When does CalWORKs deposit the monthly diaper stipend? My payment schedule is confusing
I started receiving the CalWORKs diaper benefit for my 2-year-old about 3 months ago, but I can never figure out exactly what day it gets deposited. Sometimes it seems like it comes with my regular Cash Aid, but last month I think it came separately? The worker who helped me apply said something about it being $30 per month for each child under 3, but didn't tell me the specific deposit schedule. Does anyone know if there's a set day when the diaper money gets added to my EBT card? I'm trying to budget better and knowing exactly when to expect it would really help.
21 comments


Zainab Ahmed
The diaper assistance payment should be deposited at the same time as your regular Cash Aid payment. For CalWORKs, the payment dates are based on the last digit of your case number (not your EBT card number). If your case number ends in 1-3: payment on the 1stIf your case number ends in 4-6: payment on the 2ndIf your case number ends in 7-9: payment on the 3rdIf your case number ends in 0: payment on the 4thThe diaper benefit should automatically be included with your regular payment amount - it shouldn't come separately. If you've seen them deposited on different days, there might be an issue with your case that needs to be fixed.
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Miguel Diaz
Thanks for explaining! My case number ends in 7, so I should be getting it on the 3rd. I'll check my EBT transaction history to see if that matches up. Maybe I just got confused looking at my account.
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Connor Byrne
i dont think theres a seprate day for diaper money its just part of the regular calworks payment my worker told me its automatic for kids under 3 they just add the $30 to whatever ur cash aid amount is
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Yara Abboud
YES this is correct!!! The diaper benefit is NOT separate - it's calculated into your total Cash Aid amount. They don't tell you the breakdown, but it's $30 per month per eligible child under 3 years. Check your Notice of Action letter - it should show your total benefit amount including the diaper stipend. If you're still confused you can call your worker and ask them to explain exactly how much of your payment is the regular grant and how much is the diaper benefit.
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PixelPioneer
I remeber when they first started this program, it was really inconsistent. My diaper money would sometimes come with my regular payment and sometimes like a week later. But around mid-2024 they fixed whatever the problem was. Now it's always with my regular Cash Aid payment. Have you checked BenefitsCal? If you log in there you can see a breakdown of your benefits.
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Miguel Diaz
I'll try checking BenefitsCal. I've mostly been using the EBT app to check my balance but I don't think that shows the breakdown.
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Keisha Williams
The system is SO CONFUSING!!! When I first got the diaper money for my twins, they actually issued it as a separate payment for the first two months, then suddenly it was combined with my regular payment with ZERO explanation. I spent HOURS trying to get someone on the phone to explain what happened because I thought they cut my benefits!!! Turns out they were just
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Paolo Rizzo
Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to the county? I was having the same problem of never being able to reach a real person about my CalWORKs questions. My friend told me about this service called Claimyr that waits on hold for you and calls you back when an actual worker picks up. I was skeptical but it actually worked! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE or just go to claimyr.com. Saved me so much time and frustration when I needed to get my diaper benefit added when I had my second baby.
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Keisha Williams
Never heard of that before but will definitely check it out!! Anything is better than spending half the day on hold just to get disconnected 😫
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Amina Sy
Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in this thread - the official name of this benefit is the \
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Miguel Diaz
Thank you for the clear explanation! I checked my last Notice of Action and you're right, it does show the breakdown including the diaper benefit. I guess I was just confused because my payment amount changed slightly a couple months ago and I didn't understand why.
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Connor Byrne
does the diaper money come on ur EBT card or do they mail u a check? my baby is 2 months old and i just applied for calworks last week
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Amina Sy
The diaper benefit will come the same way as your regular CalWORKs payment. Most people receive their benefits on an EBT card, so that's where your diaper money would be included. When you're approved for CalWORKs and have a child under 3, the $30 diaper benefit is automatically added to your monthly grant amount. You don't need to apply for it separately.Since you just applied last week, once you're approved, you should get the full benefit amount (including the diaper benefit) on your issuance date.
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Yara Abboud
Just to add one more important detail - make sure you report your child's 3rd birthday on your next SAR7 or recertification after they turn 3. The diaper benefit stops once they hit 36 months, and if you don't report the age change, they might count it as an overpayment that you have to pay back! Happened to my sister and she ended up owing like $90 because she didn't realize she needed to report it.
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Miguel Diaz
Oh that's good to know! My son turns 3 in about 6 months so I'll make sure to report it. I definitely don't want to deal with an overpayment situation.
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Aria Khan
I just want to echo what everyone else is saying about checking your Notice of Action - that's really the best way to see the breakdown! When I first started getting the diaper benefit for my daughter, I was also confused because my total payment amount seemed random. But once I looked at the notice, I could see exactly how they calculated it: my regular grant + $30 diaper benefit. Also, if you ever have issues with the timing or amount, definitely keep records of your EBT transactions. I screenshot my balance before and after each deposit so I can track if anything seems off. It's helped me catch a couple small errors over the months that I was able to get corrected by calling my worker.
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Zane Hernandez
•That's such a smart idea to screenshot your balance before and after each deposit! I never thought of doing that but it makes total sense for keeping track of everything. I'm definitely going to start doing that too. It's frustrating how confusing they make all this stuff when you're already dealing with so much. Thanks for sharing that tip!
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Malik Jenkins
This thread has been super helpful! I'm new to CalWORKs and just got approved last month with my 18-month-old daughter. I had no idea there was even a diaper benefit until I saw my first payment was higher than what I expected. My worker never mentioned it during the application process. Reading all these responses, I now understand it's automatically included in the total Cash Aid amount. I'm going to log into BenefitsCal like someone suggested to see the breakdown. It's crazy how they don't explain these things better - feels like you have to figure everything out on your own or rely on communities like this one. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!
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Nasira Ibanez
•Welcome to CalWORKs! You're absolutely right that they don't explain these benefits well enough during the application process. I'm glad this thread helped you understand the diaper benefit better. It's frustrating how much we have to figure out on our own, but at least we have communities like this where people actually share helpful information. Make sure to keep that Notice of Action letter handy - it really is the best way to understand exactly what you're getting each month. And definitely check BenefitsCal when you get a chance, it shows way more detail than the EBT app. Hope everything goes smoothly for you and your daughter!
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Isabella Costa
I've been getting CalWORKs for about a year now with my 2-year-old son, and I can confirm what everyone else is saying - the diaper benefit is included with your regular Cash Aid payment, not separate. What really helped me figure this out was calling the EBT customer service line (not the county office) and asking them to read me my last few transaction histories over the phone. They can tell you the exact date and amount of each deposit, so you can see the pattern. My case number ends in 5, so I get my payment on the 2nd of every month, and it's always the same combined amount. One thing I learned the hard way - if you're ever late reporting changes or miss a recertification deadline, they sometimes split up the payments while they're processing everything, which can make it seem like the diaper money is coming separately. But once everything is caught up, it goes back to being one combined payment. Hope this helps!
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Savannah Weiner
•That's really helpful about calling the EBT customer service line! I never thought to ask them to read the transaction history over the phone - that's such a good way to see the exact pattern without having to dig through old statements. And thanks for explaining about how payments can get split up when there are reporting issues or recertification delays. That probably explains some of the confusion people have been having in this thread about getting separate payments sometimes. It's good to know it goes back to normal once everything is processed. This whole thread has taught me so much about how the diaper benefit actually works!
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