Found a secret time to call CalWORKs without any wait (7:56-7:58 AM)!

Really?? I've been calling for days trying to fix my Welfare to Work hours issue. They're threatening to sanction me even though I submitted all my verification. I'll try calling at that time tomorrow morning. Did you have to navigate through all those annoying automated menu options or did it put you straight through to a person?

this is BS lol i tried calling at 7:57 exactly and still was on hold for 45 min yesterday. depends on your county i guess

I can confirm this works in San Bernardino County too! I've been trying to reach someone about my 48-month time limit notification (which I think is wrong because I had an exemption during my pregnancy). Called at 7:56 am exactly today and was connected with a worker by 8:15. She was able to review my time-on-aid calculation and confirmed that 6 months should be removed from my count because of the documented exemption. One important tip - if you have a complicated issue like mine with time limits or WTW participation, ask for a worker who specializes in that area. The first person who answered was going to transfer me anyway, so you can save time by asking right away.

Just to add some clarification: CalWORKs offices typically have fewer staff answering phones right when they open, but they also have fewer callers that early. Most people start calling after 9am, which is when the wait times get really bad. Also, calling mid-week (Tuesday-Thursday) is typically better than Monday or Friday because people tend to call at the beginning or end of the week. If you have a really urgent issue and can't get through on the phone, remember you can also: 1. Send a message through BenefitsCal (though responses can take 2-3 days) 2. Go to your local office in person (bring all your documents) 3. Contact your assigned worker directly if you have their direct extension Also: if your benefits have been reduced or cut off incorrectly, make sure to request a hearing within 90 days. You can do this even while trying to reach someone to fix the problem.

ive literally given up on calling them its such a joke. sitting on hold for HOURS just to get disconnected. and they wonder why people get sanctioned or lose benefits when u cant even reach a human to explain ur situation smh

I think this time trick works because it's during the shift change! My sister works for DPSS (not in benefits though) and she says they have the early shift that starts at 7 and the regular shift at 8, with some overlap. So calling during that overlap time means both shifts of workers might be available. BTW another tip - if you're calling about Welfare to Work specifically, there's a separate number in most counties just for WTW issues. It often has shorter wait times than the main CalWORKs line. Ask your worker for it next time you get through!

Update: just wanted to let everyone know I tried this again today (called at 7:57am on Wednesday) to ask about adding my newborn to my case and it worked again! Only waited about 15 minutes this time. They said they needed my baby's birth certificate, which I already submitted through BenefitsCal but they didn't process it yet. The worker was able to find it in the system and process my case update while I was on the phone. So the early morning trick is working consistently at least in my county!

This is amazing, thank you so much for sharing! I've been struggling to reach someone about my case for over a month now. My benefits got suspended because they said I didn't report my part-time job income, but I DID report it on my SAR7 form back in January. I've been calling every day during lunch breaks at work but can never get through. I'm definitely going to try the 7:57 AM trick tomorrow morning - I'll have to wake up extra early but it's worth it if I can finally get this mess sorted out. My kids need their benefits restored ASAP. Did you have all your paperwork ready when you called, or were they able to look everything up in the system?