Surprise WTW appointment for boyfriend with no notice - San Diego CalWORKs confusion

This is pretty standard unfortunately. WTW (Welfare to Work) is definitely required for adults receiving CalWORKs cash aid. When you apply and get approved, you're supposed to get an orientation about the WTW program, and then be assigned a WTW caseworker who's separate from your eligibility worker.The appointment is probably for your boyfriend to:1. Sign his WTW plan2. Verify his current work hours (which should count toward WTW requirements)3. Discuss any additional activities he might need to completeIf he's already working, he just needs to bring proof of employment (pay stubs, work schedule, etc). In San Diego, I believe single adults need to complete 30 hours weekly of approved activities. His current job may fully satisfy this, especially if it's 20+ hours.Call back and ask for the exact date/time and what documents to bring. Also ask them to send you formal appointment notices going forward.

Thank you! I'm so frustrated because nobody ever explained this during our application. He only works about 15-18 hours at the warehouse (they keep cutting hours), so it sounds like that's not enough. Will they try to make him quit his current job to do something else full-time? We're worried about that because at least his current job is close to home and we only have one car.

omg the EXACT same thing happened to me last year!!! they called bout missed appointments i never got notified about. San Diego county is THE WORST about sending notices i swear. call them back like 5 times until u get someone who will actually help u. they will try to blame u but stand ur ground!!!

Did they eventually fix it for you? I'm worried they'll cut our benefits because of this. I'm gonna try calling tomorrow but every time I call the regular number I sit on hold forever and then get disconnected 😩

I had this exact problem trying to reach San Diego County about my WTW requirements last month. After getting disconnected 3 times and wasting a whole day, I found this service called Claimyr that connected me directly to a real person at the county office. It saved me hours of frustration - you just enter your info on claimyr.com and they call the county for you, then connect you when a real person answers. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwEOnce I got through, I found out they had been sending notices to my old address! They fixed it and I got my WTW plan sorted out. Don't wait because they can definitely cut your benefits if the WTW requirements aren't met.

Does this actually work?? I've literally been trying to reach someone at San Diego HHSA for TWO WEEKS about my daughter's childcare approval for my WTW plan. Tired of getting disconnected after an hour on hold.

Yes, it worked for me and saved me so much stress. I was actually able to talk to someone who could help instead of just the automated system going in circles. The worker I talked to was able to look up all my missing WTW notices and even reschedule me without any penalty.

Here's what's probably happening: When you apply for CalWORKs, any able-bodied adult in the household who is included in the cash grant must participate in Welfare to Work activities. Since you mentioned your boyfriend was working part-time (15-18 hours), he will need to complete additional activities to meet the full requirement which is 30-35 hours per week depending on your family situation.Don't worry - they won't make him quit his current job! That would be counterproductive. Instead, they'll create a WTW plan that includes his current employment PLUS additional activities to reach the full hour requirement. These could include:• Job search activities• Education/training programs• Vocational training • Work experience/community serviceBring these documents to the appointment:- Photo ID- Recent pay stubs showing hours worked- Work schedule if available- Any barriers to full-time work he might have (transportation issues, health concerns, etc.)The good news is that once you establish contact with a WTW caseworker, they can be really helpful with resources like transportation assistance, childcare if needed, and even education funding if he wants to improve his skills for better employment.

This is so helpful, thank you! I didn't realize they'd work with his current schedule. That makes me feel a lot better. We definitely want to keep his current job since it's the most stable thing we have right now. Do you know if they offer transportation assistance even if you have a car? Gas is so expensive right now.

Yes, they can provide transportation assistance even if you have a car! San Diego County offers either gas cards/vouchers OR bus passes (your choice) for WTW participants to get to approved activities. They calculate the amount based on mileage to/from activities. Your boyfriend should specifically ask about this during his appointment - not all workers automatically offer it unless you inquire. Also ask about the clothing/work equipment allowance if he needs anything specific for his job or interviews.

we got san diego CalWorks too and they always doing this!! my husband had same thing happen and then they sanctioned us bcuz he missed appointments we didnt even know about!! reduced our cash aid by like $200!!! make sure ur boyfriend goes to appt no matter what and gets the workers name and ID number. the whole system is designed to trick ppl into failing i swear

This isn't totally accurate - the system isn't

easy for u to say, u must not deal with san diego county. they CUT OUR MONEY with no warning and took 3 months to fix it even after we complied!! dont tell me its not designed to fail people when they send notices late or not at all and then punish u for it!!!

I work with clients navigating the CalWORKs system, and while communication problems definitely happen, there's usually a fixable explanation. Most common reasons for missed WTW notifications:1. Address changes not reported to ALL departments (eligibility vs. WTW)2. Notices going to spam folders if you selected electronic communication3. Mail delivery issues in certain areas4. Staff turnover leading to gaps in case managementThe most important thing now is to attend the appointment and explain that you never received prior notices. Ask them to document this in your case notes. San Diego County should not sanction you without first establishing good cause for any prior missed appointments.And yes, his part-time job absolutely counts toward his WTW hours! He'll just need to supplement with other activities to reach the full requirement. This might include job search workshops, vocational training, or even online courses to build skills. The WTW plan should be customized to his situation.

Thank you, this is so helpful. Do you know if there's a way to check if we've missed any other important notices? I'm worried there might be other things we don't know about. We haven't changed our address or anything.

Yes! Ask for a full case review during the appointment. They can print out a chronological list of all notices that have been sent to you and when. Also, check your BenefitsCal account online if you have one - many (but not all) notices are uploaded there. Finally, make sure to verbally verify your current phone number, email, and mailing address with every worker you speak with to ensure everything matches across all systems.

So what happened?? Did your boyfriend go to the appointment? My partner had a similar situation but when he went in they actually helped him get into a certification program that counts for his WTW hours AND will help him get a better job. Sometimes these surprise appointments actually turn out okay!

The appointment is tomorrow morning! I'm going with him to make sure we understand everything. I'll update after. I'm hoping they might have something like what your partner got - a certification program would be amazing since my boyfriend has been trying to find better work. Fingers crossed!

UPDATE: We went to the appointment and it actually went really well! The WTW worker was super apologetic about the notification issues. Turns out they had been sending notices to an email address my boyfriend hasn't used in years (from when he applied for benefits as a single person before we were together).Good news: his current job DOES count toward the WTW hours, and they're enrolling him in a warehouse management certification program for the remaining hours! They're even providing gas cards for transportation and said once he completes the certification, he can qualify for better positions at his current company or elsewhere.Also, they updated all our contact info in their system and showed us how to set up text notifications for future appointments. Thanks everyone for your help and advice! I was so stressed about this but it turned out to be a positive thing overall.

This is great news! The warehouse management certification is perfect since it builds on his current experience. Make sure he keeps all his pay stubs and gets his work hours verified monthly using the WTW hours verification form. And congratulations on getting everything sorted out - this is exactly how the program is supposed to work when the communication issues get fixed!

Glad it worked out for u but still be careful, keep copies of EVERYTHING they give u and take pictures of anything you turn in. Don't trust them to keep track of your stuff!