What's this 'Welfare to Work payment' on my CalWORKs notice? Never received one before

Yes! It's totally legit. It's called a WTW supportive services payment. They give these to help with expenses related to your Welfare to Work activities. Did you recently start a new job, training program, or education classes? They can issue these for transportation, work clothes, tools, books, or childcare-related expenses. There should be a code on your notice that explains what it's for specifically.

they giv u money automtically when u start a program sometimes. i got $240 when i started my GED classes but my frend got $400 for nursing assistan training so amount depends on wat ur doing

Be careful with that payment! Make sure you keep ALL receipts for how you spend it. They can ask for proof that you used it for transportation to your program. My sister got one of these and spent it on bills, then they demanded receipts showing she used it for gas/bus passes. When she couldn't provide them, they counted it as an overpayment and took it back from her future benefits. Not saying they'll do that to you, but CYA just in case.

congrats on ur cna program!! i did that 2 and it really helps with getting a good job after calworks. the payment is for bus pass or gas money. u dont need to worry about it being a mistake.

I've been trying to get these payments for months!!! My worker keeps saying I need to fill out some form but never sends it. I'm in school too and paying for gas out of pocket is killing me. When I call the CalWORKs office, I just get voicemail and nobody ever calls back. It's so frustrating!! How did you get approved for yours without even asking?

This is standard procedure when you're in an approved Welfare to Work activity like your CNA program. The payment amounts are based on: 1. Distance from your home to the activity location 2. Number of days per week you attend 3. Whether you use public transportation or private vehicle For most counties, a $375 payment would cover approximately 3 months of transportation costs for someone traveling 10-15 miles round trip, 3-4 days per week. You should receive this automatically at the beginning of each quarter while you're in your approved activity. If you move or your schedule changes, notify your WTW worker as it might affect your payment amount. And to clarify what others have said - for standard transportation payments, most counties do NOT require receipts. However, if you stop attending your program, you should report that change so they can stop the payments.

i got cut off from my payments when i missed 2 weeks of my program cuz my kid was sick so make sure u go to all ur classes!!!

UPDATE: I called my worker and confirmed it's legit! She said it's automatic when you're in an approved WTW activity and I don't need receipts for the transportation payment specifically. Thanks everyone for the help! I was overthinking it.

That's awesome that you got it sorted out! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you're in a WTW program and NOT getting these payments automatically, definitely speak up. Sometimes there are system glitches or your program might not be coded correctly in their system. I had to push my worker to check why mine weren't coming through, turns out my vocational training wasn't marked as "approved" even though it was on the state list. Don't assume you're not eligible - advocate for yourself!