Unexpected $352 CalWORKs deposit this morning - is this the diaper benefit or something else?
Just checked my EBT card and found an extra $352 deposited this morning with no explanation. I wasn't expecting any additional CalWORKs money until next month. Has anyone else received a random deposit today? Could this be the diaper benefit for my 2-year-old that my worker mentioned a few months ago? Or maybe back pay for something? I'm afraid to spend it in case it's a mistake and they try to get it back later. Anyone know what this payment might be for?
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
got the same amount for my 3 yr old! pretty sure its the diaper benefit they finally rolled out. been hearing bout this since last year
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NebulaNinja
•Omg really?? I totally forgot they were supposed to start that! Do you know if it's a one-time payment or monthly? My worker never explained the details.
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Dylan Mitchell
This is the new CalWORKs Diaper Benefit that started this month. It provides $30 per month for each child under age 3 who is included in your CalWORKs case. The $352 is actually retroactive payments - they're giving eligible families the benefit backdated to January 2025 ($30 x your eligible child(ren) x however many months). Going forward, you should see $30 per month per eligible child added automatically to your regular grant. You don't need to provide any receipts or documentation. This is completely separate from your regular CalWORKs Cash Aid amount and won't affect your grant calculation or IRT.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•oh daym so thats why! almost a year of back pay lolll no wonder it seemed like so much. good to know its gunna be monthly now
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NebulaNinja
•Thank you for explaining! That makes perfect sense. I was so confused because my worker mentioned something about a diaper benefit months ago but then never said anything else about it. This is actually really helpful - diapers are so expensive right now.
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Sofia Morales
Wait I have a 2 yr old and didn't get anything???
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Dylan Mitchell
•You should check that your child's birthdate is correctly listed in your CalWORKs case. Sometimes there are data entry errors. Also, if your child just turned 3 recently, you might only get partial backpay. I'd recommend calling your caseworker to ask about it.
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Sofia Morales
•ugh tried calling but keep getting put on hold forever then disconnected
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Dmitry Popov
The same thing happened to me - I got hung up on THREE TIMES today trying to ask about this! My worker never picks up direct calls or returns voicemails either. The system is designed to prevent us from actually talking to anyone who can help. I have twins under 3 and only got payment for one child, so I need to get this fixed but can't reach anyone!
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Ava Garcia
•I had the same problem last month trying to reach my worker about a Welfare to Work issue. I found this service called Claimyr that actually helped me get through. It basically waits on hold for you then calls you when a real person picks up. Saved me hours of frustration. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Worth checking out if you really need to get this fixed.
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Dmitry Popov
•Thank you! I'll check it out. At this point I'm desperate because that's an extra $352 my family needs.
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StarSailor}
My sister got this but im on calworks with my 1 year old and got nothing what the heck
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Miguel Silva
•Sometimes these payments roll out gradually over a few days. I'd give it until the end of the week, and if you still don't see it, definitely call your worker. They should be able to see in the system if you're qualified and when your payment is scheduled.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
anyone know if this counts for our IRT reporting?? like do we gotta report this extra money on the SAR7?
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Dylan Mitchell
•Great question! You do NOT need to report the Diaper Benefit on your SAR7 or mid-period reports. It's considered a special needs payment, not income. It doesn't count toward your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) and won't affect your regular grant amount calculation.
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Sofia Morales
My neighbor is on CalFresh only not cash aid and she got this payment too. Is that right??
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Dylan Mitchell
•No, that's not correct. The Diaper Benefit is only for families with children under 3 who receive CalWORKs Cash Aid. CalFresh-only households aren't eligible. Your neighbor might have received a different type of payment, or perhaps they actually do receive a small CalWORKs grant that they didn't mention to you.
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Dmitry Popov
Just a heads up to everyone - I just read that this diaper benefit is supposed to continue until the child turns 3, so if your child is close to their 3rd birthday, you might only get a couple more months of it. The county's supposed to automatically stop it the month after they turn 3.
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NebulaNinja
•Thanks for mentioning this! My son turns 3 in September so I'll only get a few more months. At least now I won't be surprised when it stops.
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Ava Garcia
I got this deposit too and just called my worker who confirmed it's for diapers. She said they're rolling it out to everyone with kids under 3 on CalWORKs. You're free to spend it! It's all legit.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•wow u actually reached a person?? what time did u call? ive been trying all day
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Logan Stewart
This is such a relief to hear about! I'm a single mom with a 18-month-old and diapers have been eating up so much of my budget lately. I haven't gotten my deposit yet but after reading all these comments I'm hopeful it's coming soon. Does anyone know if there's a specific day of the month they're sending these out? I'm with LA County if that makes a difference.
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Amina Bah
•I'm in LA County too and got mine yesterday morning! From what I've been seeing in other groups, they seem to be processing these over several days rather than all at once. Some people got theirs Monday, others Tuesday, and a few are still waiting. I'd check your EBT balance daily for the next few days - yours will probably show up soon! The wait is nerve-wracking but it sounds like they're getting to everyone eventually.
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