When to report new job to CalWORKs? Just started working 10/13 and confused about income reporting timeline

Congrats on the new job! You need to report this within 10 days because your income will definitely exceed your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold). CalWORKs requires you to report any income changes that put you over your IRT before your next SAR7. Your IRT amount is listed on your last approval notice - it's usually about 130% of your grant amount. Call your eligibility worker directly using the number on your approval notice. If you can't reach them, try the general CalWORKs number for your county. Make sure to get verification from your employer (job offer letter or hiring paperwork showing your start date and wages).

u need to report ASAP or they'll charge u with an overpayment later and might even acuse u of fraud. happened to my sister last yr and she had to pay back like $1800 plus go to some integrity meeting thing. they'll probobly reduce ur cash aid not cut it completely right away. childcare should continue for a while depends on ur income

You need to report this change immediately, but that doesn't mean your benefits will stop right away. When you report your new job, also tell your worker you need to continue your childcare benefits through the transitional childcare program (called TCC/Stage 1). This program can provide childcare for up to 24 months after your CalWORKs cash aid ends due to employment. Your cash grant will be reduced based on your income, following a specific calculation that disregards some of your earnings. Make sure to ask your worker about this calculation so you understand how your new income affects your benefits. Also important: Request to speak with a WTW (Welfare to Work) worker about transitional benefits you might qualify for, like the Work Bonus (extra money when you start working) and transportation assistance.

good lucj getting thru to anyone lol. i spent 3 days trying to reach my worker about a job change and kept getting sent to voicemail that was full!! ended up just going in person and wasted half a day waiting

I went through this exact situation in March!! Let me tell you what happened: 1. I reported my new job within 10 days 2. They reduced my cash aid the next month (didn't eliminate it completely) 3. My childcare continued through CalWORKs for 2 months 4. Then they transferred me to Stage 1 childcare Make sure you ask specifically about the Work Bonus too!! I got an extra $350 for the first 3 months after reporting my new job. And they gave me $125 for transportation costs. The system is actually pretty supportive when you start working, but you HAVE to report within the 10 days or you'll lose out on all these transitional benefits.

Wait is it 10 calendar days or 10 business days to report? And do u report from ur start date or from when u first get paid?? The rules are so confusing 😩

Update: I called the county office this morning and finally got through after being on hold for 45 minutes. My worker said I need to bring in my job offer letter AND my first paystub when I get it. She said my cash grant will be reduced but not eliminated for at least the first month, and I'll still get childcare. She's setting me up with a WTW worker to talk about transportation assistance and something called the 'Work Bonus.' Thanks everyone for your help!

my benfits got cut completely when i strated working last year anf they never told me about no bonus or disregard thing. they just said i made too much. i think it depends whcih county ur in maybe?

This is such great advice from everyone! I'm in a similar situation but haven't started work yet - just got offered a job that starts next week. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like reporting within 10 days is crucial to avoid problems AND to get all the transitional benefits like the Work Bonus and childcare continuation. One question I have - when you call to report, do they make you an appointment to come in or can you report everything over the phone? I'm trying to figure out if I need to take time off from my new job right away to go to the office in person. Also @Keisha Thompson - congratulations on getting through to your worker! That gives me hope that I'll be able to reach mine when the time comes.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share something that might help - I work at a legal aid clinic and we help people navigate CalWORKs issues all the time. One thing I always tell clients is to document EVERYTHING when you report a job change. Keep a record of when you called, who you spoke with, and what they told you. Get reference numbers for any reports you make. Also, if you run into any issues with your worker not processing things correctly or denying benefits you think you should get, don't hesitate to ask for a supervisor or request a "fair hearing." You have rights in this process, and sometimes workers make mistakes or don't apply the rules correctly. The transitional benefits people mentioned (Work Bonus, childcare continuation, transportation assistance) are all part of the law - not optional favors from your worker. If someone tells you that you don't qualify for something, ask them to show you the specific regulation or policy. Knowledge is power when dealing with the system!

Reading through everyone's experiences has been so helpful! I'm also currently on CalWORKs and just applied for several jobs, so this thread is perfectly timed for me. One thing I wanted to add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're worried about reaching your worker by phone, many counties now have online portals or mobile apps where you can submit change reports electronically. In my county (Sacramento), I can log into their BenefitsCal website and report changes there, which creates an automatic paper trail with timestamps. It's been a lifesaver when the phone lines are jammed. Also, @Keisha Thompson - make sure to ask your WTW worker about any job training or education programs that might help you advance in your warehouse position. Sometimes they have partnerships with employers that can lead to pay increases or promotions, and they might even pay for certifications like forklift operation or safety training that could boost your hourly rate. Congratulations on getting back to work! The first step back into employment after being out of the workforce is always the hardest, but it sounds like you're handling it really well by being proactive about reporting requirements.

Welcome to the community! As someone who's been through this exact situation, I want to emphasize what others have said about reporting within those 10 days - it really is crucial. I made the mistake of waiting once and ended up with an overpayment that took me months to resolve. One thing I didn't see mentioned much is that when you call to report, make sure you're clear about whether this is temporary or permanent employment. Warehouse jobs sometimes start as seasonal or temp positions, and the way CalWORKs calculates your ongoing eligibility can be different depending on the job classification. Also, don't be surprised if your first month's calculation seems off - there's often a lag between when you report and when the changes show up in your grant amount. Keep all your documentation and don't hesitate to follow up if something doesn't look right. The system isn't perfect, but staying on top of it and knowing your rights (like @Giovanni Rossi mentioned) makes a huge difference. Good luck with the new job - getting back into the workforce is a big step and you should be proud of yourself for being so proactive about doing everything correctly!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for me as someone who just started a new job last week and was completely confused about the reporting requirements! Reading through everyone's experiences, I now understand that I need to report within 10 days and that there are actually transitional benefits available that I didn't know about. One question I have that I didn't see addressed - if you're working multiple part-time jobs, do you report each one separately or all together? I just started at a retail store (20 hrs/week) and might pick up a second part-time position soon to make ends meet. Also, does the 10-day reporting requirement apply to each job individually, or is it based on when your total income crosses the IRT threshold? @Keisha Thompson - congratulations on getting everything sorted out with your worker! It gives me hope that the system actually works when you follow the rules correctly. And thanks to everyone else for sharing their experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating CalWORKs!

As someone who went through this same situation about 6 months ago, I want to add that timing really matters when you call to report. I found that calling right when the office opens (usually 8am) gave me the best chance of actually reaching a human being instead of sitting on hold forever. Also, something I wish I had known - when you report your new job, ask specifically about the "30/33 rule" if you're working less than 32 hours per week. This rule can help protect some of your benefits while you're in the transition period. My worker never mentioned it and I only found out about it later from another recipient. One more tip: if your employer offers any kind of schedule flexibility, try to negotiate your hours so you don't go too far over your IRT in the first few weeks. This can buy you time to get all the paperwork sorted out with CalWORKs before your benefits are reduced significantly. The system is designed to help people transition to work, but you have to know how to work within it! Congrats again on the new job - having steady work makes such a difference, even when navigating all these reporting requirements feels overwhelming at first.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how supportive and knowledgeable everyone is! I just joined because I'm in a very similar situation - I start a new job next Monday and was completely lost about the CalWORKs reporting requirements until I found this thread. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. I had no idea about things like the Work Bonus, transitional childcare, or the earned income disregard. It's clear that reporting within 10 days isn't just about avoiding problems - it's actually the key to accessing benefits that can really help during the transition back to work. @Keisha Thompson - thank you for starting this conversation! Your situation is almost identical to mine (new job, two kids, worried about childcare), and seeing how you worked through the process gives me so much confidence. The fact that your worker was able to set everything up and explain the transitional benefits shows the system can actually work when you know what to ask for. I'm definitely going to call first thing Monday morning (using the 8am tip from @Amara Okonkwo) and make sure to ask specifically about all the transitional benefits people mentioned. Having this roadmap of what to expect and what questions to ask is going to make such a difference. This community is truly a lifesaver for people trying to navigate these complex systems!

Welcome to everyone who's new to the community! This thread has become such an incredible resource - I'm bookmarking it for future reference. As someone who's been navigating CalWORKs for a while, I wanted to add one more tip that's helped me: always ask for a printed copy of your new eligibility determination letter after reporting any changes. This letter will show your updated grant amount, your new IRT threshold, and importantly, it will list any transitional benefits you're receiving like the Work Bonus or childcare continuation. Having this documentation has saved me multiple times when there were discrepancies or when I needed to prove my eligibility for other programs. Plus, it helps you track whether all the benefits you discussed were actually applied correctly to your case. @Keisha Thompson - your follow-up about successfully reaching your worker and getting everything set up is so encouraging! It really shows that when you're proactive and informed (like everyone in this thread now is), the system can work. Congratulations again on your new job and for handling this transition so professionally. This community really demonstrates the power of shared knowledge - everyone's different experiences and tips create such a comprehensive guide for navigating these situations successfully.

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! As someone who's been on CalWORKs for about 8 months and just got my first job interview in over a year, I'm saving all of this information. The breakdown of the 10-day reporting rule, IRT thresholds, and especially all the transitional benefits like the Work Bonus and childcare continuation is exactly what I needed to know. What really stands out to me is how proactive everyone has been about understanding their rights and documenting everything. I had no idea that transitional benefits were actually legal entitlements rather than optional help - that's such an important distinction when advocating for yourself with your worker. @Keisha Thompson - congratulations on not just getting the job but handling the reporting process so well! Your updates showing that the system actually worked when you followed the rules gives me a lot of hope. And to everyone else who shared their experiences and tips - from calling at 8am to asking for printed eligibility letters - thank you for creating such a comprehensive guide. If I do get this job, I feel so much more prepared now to report properly and make sure I get all the transitional support I'm entitled to. This community is proof that when we share knowledge and support each other, we can navigate even complex systems successfully!

Welcome to everyone who's just joined this conversation! As someone who's been in the CalWORKs system for about 2 years now, I wanted to add something that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure to keep a detailed log of ALL your communication with your worker, including dates, times, names, and what was discussed. I use a simple notebook just for CalWORKs stuff and it's saved me so many times when there were discrepancies. Also, don't be discouraged if your first call doesn't go smoothly. I've learned that persistence is key - some workers are more knowledgeable about transitional benefits than others. If you feel like you're not getting the help you need, it's totally okay to ask to speak with a supervisor or request a different worker. The success stories in this thread are so encouraging! It really shows that when you're informed about your rights and proactive about reporting, the system can actually work in your favor. The transitional benefits like the Work Bonus and extended childcare can make a huge difference during that scary transition period when you're not sure if your new income will be enough. @Keisha Thompson - your journey from being confused about reporting to successfully getting everything set up is exactly the kind of outcome we all hope for. Thanks for sharing your process and updates - it gives the rest of us a roadmap to follow!