Should I use CalFresh benefits after income increase reported on BenefitsCal but worker hasn't called back?

Good job reporting your income change on time! You're actually required to report within 10 days when your income goes over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), so you did the right thing. Here's what you should know: 1. Until your worker processes the change and sends you a Notice of Action showing your benefits are reduced/discontinued, you can legally use the benefits that were issued to you 2. If you're now over the income limit, they'll reduce or stop your benefits for the FOLLOWING month, not retroactively 3. Since you properly reported the change, you shouldn't have to pay anything back, even if you're now over-income I would document that you reported the change (screenshot of your BenefitsCal submission) just to be safe. Your CalFresh and Cash Aid might be affected differently since they have different income limits.

be careful with this!!! i made the same mistake last year and ended up with an overpayment notice for $835 because i spent my calfresh after getting a new job. my worker said i should have KNOWN i was over income even tho they never told me! fought it for months and still had to pay it back. the system is rigged against us

It sounds like you did everything right by reporting on BenefitsCal. The problem is getting through to your worker for confirmation. When I needed to reach my CalWORKs worker about an income change last month, I was getting frustrated with the wait times and disconnects. I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get a callback from my worker the same day. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE that shows how it works. It basically holds your place in line and gets the worker to call you back. I was skeptical but it worked and saved me from constantly redialing. Might be worth trying if you need an answer quickly.

Your supposed to wait til they process the change but sometimes it takes FORVER. my worker took 6 weeks to process my income change last summer!!!! what are we supposed to do, starve while we wait for them to do their jobs???

If you reported the change correctly, you should be fine to use the benefits, but it might be good to be cautious if your income went up A LOT. Like if you went from making $1,500 to $5,000 monthly, you're definitely over the limits and they might eventually determine it was an overpayment. But if you're just slightly over, it gets more complicated. For CalWORKs Cash Aid, income limits depend on your household size. For CalFresh, once they process your report, they'll determine if you're still eligible for a reduced amount or if you're completely over income. Curious though - did your BenefitsCal account show any updates or confirmation that your report was received? Sometimes there's a status that shows if it's pending or being processed.

the way it workd for me when i reported income change was they loaded my benefits then sent me a letter 3 weeks later saying i was over income and my benefits would stop next month. i could still use what was on my card no problem. just make sure u save some of ur new job money in case they do stop ur benefits so u dont get caught with no food money

There's a legal concept called "recipient error without fault" that applies here. If you properly reported the change and they still issued benefits, you shouldn't be responsible for an overpayment. Your report should be timestamped in their system. However, the issue here is that your CalWORKs Cash Aid will likely change as well, and that has different rules than CalFresh. With your new income level, it's crucial to get confirmation from your worker about BOTH programs. I recommend calling the county office and explaining that you reported an income change 2 weeks ago and need to know if you're still eligible. Be persistent - workers have large caseloads and sometimes reports sit in their queue for weeks.

wait i thought we were talking about calfresh why are u bringing up cash aid? are they the same thing? im so confused by all this benefit stuff lol

I'm in a similar situation and wanted to share what happened with me. I reported an income increase through BenefitsCal about a month ago and was worried about the same thing. My worker finally called me back after 3 weeks and explained that as long as you report timely (within 10 days of going over your Income Reporting Threshold), you can use any benefits that were already loaded onto your card without worry about overpayments. The key thing is that income changes affect the NEXT month's benefits, not the current month. So if you reported properly and got benefits loaded after that, those are yours to use. Your worker will send you a Notice of Action letter when they process the change - that's when you'll know officially if your benefits are stopping or being reduced. With your income doubling to $3,800 for a household of 3, you're likely over the limit for CalWORKs Cash Aid but might still qualify for some CalFresh depending on your exact circumstances. Don't stress about using what's already on your card - you did everything right by reporting quickly!

I went through something very similar last year when I got a promotion that doubled my income. The anxiety about whether to use the benefits is totally understandable! From my experience and what I learned from my worker, here's what I wish someone had told me: 1. You absolutely did the right thing reporting immediately - that's your protection against overpayments 2. The benefits already loaded are yours to use until you get an official Notice of Action 3. With your income jump from $1,900 to $3,800 with 2 kids, you'll likely lose CalWORKs Cash Aid but might still get reduced CalFresh (the limits are different) The hardest part is the waiting and not knowing. I called my county office every few days until I got through - it took about 2 weeks total. Some counties are faster than others. Keep that screenshot of your BenefitsCal report handy and don't let them tell you that you should have "known" you were over income - you did your part by reporting timely. Congratulations on the new job btw! Even if you lose benefits, having doubled your income is huge. Just budget carefully for the transition period in case there's a gap between when benefits stop and your first few paychecks stabilize.

I work at a county eligibility office and can confirm what others have said - you're absolutely fine to use the benefits that were loaded after you reported your income change. The 10-day reporting rule protects you from overpayments as long as you reported timely, which you did. With your income going from $1,900 to $3,800 for a household of 3, you're likely over the gross income limit for CalWORKs Cash Aid (around $2,400/month for family of 3), but you might still qualify for reduced CalFresh since those limits are higher and they also consider deductions. The processing delay is unfortunately normal - we're severely understaffed and income change reports can take 2-4 weeks to process depending on the county. Your worker will send you a Notice of Action letter before any changes take effect. Until then, use your benefits without worry. You did everything correctly by reporting promptly through BenefitsCal. Keep calling if you need faster resolution - sometimes speaking directly with a worker can speed things up, especially if you explain it's been 2 weeks since reporting.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it sounds so similar to yours! I just went through this exact situation about 6 weeks ago when I started a new job that increased my income significantly. Like you, I reported right away through BenefitsCal but then got really anxious when my benefits still loaded and I hadn't heard anything back. What I learned from calling multiple times (and finally getting through) is that the system is designed this way - benefits load automatically based on your previous eligibility while your worker processes the change in the background. Since you reported within the required timeframe, you're protected from having to pay anything back even if you end up being over income. The waiting is definitely the hardest part! In my case, it took almost a month to get the official Notice of Action letter, but I was able to use my benefits the whole time without any issues. My advice would be to document everything (which you already did with screenshots) and keep trying to reach your worker for peace of mind, but don't stress about using what's on your card. Also, congratulations on the new job! Even though dealing with benefit changes is stressful, having that income increase is a huge accomplishment. The transition period can be tough but you're moving in a positive direction.

I'm relatively new to navigating the CalWORKs and CalFresh system, but I wanted to chime in because your situation really resonates with me. I went through something similar about 8 months ago when I got a better paying job. The advice everyone's giving you is spot on - you absolutely did the right thing by reporting your income change immediately through BenefitsCal. That timely reporting is your safety net against any overpayment issues. I was in the same boat where my benefits loaded after I reported the change and I was terrified to use them, but my worker eventually explained that until they officially process your case and send you that Notice of Action letter, the benefits on your card are yours to use. The waiting game is brutal though - I remember checking my BenefitsCal account obsessively and jumping every time my phone rang thinking it might be my worker. In my case, it took about 3 weeks to hear back, and during that time I was constantly second-guessing whether I should use the benefits or not. What really helped me was keeping detailed records of everything - screenshots of my income report, dates I tried calling, even notes about what I spent my benefits on. It turned out I didn't need all that documentation, but it gave me peace of mind. Your income jump is significant, so you'll probably lose CalWORKs but like others mentioned, you might still qualify for some CalFresh. Either way, you're moving in a positive direction financially and that's something to be proud of even if the transition feels overwhelming right now.

I'm new to this community but going through a very similar situation right now! I reported an income change about 10 days ago when I started a job that nearly tripled my income, and like you, I'm getting anxious about benefits that loaded after my report. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like you definitely did everything right by reporting immediately through BenefitsCal. What's reassuring me (and hopefully you too) is hearing from so many people who went through this exact same process recently. The consistent message seems to be that timely reporting protects you from overpayments, and benefits loaded after your report are safe to use until you get that official Notice of Action. I've been documenting everything too - screenshots of my BenefitsCal submission, dates I've tried calling, etc. The waiting is definitely the hardest part! I keep refreshing my account hoping to see some kind of status update. Have you had any luck getting through to your worker since posting this? I'm curious if the callback service someone mentioned (Claimyr) actually works. Might be worth trying if the regular phone lines keep dropping calls. Congratulations on the new job by the way! Even though navigating all these benefit changes is stressful, doubling your income is huge. We're both moving in the right direction even if the transition feels overwhelming right now.

As someone who's been navigating the CalWORKs and CalFresh system for a while now, I want to echo what everyone else has said - you absolutely did the right thing by reporting your income change immediately! The fact that you have screenshots of your BenefitsCal submission with the date stamp is perfect documentation. I went through a similar situation about a year ago when my income increased significantly. The anxiety about whether to use benefits that loaded after reporting is completely understandable, but based on my experience and what my worker explained to me, you're protected because you reported timely. The benefits on your card right now are yours to use until you receive that official Notice of Action letter. With your income going from $1,900 to $3,800 for a family of 3, you'll likely lose CalWORKs Cash Aid since that puts you over the gross income limit, but you might still qualify for reduced CalFresh benefits. The income limits are different for each program and CalFresh also considers deductions. The waiting period is frustrating but unfortunately normal. In my case, it took about 3 weeks to get the official notice, but I was able to use my benefits the entire time without any issues. Keep trying to reach your worker if you want faster confirmation, but don't stress about using what's already loaded on your card. And congratulations on the new job! Doubling your income is a huge accomplishment even if navigating the benefit changes feels overwhelming right now.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share what just happened with my case since it's so relevant to your situation! I reported an income increase through BenefitsCal about 3 weeks ago and was in the exact same position - benefits loaded after my report and I was terrified to use them while waiting to hear from my worker. I finally got my Notice of Action letter yesterday and everything worked out exactly like people are saying here. Since I reported the change within the 10-day window, I was able to use all the benefits that were loaded without any overpayment issues. My CalWORKs Cash Aid stopped (I was over income) but I still qualified for reduced CalFresh benefits. The key thing that gave me peace of mind was what my worker told me when I finally reached her: "If you report timely and we load benefits after that report, those benefits are yours to use. We can't create an overpayment when you did everything correctly on your end." Your income jump from $1,900 to $3,800 with 2 kids sounds very similar to my situation. You'll probably lose the Cash Aid but might keep some CalFresh. The waiting is horrible but you did everything right by reporting immediately. Use those benefits without guilt - you earned that protection by following the rules! Keep that screenshot handy and don't let anyone tell you that you should have "known" you were over income. You reported properly and that's what matters. Congratulations on the new job!

I'm new to this community but your situation hits close to home - I just went through something very similar about 2 months ago when I got a job that increased my income from about $1,600 to $3,200 monthly. Like you, I immediately reported through BenefitsCal and then panicked when my benefits still loaded. Reading through all these responses confirms what I learned the hard way - you absolutely did everything right by reporting immediately! The anxiety is totally understandable, but that timely reporting is your protection. I ended up using my benefits while waiting (took about 25 days to hear back) and had zero issues. My worker explained it perfectly: "The benefits loaded after your proper report are yours to use until we officially change your case." With your income doubling, you'll likely lose CalWORKs but might still get reduced CalFresh like I did. The hardest part is definitely the waiting and not knowing, but you're in good hands having reported properly. Keep those screenshots and don't stress about using what's on your card. And congratulations on the new job - even though the benefit transition is nerve-wracking, that income increase is something to celebrate! You're moving in the right direction.

I'm new to this community but your situation really resonates with me! I just went through something almost identical about 6 weeks ago when I started a job that took me from $1,800 to $3,500 monthly income. Like you, I reported immediately through BenefitsCal and then got super anxious when my EBT card reloaded while I was still waiting to hear back from my worker. Everything everyone is telling you here is absolutely correct - you did the right thing by reporting within that 10-day window, and that protects you from any overpayment issues. The benefits that loaded after your report are yours to use until you get that official Notice of Action letter. I know the waiting is stressful (it took almost a month for me to hear back), but you can use those benefits with confidence. With your income going from $1,900 to $3,800, you'll probably lose CalWORKs Cash Aid like I did, but you might still qualify for reduced CalFresh benefits since they calculate differently and consider deductions. Keep that screenshot of your BenefitsCal submission - it's your proof that you reported properly. And huge congratulations on the new job! I know dealing with all these benefit changes feels overwhelming, but doubling your income is an amazing accomplishment. You're moving in such a positive direction even if the transition feels scary right now. Hang in there!

I'm new to this community but your post really caught my attention because I'm going through something very similar right now! I reported an income change about a week ago when I started a new position that increased my monthly income from around $2,100 to $4,200, and just like you, my CalFresh benefits loaded yesterday even though I haven't heard back from my worker yet. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational and reassuring. It sounds like you absolutely did everything correctly by reporting your income change immediately through BenefitsCal - that timely reporting within the 10-day window is what protects you from overpayment issues. The consistent message from everyone who's been through this is that benefits loaded after your proper report are safe to use until you receive an official Notice of Action. Your income jump from $1,900 to $3,800 with 2 kids sounds like it will probably result in losing CalWORKs Cash Aid but you might still qualify for reduced CalFresh since those programs have different income limits and calculation methods. The waiting period seems to average 2-4 weeks based on what others are sharing, which is frustrating but apparently normal given how understaffed the county offices are. I'm definitely going to try calling my worker again tomorrow and might look into that Claimyr callback service someone mentioned if the regular phone lines keep dropping calls. It's so helpful to have this community of people who've been through the exact same situation recently! Congratulations on your new job! Even though navigating all these benefit changes is stressful, doubling your income is a huge accomplishment and a step toward financial stability. We're both moving in the right direction even if the transition feels overwhelming right now.

I'm new to this community but your post really speaks to me because I just went through this exact situation about a month ago! I started a new job that increased my income from $2,000 to $3,600 monthly and reported it immediately through BenefitsCal, just like you did. Then I had the same panic when my benefits loaded and I hadn't heard anything back from my worker. Everything everyone is telling you here is absolutely spot on - you did everything right by reporting within that 10-day window, and that timely reporting protects you from overpayments. I was terrified to touch my EBT card for the first week, but my worker eventually explained that benefits loaded after a proper report are yours to use until they officially process your case and send you that Notice of Action letter. It took exactly 3 weeks for me to get my official letter, and just like others have mentioned, I lost my CalWORKs Cash Aid but kept reduced CalFresh benefits. With your income going from $1,900 to $3,800 for a family of 3, you'll probably see the same outcome I did. The waiting is definitely the hardest part - I must have refreshed my BenefitsCal account a hundred times looking for updates! But keep those screenshots of your submission safe and don't stress about using what's on your card. You followed the rules perfectly. And congratulations on doubling your income! I know all these benefit changes make it feel complicated, but you're making huge progress toward financial independence. That's something to be really proud of even while navigating this stressful transition period.