Will CalWORKs require my pay stubs and bank statements when reopening my Cash Aid case?

they alwasy want that stuff again. doesnt matter if u had a case b4 they'll want new prooof of everything. its like starting over :( bank statements pay stubs rent receipt all of it. so annoying

When you reapply for CalWORKs, they'll need verification of your current circumstances regardless of how recently your previous case was open. This includes income verification (pay stubs or employer verification letter) and resource verification (bank statements). About your bank account concern - CalWORKs has a $10,000 resource limit as of 2025, not $2,500. The $2,500 limit was increased several years ago. So temporarily having more than $2,500 for rent payment wouldn't disqualify you as long as your total resources stay under $10,000. Make sure you're prepared with: - Last 30 days of pay stubs (not 3 months like before) - Most recent bank statements - Rent/housing cost verification - ID for all household members - Proof of any changes since your last case

they will 100% ask for evrything again... when i tried reopening mine they wanted even MORE stuff than my first time! crazy thing is they already had most of my info but still made me bring it all. dont let your bank account go over that day they check it or theyll deny you

I reopened my Cash Aid case just last month and I can tell you exactly what they needed: 1. My last 4 pay stubs 2. Bank statements from the last 60 days 3. My rental agreement 4. My kids' school enrollment forms 5. Verification of child support received (even though it was in the system already) The most frustrating part was trying to reach someone on the phone to ask questions about what I needed to submit. I kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual caseworker. They have this service where they call and wait on hold for you then connect you when a worker picks up. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video demo here if you're interested: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Once I got through, my worker was actually helpful and told me exactly what documents would work. Got approved in about 12 days.

Is anyone else really confused by the income reporting requirements for CalWORKs? I'm so afraid I'll mess something up and get in trouble. I work part time with changing hours and never know exactly when I need to report income changes. Is it only on the SAR7? Or right away if it goes over some amount? What happens if you reopen a case but then your income changes like a month later??

my worker told me last week that for reopening a case they can sometimes use "expedited verification" if your case closed less than 3 months ago. might be worth asking about that. but yeah they still want the bank statemnts and pay stuff but maybe not as far back.

To summarize what everyone has shared (with accurate information): 1. Yes, you will need to provide current verification documents when reopening your CalWORKs case 2. For income: Most counties require the most recent 30 days of pay stubs 3. For resources: Bank statements showing current balances (usually last 30-60 days) 4. The resource limit is $10,000 (not $2,500 as some have incorrectly stated) 5. You can upload all documents through BenefitsCal online system 6. If your case closed less than 90 days ago, ask about expedited verification (they may need less documentation) Pro tip: When uploading documents to BenefitsCal, name each file clearly (like "January Pay Stubs" or "Chase Bank Statement") and make sure all pages are included. This prevents delays from workers requesting missing information.

Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble getting electronic pay stubs from your employer, you can ask them for a "verification of employment" letter instead. It should include your hire date, hours worked, hourly rate, and gross pay for the last 30 days. Most HR departments can provide this pretty quickly and CalWORKs accepts it as income verification. I had to do this when my old job's payroll system was down and couldn't generate stubs. Also, don't stress too much about the bank account fluctuations - as long as your average balance stays well under that $10,000 limit, you should be fine. The workers understand that people need to save up for rent and bills. Good luck with your application!

One thing to keep in mind is that when you reapply, they'll also look at why your case closed originally. Since yours closed due to job loss but you're now employed again (even at lower pay), that actually works in your favor - it shows you're trying to work and just need temporary assistance. Make sure to mention that when you apply. Also, if you're having trouble affording basic needs while working, you might also qualify for CalFresh (food stamps) which has different income limits and could help stretch your budget further. You can apply for both programs at the same time through the same BenefitsCal application. The combination of Cash Aid + CalFresh + potentially other programs like Medi-Cal can really help bridge that gap when your job doesn't pay enough to cover all your expenses.