Unexpected $360 extra deposit in my CalWORKs account - mistake or legit payment?
Did anyone else get a random extra $360 deposit from CalWORKs this month? I already got my regular cash aid payment last week, then today I checked my account and there's another $360 deposit from them! I'm really confused because I didn't get any notice about an additional payment or supplement. Should I spend it? I'm worried it's a mistake and they'll make me pay it back later or reduce my future benefits. Has this happened to anyone else recently? What should I do?
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Emma Davis
It could be the diaper stipend if you have a child under 3 years old! CalWORKs started giving $30/month per eligible child for diapers, which adds up to $360 if you're getting it as a lump sum for the past year. Check if you have any young kids on your case - that's probably what it is.
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Javier Hernandez
•Omg yes i have a 2 year old! But they never told me anything about a diaper payment. Is this new?? I've been on CalWORKs for almost a year now.
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LunarLegend
It might also be a retroactive payment for something. Did you recently report income that was lower than expected? Or add someone to your case? Sometimes they calculate what you should have received vs what you actually got and send the difference later. I'd recommend calling your worker to confirm what it's for so you know for sure.
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Javier Hernandez
•I did report less hours at work on my last SAR7 but didnt think that would change anything. Your probly right i should call and check but ugh the wait times are so long and I cant afford to be on hold for hours with my minutes
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Malik Jackson
This happned to me to!! Got an extra $720 last month outta nowhere (i have 2 kids under 3). My worker finally called back after a WEEK and said it was back diaper payments they owed me. Didnt even know that was a thing lol
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Javier Hernandez
•That make sense then! I didn't know about the diaper money either. $30 extra a month will help so much!
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Isabella Oliveira
If you're worried about having to pay it back, don't spend it until you confirm what it's for. Could also be a special clothing allowance (they sometimes issue those), transportation reimbursement if you're in Welfare to Work, or back child support that was collected. But everyone is right that it's most likely the diaper benefit if you have a child under 3.
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Ravi Patel
•The diaper benefit is the most likely explanation. I work as a community advocate and we've been seeing a lot of confusion about this recently. The counties have been inconsistent about notifying recipients about this benefit. It should be $30 per child under age 3 per month. You should NOT have to pay it back if that's what it is - it's an entitlement for CalWORKs families with young children.
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Freya Andersen
I tried for THREE DAYS to get through to my worker about a similar unexpected payment. Kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold forever! I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got a callback from a real person in 15 minutes. They have this system that gets you through the phone maze and puts you at the front of the line. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Saved me so much stress trying to figure out what was going on with my benefits.
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Javier Hernandez
•Thanks for the tip! I might try that if I can't get through tomorrow. Does it work for all counties or just certain ones?
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Freya Andersen
•It works for pretty much all the CalWORKs county offices! Definitely saved me from stressing about whether I'd get in trouble for spending money that might've been sent by mistake.
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Omar Zaki
what ever u do DONT CALL THEM!!! if they made a mistake in your favor just keep it lol. I got extra $$ once and called like an idiot and they took it back the next month. sometimes its better not to ask questions just sayin
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Isabella Oliveira
•That's actually not good advice. If it's an error and they find out later (which they almost always do during reconciliation), they'll consider it an overpayment and you'll have to pay it back regardless. Better to know what it is so you can plan accordingly. If it's rightfully yours, great! If not, at least you won't be surprised when they reduce future payments to recoup it.
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Javier Hernandez
Update: So I finally got through to my worker! It IS the diaper benefit! She said they've been rolling it out and doing retroactive payments for eligible families. Since my daughter has been on my case for 12 months, I got $360 ($30 x 12). Going forward it'll just be included in my regular payment. Thanks everyone for your help!
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LunarLegend
•Great news! This is exactly why it's always good to check. Glad you got confirmation and now you can use that money without worrying. The diaper benefit has been super helpful for many families - glad you're getting it too!
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Malik Jackson
•Yayyy!! Free money we didnt even know about lol. Get those diapers girl!
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