Finally approved for CalWORKs after stressful recertification - tips on what worked for me
Just had to share some good news! After stressing for weeks about my CalWORKs recertification, I finally got through the interview yesterday and was APPROVED! 🎉 My caseworker confirmed I'll keep getting benefits for another 12 months. The whole process was way more complicated than it needed to be - I had to reschedule twice because my work schedule kept changing, and then my phone died during the first attempt at the interview (of course). For anyone about to do their recert, here's what finally worked for me: 1) I uploaded ALL my pay stubs for the last 3 months on BenefitsCal even though they only asked for recent ones 2) I had my childcare receipts ready 3) I made sure my SAR7 from last quarter was processed before the interview. The worker actually complimented me on being so prepared! Now I don't have to worry about my kids' basic needs for another year. Such a weight off my shoulders!
20 comments
Join the conversation
Ezra Beard
Congratulations! It's always such a relief when that approval comes through. I remember panicking during my last recertification when they asked for additional verification of my rental agreement that I didn't have ready. Smart move uploading extra pay stubs - they always seem to want more documentation than they initially say. Did they discuss your Welfare to Work participation hours at all during the interview? That's usually the part that stresses me out the most since I'm doing part-time work and school.
0 coins
Tobias Lancaster
•Thanks! Yes, we did talk about my WTW hours. I'm doing the minimum 20 hours at my job, and they seemed satisfied with that. My worker did mention something about me being eligible for the childcare assistance program since I'm working, but honestly I was so nervous during the call I didn't absorb all the details. Need to follow up about that because my babysitter costs are killing me.
0 coins
Statiia Aarssizan
congrats!! my interview is next week and im freaking out lol. did they ask about child support? my ex hasnt paid in months and im worried theyll cut my benefits cuz of it
0 coins
Tobias Lancaster
•They did ask about child support but mostly just wanted to know if I'd been cooperating with the child support office. I told them I've attended all the appointments they scheduled and signed all the paperwork, even though my ex also never pays. The worker said as long as I'm cooperating with the process, it doesn't affect my eligibility. Good luck with your interview!
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
•They can't cut your CalWORKs for your ex not paying child support! They can only reduce benefits if YOU refuse to cooperate with DCSS (child support services). Make sure you tell them you're fully cooperating with the child support process and it's not your fault payments aren't coming in. This is a common misconception that gets people in trouble because they're afraid to do the interview.
0 coins
Aria Khan
awesome update!!! I wish I'd been as prepared for mine. My recert last month was a DISASTER - they discontinued me because I missed submitting proof of my rent increase on time. Had to start all over with a new application! The stupid thing is I TRIED to call my worker multiple times beforehand but kept getting voicemail and no call back. 😤
0 coins
Everett Tutum
•I was in the same boat last year trying to reach my worker about verification documents. After getting disconnected like 20 times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual human at the county office in like 15 minutes. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Saved me from having my benefits cut off when I needed to explain a change in my housing situation. Way better than waiting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
0 coins
Sunny Wang
They always make this process harder than it needs to be smh. I've been on CalWORKs for 3 years and EVERY TIME there's some new document they want. Last time it was my electric bill for some reason?? Even though I've never had to provide that before! The system is designed to make us give up.
0 coins
Hugh Intensity
•To be fair, they're just following the regulations. Your case might have been flagged for a utility verification if something in your rent or housing expenses changed. They don't make up these requirements - it's all in the eligibility handbook. I've worked with families in the system for years, and the biggest issue is usually miscommunication, not that they're trying to kick people off. The workers have massive caseloads and barely enough time to process everything.
0 coins
Ezra Beard
I wanted to mention that if you're working, make sure to ask about the Earned Income Disregard. They don't count the first $450 of your monthly earnings plus 50% of the remainder when calculating your CalWORKs amount. Some workers don't explain this well, and I've seen people afraid to work more hours thinking they'll lose all their benefits. Also, don't forget you're probably eligible for the CalFresh maximum benefit if you're on CalWORKs - make sure both programs are active.
0 coins
Tobias Lancaster
•This is so helpful, thank you! My worker did mention something about not counting all my income but I didn't understand the formula. $450 plus half the rest makes sense. And yes, I do get CalFresh too - that's actually been more straightforward than the CalWORKs part.
0 coins
Statiia Aarssizan
do they check ur social media during recertification? my cousin said they looked at her instagram and saw she got gifts for her kids and questioned her about it
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
•They generally don't monitor social media as standard practice. That would be extremely time-consuming given their caseloads. However, if they received a specific fraud tip about someone, they might look into public social media as part of an investigation. Regular gifts to children wouldn't affect eligibility anyway unless they were extremely valuable assets. Your cousin might have been dealing with a fraud investigation for other reasons, or perhaps misunderstood why they were asking about the gifts.
0 coins
Effie Alexander
I had my recert last month too its crazy how different the workers can be. My friend who goes to the same office got a super nice lady but I got this man who kept sighing like i was wasting his time. he kept saying woulid hit my 48 month lifetime limit soon (I've only been on casework for like 2.5 years???) so i should be looking for bettrr work. like thanks dude really helpful advice never thought of that 🙄
0 coins
Tobias Lancaster
•That's awful! My worker was pretty neutral - not super friendly but not rude either. Just going through the checklist of questions. The 48-month comment is weird since you haven't been on that long. Maybe he was looking at someone else's case while talking to you? The quality of workers really seems to be all over the place.
0 coins
Hugh Intensity
•There are actually separate clocks for federal TANF (60 months) and California CalWORKs (48 months). If you had TANF in another state before moving to California, those months might count toward your total, which could explain the worker's comment. You should definitely request a Time on Aid (TOA) report that shows exactly how many months you've used. You have a right to see that calculation.
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
Congratulations on your approval! One thing I always recommend after recertification is to check your benefit amount calculation carefully. The Notice of Action you receive should show exactly how they calculated your grant amount. If your income changed at all, make sure the new amount makes sense. I've seen too many cases where data entry errors led to incorrect benefit amounts, and it's much easier to fix these right away than months later. Also remember that if your income increases before your next report is due, you only need to report it if it exceeds your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), which should be listed on your approval notice.
0 coins
Tobias Lancaster
•Thanks for the reminder! I'll double-check when I get the notice. My hours at work do fluctuate sometimes, so understanding that IRT thing is important. Is the threshold different for everyone or is it a standard amount?
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
•The IRT is different for each household based on your family size and circumstances. It's usually set at 130% of the Federal Poverty Level for your household size. Your Notice of Action will list your specific IRT amount. Keep that number handy - as long as your monthly income stays below that amount, you don't need to report changes until your next SAR7 or annual recertification.
0 coins
Malik Johnson
So happy for you! I'm going through my recertification right now and this gives me hope. Quick question - when you uploaded all those extra pay stubs to BenefitsCal, did you have any trouble with the file sizes? I keep getting error messages when I try to upload my documents and I'm worried they won't have everything they need for my interview next week. Also, did they give you any timeline on when your benefits would actually restart? Mine got suspended during the review period and my kids and I are really struggling without the assistance.
0 coins