Do my kids still get CalWORKs benefits after I hit my 60-month time limit?

Your children will still receive Cash Aid! When you hit your 60-month time limit, you become what's called a "timed-out adult" but your kids remain eligible as long as they meet all other CalWORKs requirements. Your grant amount will decrease (since it won't include your portion) but your children will continue receiving benefits. Your worker should calculate a new grant amount just for them. This is called a "child-only case.

Im on team 24 too and hit my limit last year!!!! they only took me off but my kids still get the money. it dropped by like $240 which really hurt but better than nothing. you still gotta do the SAR7 and everything for the kids.

good luck geting anyone on the phone! i wasted 2 weeks trying to reach my worker to ask about the same thing when i got my 60 month notice. they NEVER pick up or call back smh

they did me SO DIRTY when I timed out. never told me about it until my money was already cut. you should also apply for CalFresh if you haven't already because your amount will probably go up since your cash aid is going down. and check into the LIHEAP program for help with utilities because that realy helped me when my cash dropped.

Your situation is exactly why the 60-month time limit policy is so problematic. While your children will still receive benefits, the reduced amount puts tremendous stress on families already struggling. The policy assumes adults can find sustainable employment after 60 months, but that's not the reality for many, especially in high-cost areas of California. Parents still have all the same expenses but with significantly less support. The system needs serious reform.

One important thing to check: make sure they've accurately counted your 60 months. Some months might not count toward your time limit if you were exempt during certain periods (for example, if you had a child under 2, were disabled temporarily, caring for an ill family member, etc.). Ask your worker for a "WTW 40" form which shows exactly how your months were counted. I've seen many cases where people actually had months remaining because exemptions weren't properly recorded.

my sister got timed out in 2024 and her kids still get money but she says its been a NIGHTMARE trying to get them to issue the EBT card with the new amount. took like 2 months of calls and visits. so start bugging them NOW about it

I can't thank you all enough for the information! I just got through to my worker (used that Claimyr service and it actually worked). She confirmed my kids will keep getting aid but my portion will be removed. She's sending me the WTW 40 form to check my months like someone suggested. Turns out I might have some exempt months that weren't counted properly! Also, she said my CalFresh will automatically increase when my Cash Aid decreases. This was so helpful - was losing sleep over this!

That's such great news that you got through and got answers! The community here is amazing - everyone's advice was spot on. Definitely follow up on those exempt months because even getting back a few more months of eligibility could make a huge difference for your family. And yes, the automatic CalFresh increase should help offset some of the cash aid reduction. Keep us posted on what you find out from the WTW 40 form - your experience might help other families in similar situations!

This whole thread is such a perfect example of how confusing and stressful the CalWORKs system can be! I'm so glad you got through to your worker and got clarity, Mateo. The fact that you might have exempt months that weren't properly counted is huge - I've seen so many families who don't realize they should request that WTW 40 form to verify their time limit calculation. For anyone else reading this who's approaching their 60-month limit, definitely ask for that form! And yes, your kids will absolutely continue receiving benefits even after you time out - the grant just gets recalculated without your portion included. The system should automatically adjust your CalFresh benefits too when your cash aid decreases. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's going to help so many other parents who get that scary 60-month notice!

This thread has been so helpful! I'm currently at 54 months and starting to worry about what happens when I hit my limit. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel less alone in this situation. @Mateo Sanchez - I'm really glad you got through to your worker and found out about those potential exempt months! That gives me hope that I should also request the WTW 40 form to double-check my own count. I think I had some exemptions too when my daughter was born and when I was in the hospital for a few weeks last year. Does anyone know if medical exemptions also don't count toward the 60 months? And @Yuki Kobayashi thank you for explaining about that form - I had never heard of it before but it sounds like something every CalWORKs parent should know about!

This entire conversation has been so informative and reassuring! As someone who's been on CalWORKs for about 3 years now, I had no idea about so many of these details - especially the WTW 40 form and how exemptions work. @Mateo Sanchez I'm so relieved things worked out for you and that your kids will keep getting support! It's scary how unclear these notices can be. I'm definitely going to ask for my own WTW 40 form just to see where I stand. And wow, that Claimyr service sounds like a game changer - I've wasted so many hours on hold trying to reach my worker. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences here. This community really shows how we can help each other navigate these complicated systems!

This thread has been incredibly valuable! As a parent who's been on CalWORKs for about 2 years, I had never heard of the WTW 40 form before reading this discussion. The fact that exempt months don't count toward the 60-month limit is something every CalWORKs recipient should know about! @Mateo Sanchez I'm so happy you got through to your worker and discovered you might have exempt months that weren't counted properly - that could be huge for your family. And thank you to everyone who shared their experiences about what actually happens when you hit the time limit. Knowing that the kids still get benefits (even though the amount decreases) takes away a lot of the fear around that 60-month notice. This is exactly why communities like this are so important - the official notices and workers don't always explain things clearly, but hearing from people who've actually been through it makes all the difference!

This has been such an incredibly helpful thread to read! As someone who just received my first CalWORKs benefits a couple months ago, I had absolutely no idea about the 60-month time limit or any of these exemptions. @Mateo Sanchez I'm so glad you got through to your worker and found out about those potential exempt months - what a relief that must be! The WTW 40 form sounds like something every CalWORKs recipient should know about from day one. It's honestly shocking how much crucial information isn't clearly communicated upfront. Reading everyone's real experiences here has taught me more about how the system actually works than any of the official paperwork I received. I'm definitely going to request my own WTW 40 form just to see where I stand, and I'm bookmarking that Claimyr service too since getting through to workers seems to be such a universal struggle. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this community is truly invaluable for helping each other navigate these complex systems!

This entire thread has been absolutely amazing to read through! As someone who's been on CalWORKs for about 8 months now, I had zero knowledge about the 60-month time limit or how exemptions work. @Mateo Sanchez I'm so incredibly happy that you got through to your worker and potentially discovered those exempt months - that could be life-changing for your family! The WTW 40 form is something I never knew existed, and it sounds like every single CalWORKs recipient should request this from day one to understand where they stand. It's honestly mind-blowing how much critical information isn't clearly communicated when you first apply. Reading everyone's real-world experiences here has taught me more about navigating this system than any official documentation ever could. I'm definitely going to request my own WTW 40 form and look into that Claimyr service since reaching workers seems to be such a universal challenge. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and knowledge - this community is proving to be an absolute lifeline for understanding how these complex systems actually work in practice rather than just on paper!

This thread has been such an incredible learning experience for me! As someone who just applied for CalWORKs last month and is still figuring out all the requirements, I had no idea about the 60-month time limit or any of these exemptions. @Mateo Sanchez I'm so relieved things worked out for you and that your kids will continue receiving benefits - your persistence in getting through to your worker really paid off! The information about the WTW 40 form is completely new to me and sounds like something every CalWORKs recipient should know about from the start. It's honestly concerning how much crucial information isn't clearly explained during the application process. Reading through everyone's real experiences here has been more educational than any of the official materials I've received. I'm definitely going to request my own WTW 40 form to see where I stand, and I'm saving that Claimyr service info too since it seems like reaching workers is a common struggle. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this community is proving to be an invaluable resource for understanding how these systems actually work in practice!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to follow! As someone who's been on CalWORKs for about a year now, I had heard whispers about the 60-month time limit but never really understood what it meant or how it worked. @Mateo Sanchez I'm so happy you got through to your worker and discovered those potential exempt months - what a huge relief that must be for you and your kids! Reading everyone's experiences here has taught me more about the system than any official communication ever has. The WTW 40 form is something I never knew existed, and it sounds like every CalWORKs recipient should request one to understand where they stand. I'm definitely going to ask for mine at my next appointment. It's both frustrating and comforting to see how many of us are learning these crucial details through community support rather than clear information from the county. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes such a difference when navigating these complex systems!

This thread has been absolutely incredible and so educational! As someone who's been receiving CalWORKs for about 5 months now, I had absolutely zero knowledge about the 60-month time limit or how exemptions work. @Mateo Sanchez I'm so thrilled that you got through to your worker and potentially discovered those exempt months - what an amazing turn of events! The WTW 40 form is completely new information to me and it sounds like something every single CalWORKs recipient should know about from the very beginning. It's honestly shocking how much vital information isn't clearly explained during the application process or in ongoing communications. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences here has been more informative than any official documentation I've received. I'm definitely going to request my own WTW 40 form at my next appointment and I'm saving that Claimyr service information too since reaching workers seems to be such a universal struggle. The fact that children continue receiving benefits after the adult times out (even with the reduced amount) is such important information that should be clearly communicated to everyone. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this community is proving to be an absolutely invaluable resource for understanding how these complex systems actually work in practice rather than just what's written in the official materials!