Reported above-IRT income for CalWORKs - timing of eligibility determination and overpayment worries

You did the right thing by reporting right away! When you go over your IRT, the county has to evaluate your case mid-period to determine if you're still eligible. Typically this takes 10 business days, but it can honestly take longer depending on your county and their current workload. If you receive benefits next month and they later determine you weren't eligible, yes, it could be considered an overpayment that you'd need to pay back. But here's what's important - your eligibility depends on how much OVER the IRT you went. Going over the IRT just means you have to report it, not that you automatically lose benefits. Do you know how much your new income puts you over your household's income limit (not just the IRT)? The income limit is higher than the reporting threshold.

this happend to me last summer i got a pt job nd went over my irt i reported it and they just reduced my cash not stopped it totally. the worker said as long as i didnt go over like 200% of poverty level or something. they did it pretty fast like 2 weeks. but depends on ur county mine is small

The timeline can vary by county, but generally they should make a determination within 10 days of receiving your reported income change. However, many counties are severely backlogged, so it could take longer. Important things to know: 1. The IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) is just the point at which you must report income changes, NOT the eligibility cutoff 2. For CalWORKs, the actual income limit is higher than your IRT 3. If your income is over the IRT but still under the eligibility limit, your grant will be reduced, not terminated 4. If they determine you're ineligible but still issue a payment, yes, that would be an overpayment you'd need to repay I'd recommend calling your caseworker directly to ask about your specific situation and timeline. Make sure to document the date/time of your call and who you spoke with.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I was in a similar situation last month and couldn't get through to my worker for days. A friend told me about claimyr.com and it actually worked - they wait on hold with the county for you and call you back when your worker picks up. Saved me hours of hold time frustration. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE that shows how it works. Definitely worth it when you need to talk to someone quickly about income changes!

DONT spend that money if ur not sure!! my sister had 2 pay back almost $800 when this happnd to her its not worth the stress. they dint tell her til like 6 weeks later that she wasnt eligible anymore and by then shed already spent the $$. now they take money from her tax returns every year til its paid off

One thing to remember is that CalWORKs has earned income disregards that might keep you eligible even with your new job. They don't count the first $450 of earned income for a family of your size, and then 50% of the remainder is disregarded too. So even if you're making $1,800/month, they might only count around $675 as countable income ($1,800 - $450 = $1,350, then 50% of that is $675). Also, when you report going over IRT mid-period, any change to your benefits typically happens the following month, not immediately. So if you reported in May, changes would likely take effect in June. Best thing is to keep documentation of EVERYTHING - when you reported, confirmation numbers, names of workers you speak with, etc. This protects you if they try to claim an overpayment later when you did everything right.

I jus went thru this exact thing!!! So when I started my job last month I reported right away on BenefitsCal cuz I went over my IRT. I got a letter about 2 weeks later saying my cash aid was going down by like $200 but not stopping completely. Apparently theres the IRT which is when u have to report, but then theres a higher limit for actually being eligible. Like others said they dont count all ur income. Also they told me that since I reported on time, even IF it turned out I wasnt eligible, it wouldnt be an overpayment cuz I did my part by reporting. But different workers say different things sometimes so idk...

Based on your situation with $1,800 income for a family of 2, I think you'll likely remain eligible for some cash aid but at a reduced amount. The caseworker will need to recalculate your grant based on the new income. For verification purposes, they'll need proof of your new income. Be prepared to submit paystubs or an employer verification form. If you haven't received paystubs yet, a letter from your employer stating your hours and pay rate should suffice temporarily. What's crucial now is getting confirmation that they've processed your reported change. If you can't reach your worker by phone after multiple attempts, consider: 1. Sending a secure message through BenefitsCal if your county has that feature enabled 2. Visiting the office in person if possible 3. Contacting your county's ombudsperson if you're still unable to reach anyone Document all your attempts to contact them - this helps protect you if there are any issues later.

Just want to add that you should also keep track of when you actually started working versus when you received your first paycheck. The county looks at when you actually earned the income, not when you got paid. So if you started working last week but your first check covers work from this week, that timing matters for determining which benefit period is affected. Also, since you mentioned you're getting CalFresh too - income changes can affect both programs differently. CalFresh has different income limits and reporting requirements than CalWORKs, so don't assume what happens with one will be the same for the other. One more tip: if you do end up having to repay anything, you can usually set up a payment plan rather than having to pay it all back at once. But honestly, based on what others have shared about your income level, it sounds like you'll probably just get a reduction rather than losing benefits entirely.

I went through something similar a few months ago! The waiting and uncertainty is definitely stressful. One thing that helped me was calling first thing in the morning right when they open - I had better luck getting through around 8 AM versus later in the day. Also, make sure you save a copy of your BenefitsCal submission confirmation if you got one when you reported. That timestamp showing when you reported can be really important if there are any questions later about whether you reported timely. From what everyone's saying about your income level, it sounds promising that you'll just get a reduction rather than losing everything. The earned income disregards really do help - I was surprised how much income they actually don't count when you're working. Hang in there and keep us posted on what happens!

I'm new to CalWORKs and just went through something similar last month! When I reported going over my IRT, I was terrified about overpayments too. My caseworker explained that as long as you report timely (which you did!), you're protected from overpayment liability in most cases. The key thing is that going over your IRT doesn't automatically mean you lose benefits - it just triggers a review. With your income level and family size, you'll likely just see a reduction in your grant amount rather than complete termination. One thing I learned is to ask your caseworker specifically about the "earned income disregard" calculations. They don't count all of your earned income, which might keep you eligible even with the new job. Also, if you're still waiting to get through by phone, try sending a secure message through your BenefitsCal account if your county has that feature enabled - sometimes that gets a faster response than calling. You're doing everything right by reporting promptly and being proactive about understanding the process!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just started a new job two weeks ago and went over my IRT. The stress about potential overpayments is real - I've been losing sleep over it. What's helped me is creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything: when I reported, confirmation numbers, dates I tried calling, etc. I also opened a separate savings account and I'm putting any benefits I receive there until I get clarity on my eligibility status. That way if there is an overpayment, I have the money set aside. From everything I'm reading in this thread, it sounds like we might both be overthinking this. The earned income disregards seem like they could really help keep us eligible. Still nerve-wracking though! Let me know what you find out when you talk to your caseworker - I'm in the same boat waiting for answers.