What happens after WTW exemption ends when child turns 2? Started part-time job while exempt

I went through this exact situation last year! Your part-time job hours WILL count toward your WTW requirements, so that's good news. Since you're working 22 hours, you'll likely need to do about 13 more hours of approved activities to meet the full 35 hour requirement. When your exemption ends, your worker should schedule a WTW appt to create your plan. They'll help you choose activities for those remaining hours - could be job search, education, training, etc. Make sure to bring proof of your employment hours to that meeting. The transition isn't as scary as it seems!

My worker just supost to send me a wTW packet and I need to sign it in 10 days or they'll stop my benefits. not sure if its the same in ur county but thats what happend to me. They let me do online classes for the other hours I needed. just make sure u keep track of ur hrs and dont miss appointments or ur benefits might stop

Make sure you ask about childcare assistance too. When your exemption ends and you have WTW requirements, you qualify for childcare assistance while you're working or doing your required activities. CalWORKs Stage 1 childcare can cover your costs for your part-time job hours AND any additional required activity hours. This is super important - don't forget to ask about it at your appointment!

I'm a CalWORKs case manager (not in your county though). Here's what typically happens: About 30 days before your exemption ends, you should receive a notice about attending a WTW orientation. Bring your pay stubs to prove your work hours. The 22 hours will count, and since you're a single parent with a child under 6, you actually only need 20 hours total (not 35). So you're already meeting your participation requirements with your part-time job! However, different counties handle things differently, so definitely attend that orientation.

Yes, I'm 100% sure. For single parents with a child under 6 years old, the requirement is 20 hours per week. Here's the actual regulation: "A single parent with a child under six years old must participate for 20 hours per week." Your friend might be thinking of the 35-hour requirement, which applies to two-parent families or single parents whose youngest child is 6 or older. As long as you're working 22 hours weekly and can prove those hours with pay stubs or employer verification, you're already exceeding the requirement.

Exactly! Just bring your paystubs or an employment verification form (your worker can provide this for your employer to fill out). As long as you're consistently working at least 20 hours weekly, you'll be meeting your WTW requirements. The orientation is still mandatory though - they'll explain your rights and responsibilities and have you sign your WTW plan. Make sure to also ask about childcare assistance since you qualify for that too.

jus b careful they might ask u for pay stubs EVERY MONTH i had to summit mine all the time its annoying af. sometimes they wouldn count all my hours right and i had to keep callin to fix it. make sure u keep all ur pay stubs and check they counting the hours right!!!

Thank you everyone for the helpful information! I feel so much better knowing I only need 20 hours and that my current job already covers that. I'm going to gather all my recent paystubs and make copies just to be prepared. I'll definitely ask about the childcare assistance too - that would be a huge help since my mom is getting tired of watching my daughter so often. I really appreciate all of you taking the time to explain everything!

Hey Norman! I just wanted to add that you should also ask about the "good cause" policy during your WTW appointment. If you ever have issues with your work schedule (like if Target reduces your hours or you get sick), you can report "good cause" to temporarily adjust your requirements without losing benefits. Also, since you're already working, you might qualify for the Earned Income Disregard which lets you keep more of your CalWORKs cash aid even while working. Make sure to ask about both of these - a lot of people don't know about them but they can really help!