How to add newborn twins to my CalWORKs and CalFresh case? Documentation needed?

Congratulations on your twins! For CalWORKs and CalFresh, you'll need to report this change within 10 days. You need to provide birth certificates or hospital documentation showing date of birth and that you're the parent. If you don't have birth certificates yet, the verification of birth from the hospital (sometimes called a

Thank you! The hospital gave me some paper that has both babies names and my name on it, hope thats enough. So I just need to turn that in? Do I have to go in person or can I upload it on BenefitsCal? My app keeps crashing when I try to upload stuff 😣

make sure u also tell medi-cal about the twins!! they need to be added to ur medi-cal case too. i had a baby last year and it took them 2 months to add the cash aid but they gave me back pay. but they didnt give me extra calfresh for the month i reported, only started the next month. also ask about the diaper allowance for each baby its like $30 per baby per month extra on ur calworks i think

OMG I didnt even think about Medi-Cal!! Thank u so much for reminding me. And I never heard of a diaper allowance before??? Does everyone with babies get that or just twins?

If you're having trouble reaching your worker, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. It saved me so much time when I needed to add my son to my case. They connect you directly to a live person at the county without waiting on hold. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwEMost county offices are super backed up right now, and with twins you definitely want to get them added ASAP to increase your benefits. The sooner you report, the sooner your benefits will adjust.

Does this actually work??? I've been trying to get through to my worker for 3 weeks! How much does it cost to use this service?

congratz on the twins!! i have twins too there 4 now. so much work but so worth it!! make sure u save the hospital papers they gave u need those

The county made me wait until I had the ACTUAL birth certificates before they would add my baby last year. Took almost 8 weeks to get them and the worker wouldn't accept the hospital papers even though the regulations CLEARLY state temporary documentation is allowed. I had to talk to a supervisor to get it fixed and they STILL messed up my benefits. The system is designed to make it as difficult as possible to get what you're entitled to. Make sure you document EVERYTHING and get names of whoever you talk to.

That shouldn't have happened - hospital verification is absolutely supposed to be accepted as temporary documentation. CalWORKs regulations specifically allow for it while waiting for birth certificates. If anyone else experiences this, ask to speak with a supervisor or file for a state hearing. They can't deny adding eligible children because the permanent birth certificate isn't available yet.

Exactly!!! But try telling that to some of these workers who don't know their own policies. I literally had to print out the regulation and bring it with me to the office.

When I had my baby in January the hospital actually reported the birth to the county for me. A worker called me 2 weeks later to confirm and ask for more info. Did your hospital say anything about that? Might be different in each county tho

No they didn't say anything about that! I'm in Los Angeles County, not sure if they do that here? If they do that would be amazing cause I'm so tired with newborn twins I can barely think straight

Quick question - are your twins identical or fraternal? My sister just had identical twins and Medi-Cal was giving her issues saying they only needed one birth certificate since they're identical!!! Like what?? Has anyone dealt with this before? Just wondering if this might happen to you too.

Mine are fraternal, a boy and a girl. That's crazy they would say that about identical twins! They're still two separate people who need their own coverage!

Something else to keep in mind - if you're in the CalWORKs Welfare to Work program, you can get an exemption from WTW participation requirements until your twins are 24 months old. With multiple births, the exemption period is longer than with a single child. Make sure to ask about this when you contact your worker to avoid any WTW sanctions while you're caring for your newborns.

Thank you so much for this info! I was actually worried about my WTW hours. My mom helps with my older kid but with two babies now no way I can do work activities right now. Will definitely ask about this exemption!

oh and dont forget to apply for childcare assistance thru calworks!! even with the wtw exemption u can still get help with childcare for all ur kids. my friend got approved for like 30 hours a week of childcare for her baby even tho she wasnt working yet, she was using the time to look for work and stuff

Congratulations on your twins! 🎉 Just wanted to add that you should also check if your county has any special programs for families with multiples. Some counties offer additional support like extra diapers, formula assistance, or even priority scheduling for appointments when you have twins/multiples. Also, when you do get through to report the births, ask them to email or mail you a confirmation that the change was received and processed - this saved me when there was a delay in my case and I had proof I reported on time. Hope you get some rest mama, the first few months with twins are no joke but it gets easier! 💕