How to get CalWORKs diaper benefit for my 9-month-old? So confused about the application process

Yes, you should be getting the diaper benefit! It's $30 per month for each child under 3 years old who receives CalWORKs. The important thing is that you need to be the one to request it - it's not automatically added. Call your worker or go to your local county office and specifically ask for the CalWORKs diaper benefit. You don't need to provide any proof that you're buying diapers, just that you have a child under 3 who's included in your CalWORKs case. Once approved, it should show up as a separate line item on your benefit statement. The payments are retroactive to January 2020 or when your child was born (whichever is later), so you should get some back pay too!

I got it for my twins last month! Just had to ask specifically for the diaper benefit. They should have told you about it when you applied, smdh. They never tell us everything we qualify for. Make sure you mention that its for a child under 3 yrs old on your CalWORKs case. $30 per month per kid.

The diaper benefit (officially called the CalWORKs Diaper Assistance) is $30 per month per child under age 3 who's on your CalWORKs case. You need to request it - call your eligibility worker and tell them you want to apply for the diaper benefit for your 9-month-old. A few important things to know: 1. It's retroactive to either January 2020 or your child's birth date (whichever is later) 2. No verification of diaper purchases is required 3. It will be paid separately from your regular cash aid 4. You'll need to provide your child's name and birthdate when requesting Also, don't forget to request the childcare benefit if you're working or in school/training! That's a separate benefit many people don't know about.

When I tried calling about this for my 18 month old twins, I was on hold for TWO HOURS and then got disconnected!!! Called back THREE MORE TIMES over two days and never got through. Ended up having to take time off work to go to the office in person, which cost me money in lost wages. When I finally got there, they acted like it was no big deal and just added it. But it took ANOTHER 3 weeks to show up on my EBT card. The system is so broken and they make everything so difficult on purpose!!! Good luck getting through to anyone on the phone!!

i got the diaper benefit for my 2 yr old its easy but u have to ASK for it they dont just give it to u. call ur worker and tell them u want it for ur baby. its $30 per month and they should give u back pay from when ur baby was born if u were on calworks then too.

wait do u need to have an active WTW plan to get the diaper money?? i have my waivor for school right now and not doing any WTW activites. will that effect getting the diaper benefit???

After you request it you'll get a Notice of Action in the mail that says if you're approved. Mine took like 3 weeks to process and then I got a lump sum payment for all the back months at once. It shows up as a separate deposit on your EBT card, not combined with your regular cash aid.

Just to add one more thing - if anyone is struggling with buying diapers while waiting for the CalWORKs diaper benefit to be approved, check with your local diaper bank. Many areas have non-profits that distribute free diapers to families in need. You can find your local diaper bank at nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org. Also, some WIC offices have partnerships with diaper banks, so ask about that at your next WIC appointment if you're enrolled in that program too.

UPDATE: I called this morning after trying 5 times yesterday and getting disconnected. Finally got through and requested the diaper benefit. The worker confirmed I qualify and said they'll add it going back to when my daughter was born! Should see the payment in about 2 weeks. Thank you everyone for your help! I never would have known about this if I hadn't asked here.

Congratulations on getting approved! That's awesome that you'll get the back pay from when your daughter was born - that should be around $270 if my math is right ($30 x 9 months). For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, here's what I learned when I got the diaper benefit for my son: - Call early in the morning (around 8-8:30am) to have the best chance of getting through - Have your child's full name and birthdate ready when you call - Ask specifically for "CalWORKs Diaper Assistance" - some workers know it by different names - Keep notes of when you called and who you spoke with in case there are any issues Also want to echo what others said about asking about ALL the benefits you might qualify for. I found out I was missing out on the childcare benefit too, which has been a huge help. These programs exist to help us but they really don't make it easy to know what's available!