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Amina Toure

When do CalWORKs benefits get deposited this month - exact payment dates?

Does anyone know the EXACT day CalWORKs cash aid will hit accounts this month? My neighbor said its always second week but my rent is due on the 5th and I really need to know if Im gonna be late again. Last month I got it on the 3rd but the month before it was like the 10th or something. Is there a set schedule or does it change? My worker never explains anything clearly when I ask and just says 'beginning of the month' which isnt helpful at all when trying to budget for rent!!

CalWORKs Cash Aid is typically issued during the first three working days of each month. The exact day depends on the last digit of your case number. If your case number ends in: 1, 2, 3 = 1st working day 4, 5, 6, 7 = 2nd working day 8, 9, 0 = 3rd working day Remember that working days exclude weekends and holidays. So this month, if the 1st falls on a Saturday or Sunday, payments would start on the following Monday. That might be why you've experienced different dates in previous months.

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omg thank u!! my case number ends in 5 so does that mean i get it on the 2nd day? and what counts as a holiday? like is july 4th a holiday for calworks too??

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what ur neighbor told u isnt right, i been on cash aid for 3 years and they NEVER wait till 2nd week unless theres some kinda system issue. i always get mine first week. did u check ur balance already? sometimes it shows up late night before the date they tell u

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I check my balance like 10 times a day lol. Nothing yet. Do u know if theres a way to see the exact deposit date somewhere? like on BenefitsCal or something?

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The first 3 working days of the month is correct but sometimes there are delays. Last summer I had a month where my cash aid didn't deposit until the 12th because there was a "processing error" they never explained. If you're worried about making rent, you should call and verify your payment status. Sometimes they can tell you exactly when it will deposit.

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ugh i tried calling yesterday and got stuck on hold for 45 mins before i had to hang up for work. then i tried again after work and the office was closed already!! so frustrating

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Have u checked ur mail for any notices? Sometimes if there's a delay they're supposed to send u something. Also make sure ur SAR7 is up to date. My sister didn't get her cash aid one month because she was late with her SAR7 and they didn't even tell her!

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i didnt get any notices and i just did my SAR7 last month so thats not it. i think its just regular timing but i NEED to know the exact day!

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Hey there! I had this same issue with late rent a few months back. After hours of trying to get through on the regular line, I tried using Claimyr.com and got connected to a real worker in about 10 minutes. They confirmed exactly when my payment would hit and even helped resolve a small issue that might have delayed it. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE that shows how it works. Saved me from paying late fees on my rent!

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never heard of this before! does it cost money? my case worker is literally NEVER at her desk when i call 🙄

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It's actually not even always the first 3 working days. Some counties pay on different schedules. I know someone in LA county who gets hers on the 1st always and someone in San Bernardino who gets paid on the 10th regardless. What county are u in? That might help answer it better.

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This is incorrect information. CalWORKs cash aid follows the same issuance schedule for all 58 counties in California. It's based on case number, not county. The only differences might be how quickly local banks process the deposits after they're issued.

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ok so actually it IS the first 3 working days BUT July is weird bc of July 4th holiday. I just checked the benefits calendar and 4th is a county holiday so that pushes everything back a day. First working day is Monday 7/3, second is Wednesday 7/5, third is Thursday 7/6 because Tuesday 7/4 doesn't count. so if ur case # ends in 5 like u said, you'll get paid 7/5 i think

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thank u!! I wish my worker would explain things like this!! where did u find that calendar? is it on the county website?

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I wanted to add - if you regularly have issues with timing your rent payment, you can request what's called a "hardship exception" for your payment date. You need to submit a written request explaining that your rent is due before your regular payment date and you're experiencing hardship. Some counties will adjust your payment schedule to accommodate rent due dates, but it's not guaranteed and takes time to process. Worth asking about for future months though!

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wow ive been on calworks for 2 years and no one EVER told me this was an option!! im gonna ask about this next time i talk to my worker. THANK YOU!!!

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I've been on CalWORKs for about 6 months now and I totally feel your frustration with the timing! What really helped me was creating a simple calendar where I marked all the working days and holidays for each month. You can find the official state holiday calendar on the California Department of Social Services website. Also, I learned that if you have online banking, you can sometimes see pending deposits a day before they actually hit your account - this has saved me from panic several times when rent is due! The hardship exception that Oliver mentioned is definitely worth looking into for future months since rent stress is the worst.

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That's such a smart idea about the calendar! I never thought to check for pending deposits either - I'm gonna start doing that. Do you happen to know where exactly on the DSS website the holiday calendar is? I tried looking before but their website is so confusing to navigate. And yes the rent stress is literally keeping me up at night! 😩

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