and nothing happened they didn't say anything about reporting late. i think as long as ur not trying to get benefits ur not supposed to have ur fine. but yeah u don't get more $ until after baby is actually here and u bring in the birth certificate. the pregnancy money is super small not even worth the paperwork tbh

I went through this exact thing last year! Technically yes, you're supposed to report within 10 days of finding out you're pregnant. BUT the main reason is because pregnancy can help you with your WTW requirements - not because your benefits will increase right away. Here's what I learned: 1. If your pregnancy makes it difficult to work/participate in WTW activities, you can get an exemption from some or all of your required hours. You'll need a CW 61 form filled out by your doctor. 2. You can get the $47 special needs pregnancy supplement starting in your second trimester (around 4 months). 3. Your cash aid amount will NOT increase until after the baby is born and you provide proof of birth. 4. IMPORTANT: Once the baby is born, report it within 10 days! Then your grant will increase for the additional person. The increase is substantial - for us it was about $200 more per month. Also, make sure you apply for WIC if you haven't already! They provide food benefits specifically for pregnant women and children under 5.

Sorry but I'm confused why everyone saying you get $47??? When I was pregnant in 2023 I got $82 for pregnancy special needs. Maybe it depends on your county? I'm in Los Angeles. And yes u DEFINITELY should report it because if you're having morning sickness you can get a WTW exemption. I was so sick my first trimester I couldn't keep up with my work hours and my worker told me I could've avoided the whole issue if I'd just reported my pregnancy right away and gotten the exemption. Don't make my mistake!!! Tell them now!

I'm telling you right now REPORT IT because I got hit with an overpayment when I didn't report my pregnancy fast enough! They said I should have reported "any change that could affect eligibility" and pregnancy counts because it eventually changes your household size. I had to pay back money AND I missed out on getting the pregnancy special needs money. Don't make the same mistake I did!!!

If you're having trouble reaching your CalWORKs worker, I highly recommend using Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to a real person at the county office without waiting on hold for hours. I was in a similar situation trying to report changes and kept getting disconnected or sent to voicemail. Used Claimyr and got through in minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE and their website is claimyr.com. Definitely helped me when I needed to update my case with time-sensitive information like pregnancy.

Yes, it absolutely works. You don't have to sit on hold - their system waits for you and calls you back when a real person answers. Made a huge difference when I had to report my pregnancy and get the WTW exemption paperwork started quickly. The morning sickness was so bad for me too, I couldn't handle sitting on hold for hours.

To answer your question about the pregnancy supplement calculation - it's $47 with no income, but can be higher (up to $82) depending on your other income. And yes, I absolutely had issues with my WTW hours! That's exactly why you should report ASAP. I was assigned to job search activities when my morning sickness was at its worst. Once I reported my pregnancy and got my doctor to fill out the exemption form, I got a temporary exemption from my WTW requirements for the first trimester. When I felt better, I switched to part-time WTW hours (20 instead of 30) for the rest of my pregnancy. Also important: after you give birth, you automatically get a 3-month exemption from WTW requirements! This was super helpful for recovery and bonding with my baby.

Make sure when you report the pregnancy, you specifically ASK for the CW 61 form for your doctor to fill out regarding WTW exemption. Sometimes workers don't automatically offer it. Also, after giving birth, you'll need to provide verification to get the 3-month postpartum exemption. And don't forget - once your baby arrives, apply for CalFresh separately if you don't already have it. The newborn will increase your CalFresh benefits too. Many people focus on CalWORKs and forget about the CalFresh increase.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I went through this same situation about 6 months ago. Everyone here is giving you great advice - definitely report it ASAP, not just because of the 10-day rule but because the WTW exemption can be a lifesaver during those rough first trimester weeks. One thing I want to add that I don't see mentioned yet - when you call to report your pregnancy, also ask about the Cal-Learn program if you're under 19 or don't have your high school diploma yet. It provides additional support and can help with your WTW requirements too. Also, start keeping good records of everything - when you reported, what forms you submitted, etc. It really helps later when you need to reference things. And definitely get that CW 61 form filled out by your doctor ASAP if you're having morning sickness issues with your current WTW activities. The pregnancy supplement isn't huge but it does help, especially when you're already struggling. And that $200+ increase once baby arrives will make a real difference. Good luck with everything!

Hey there! Congratulations on your pregnancy! 🎉 I just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact same thing about a year ago when I was pregnant with my second child. Everyone's advice here is spot on - definitely report it within those 10 days. I was super nervous about calling too, but honestly my worker was really helpful once I explained the situation. The morning sickness exemption was a game changer for me because I literally couldn't keep food down for like 6 weeks straight. One thing I wish someone had told me - when you get that CW 61 form for your doctor, make sure to ask them to be specific about your limitations. My doctor just wrote "pregnant" the first time and the county wanted more details. The second time he wrote about the nausea, fatigue, and inability to maintain regular work schedule, and they approved my exemption right away. Also, don't stress too much about the reporting deadline. Yes, you should do it ASAP, but if you're a couple days past 10 days because you were waiting for your doctor appointment, just explain that when you call. They're usually understanding, especially for pregnancy since it's such a common situation. The pregnancy supplement really does help even though it seems small. For me it covered my prenatal vitamins and some extra groceries each month. Every little bit counts when you're already stretching every dollar! Hang in there mama, you've got this! 💪

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I'm currently going through something similar - I'm about 12 weeks along and also receiving CalWORKs for me and my toddler. I wanted to share what I learned from my experience so far. I reported my pregnancy at around 10 weeks, and my worker was actually really helpful about it. Here's what happened: 1. They immediately sent me the CW 61 form for my doctor to fill out. My OB was familiar with it and had no problems documenting my severe nausea and fatigue that was affecting my ability to work. 2. I got approved for a temporary WTW exemption pretty quickly - within about 2 weeks of submitting the form. This took so much pressure off because I was barely functioning those first few months. 3. I just started getting the pregnancy special needs supplement last month (I'm in my second trimester now). For me it's $47 since I don't have other income, and while it's not huge, it definitely helps with the extra food costs and prenatal vitamins. One tip - when you call, also ask if they can email or mail you the CW 61 form ahead of your doctor appointment so you can bring it with you. That way you're not waiting for another appointment to get it filled out. Don't stress too much about being a few days past the 10-day mark if you need to wait for your doctor visit first. They understand that you want to make sure everything is okay before reporting. Just be honest about your timeline when you call. The morning sickness is so rough - I hope it gets better for you soon! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions about the process.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I'm actually a CalWORKs eligibility worker, so I wanted to give you some official guidance on this. You absolutely should report your pregnancy within 10 days of finding out - this is required by law. However, the main benefit isn't an immediate cash increase (that won't happen until after birth), but rather the protections and additional benefits you can access: 1. **WTW Exemption**: If morning sickness is affecting your ability to participate in work activities, you can get a medical exemption. Request form CW 61 from your worker for your doctor to complete. 2. **Pregnancy Special Needs**: Starting in your second trimester, you're eligible for an additional $47/month (or up to $82 if you have some earned income under the IRT). 3. **Protection from Sanctions**: Once your pregnancy is documented, you can't be sanctioned for pregnancy-related absences from WTW activities. Don't worry about being a few days past the 10-day deadline if you're waiting for your first prenatal appointment - just explain that when you call. We understand that people want medical confirmation first. After birth, report within 10 days and your grant will increase for the additional family member (usually around $200+). You'll also get an automatic 3-month postpartum WTW exemption. Call your worker ASAP to start this process. If you can't reach them, try calling the main county number and ask to speak with a supervisor about reporting a pregnancy - they'll make sure you get connected.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! 🎉 As someone who just went through this process recently, I wanted to share what worked for me. First, definitely report it ASAP - I know everyone keeps saying this but it's really important. I was nervous about calling too, but my worker was actually really understanding when I explained I was waiting for my doctor to confirm everything was okay. Here's what I wish I'd known earlier: - Ask for the CW 61 form right when you call so your doctor can fill it out at your appointment - Be specific about your morning sickness symptoms when your doctor fills out the form (mine wrote "severe nausea preventing normal work schedule" and it got approved quickly) - The pregnancy supplement is small but it really does help - mine covered prenatal vitamins and some extra groceries each month - Once you report, you're protected from sanctions for pregnancy-related issues with WTW activities The morning sickness exemption was honestly a lifesaver for me. I couldn't handle my full 30 hours of job search activities during my first trimester, and the exemption took all that stress away so I could focus on taking care of myself and my pregnancy. Don't stress too much about the exact timing - just call after your doctor appointment tomorrow and be honest about waiting for medical confirmation. They deal with pregnant moms all the time and understand the situation. You've got this! 💪

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I just wanted to add a few practical tips from when I went through this same situation about 2 years ago. First, definitely call tomorrow after your doctor appointment - don't stress about being a few days past the 10-day mark since you're waiting for medical confirmation. When you call, have a pen and paper ready because they'll likely give you several things to follow up on. Here's my checklist from when I reported my pregnancy: - Ask for the CW 61 form to be mailed/emailed so you can take it to your next doctor visit - Ask specifically about the pregnancy special needs supplement (they don't always mention it automatically) - Request information about WTW exemptions due to pregnancy symptoms - Get your worker's direct number and best times to reach them One thing that really helped me was keeping a simple log of my morning sickness symptoms and how they affected my daily activities. When my doctor filled out the CW 61, I was able to give him specific examples like "unable to attend job search appointments 3 days this week due to severe nausea" - this made the exemption approval much smoother. Also, don't forget to update your WIC benefits for your pregnancy - they'll increase your food allowances and add prenatal supplements. The extra nutrition support is so important right now! You're going to do great navigating this. The system can seem overwhelming but there are people there to help you through it. Take care of yourself! 💙