How to report a job change to CalWORKs? Need urgent step-by-step instructions!

Congrats on the new job! Here's what you need to do to report your job change to CalWORKs: 1. Log into your BenefitsCal account (https://benefitscal.com) 2. Click on "Report a Change" in your dashboard 3. Select "Employment Change" from the options 4. Enter all your new job details (employer name, start date, pay rate, hours) 5. Upload a copy of your job offer letter or first paystub as verification 6. Submit the change and note the confirmation number Alternatively, you can call your county worker directly or submit a paper SAR 3 form (Employment Change Report). Important: Since your income increased, definitely report this before you hit your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). Your cash aid might be reduced with higher income, but reporting on time prevents overpayments you'd have to pay back later.

omg the benefitscal site is THE WORST!! i tried to report my job change on there last month and it kept crashing. ended up having to call my worker like 20 times before i got thru. good luck!!

I've helped several clients with this exact issue. You have 10 days to report a job change that puts you over your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold - the amount listed on your last approval letter). If you don't have your paystub yet, you can upload a signed statement from your employer with your start date, hourly wage, and expected hours. Or even a photo of your work schedule with your employee ID visible can help. One important thing many people miss: if your new job offers health insurance, you must report that too, even if you don't plan to take it. This affects your Medi-Cal eligibility. Also, remember that increased income might reduce your cash aid amount, but could make you eligible for a higher child care subsidy if you have children, so ask about that when reporting the change.

I went thru this last yr and it was a NIGHTMARE!! I reported my job change but they didn't process it for like 6 weeks and then they hit me with a $1200 overpayment notice saying I didn't report "timely" even tho I DID!!! Had to file for a fair hearing and everything. Make sure u get a confirmation # and SCREENSHOT EVERYTHING! Don't trust the county workers to do their job right!!!

I had this same issue and could never get through on the phone. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) which connected me to a CalWORKs worker in about 10 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Once I got through, the worker helped me report my job change over the phone and told me exactly what verification documents I needed to send in. It saved me a ton of stress since I was worried about getting an overpayment too.

To answer your follow-up question: Yes, you should mention the health insurance even with the 90-day waiting period. Just note when it will become available to you. For verification without a paystub, you can also have your new employer fill out a CW 10 (Statement of Employment) form. Some counties accept this more readily than just a letter. You can download it from the CDSS website or ask your worker to send you one. And definitely ask about the childcare subsidy adjustment with your increased hours and wages!

wait i thought we only need to report changes on the SAR7? isn't that what the semi-annual reporting is for? i'm confused why you need to report right away...

Just wanted to update everyone - I was finally able to report my job change! I couldn't get the BenefitsCal site to work (kept getting errors), so I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got through to a worker in about 15 minutes. The worker took all my info over the phone and emailed me a Statement of Employment form for my boss to fill out. She said my cash aid will probably decrease next month but not by as much as I thought, and she's sending me childcare paperwork for my increased hours. Thanks everyone for all your help!!

Congrats on getting it resolved, Grace! Your experience really shows how important it is to be persistent when dealing with these systems. For anyone else reading this thread, I'd also recommend keeping copies of everything you submit - take photos of forms before you send them, save confirmation numbers, and keep notes with dates of who you talked to and what they said. One more tip: if your income continues to fluctuate (like if you get overtime or your hours vary), ask your worker about quarterly reporting instead of semi-annual. Some counties allow this for people with unstable income, and it can help prevent overpayments down the road. It's more paperwork but can save you headaches later! Hope the childcare subsidy works out well for you - that extra support can really make a difference when you're transitioning to higher income!