I'm in a very similar situation - just got offered a position that should put me well over the CalWORKs income limit and want to make sure I handle the cancellation properly. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful! Based on all the advice, I'm planning to: 1. Report my new job income first through BenefitsCal within 10 days of starting 2. Wait for my first couple paychecks to confirm my income level 3. Submit a written request saying "I request to voluntarily discontinue my CalWORKs Cash Aid effective [specific date]" 4. Follow up with a phone call for confirmation The stories about overpayment issues from people who only relied on phone calls really convinced me that the BenefitsCal documentation route is the way to go. It's also reassuring to know I can keep CalFresh and Medi-Cal if I'm still eligible. @Connor - thanks for starting this discussion! It's generated such valuable real-world advice. Congratulations on your new job and I hope your transition goes smoothly. It sounds like you have a solid plan now with all the detailed guidance from people who've successfully been through this process.

Wow, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually in a similar situation - just got a job offer last week and have been stressing about how to cancel my CalWORKs properly without running into overpayment issues. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences, it's clear the best approach is: 1. Use BenefitsCal to submit a written request with the exact phrase "voluntarily discontinue CalWORKs Cash Aid" 2. Follow up with a phone call for confirmation number 3. Wait for actual paychecks before setting the effective date 4. Keep documentation of everything The stories about people who had overpayment problems from phone-only cancellations definitely convinced me that the paper trail through BenefitsCal is essential. I had no idea that just reporting income changes is different from requesting discontinuance - that distinction seems really important. @Connor - thanks for asking this question! The responses have created such a valuable resource. It's clear you're approaching this transition thoughtfully, and with all this great advice, you're going to handle it perfectly. Congratulations on your new job - it's inspiring to see someone successfully moving toward financial independence!

Hi Kayla! I'm a single mom with 2 kids (ages 6 and 8) in Los Angeles County and have been on CalWORKs for about 7 months now. Your situation sounds very similar to mine when I first applied! With your part-time income at $16.50/hour for 20 hours, you're probably looking at around $325-400 in monthly cash aid. The way it works: they take your gross monthly income (about $1,430), subtract the first $450 (income disregard), then only count 50% of what's left against your Maximum Aid Payment. So your countable income would be around $490. The application process was smoother than I expected - I submitted everything online through BenefitsCal and got approved in about 3 weeks. Make sure you have all documents ready: IDs, birth certificates, recent pay stubs, rent receipt, and bank statements from the last 2 months. For Welfare to Work, since you're already working 20 hours, you'll just need 10 more hours of approved activities. I do a mix of online community college courses and job readiness workshops - both count toward the requirement and I can schedule them around my current job. Don't forget to ask about childcare assistance once approved - that's been the biggest help for us! My kids' after-school care is almost completely covered now, which freed up so much in our budget. The peace of mind this program has given our family is incredible. Your kids deserve this support and so do you - definitely worth applying! Feel free to ask if you have any questions about the process. You've got this! 💕

Hi Kayla! I'm a single mom with 2 kids (ages 4 and 11) in Alameda County and I've been on CalWORKs for about 5 months now. Your situation sounds really similar to what mine was when I first applied! Based on your income ($16.50/hour for 20 hours), you're probably looking at around $340-390 in monthly cash aid. Here's how they calculate it: they take your gross monthly income (about $1,430), subtract the $450 income disregard, then only count 50% of what's left against your Maximum Aid Payment. The application process was actually less intimidating than I thought it would be. I applied online through BenefitsCal and it took about 4 weeks from start to finish. Key documents you'll need: ID for everyone, birth certificates, 4-6 weeks of pay stubs, proof of rent, and recent bank statements. For Welfare to Work, since you're already working 20 hours, you'll only need 10 additional hours of approved activities. I'm doing online career training courses that count toward my hours AND help me work toward better job opportunities. Make sure to ask about ALL the benefits when you apply - the childcare assistance has been a game changer for us (I only pay $39/month for my 4-year-old's preschool now), plus utility bill discounts, free school meals, and back-to-school vouchers. The financial stability this has provided our family has been incredible. Don't let fear of the process hold you back - your kids deserve this support! You've absolutely got this mama! 💙

This whole thread is so incredibly valuable - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now. My CalWORKs payment was supposed to deposit 6 days ago ($742 for my family) and my EBT card is still at $0. Case shows active online but something clearly went wrong. What's really eye-opening is seeing how many people discovered missing verification requests they never got notified about. That seems to be the root cause in most cases, which is so unfair! They can just stop our payments and then act like we should have magically known what documents they needed. I'm definitely going to try all the strategies mentioned here - calling at 8am sharp, using the BenefitsCal app instead of email, keeping detailed logs, and proactively checking for any missing verifications. The tip about taking photos of everything and getting receipt numbers is brilliant too. It's honestly heartbreaking that we have to become experts at navigating bureaucratic chaos just to access basic assistance we're already approved for. But this community sharing real solutions makes all the difference when the official system fails us. Thank you especially to those who came back with updates - it gives the rest of us hope that there IS a way through this mess! 🙏

This thread has been such a lifeline - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now. My payment was supposed to come through 3 days ago and my EBT shows $0 even though my case is active online. What's really striking me from reading all these responses is how systemic this problem is. It's not just individual cases - there's clearly something broken with their notification and payment processing systems. The fact that so many people are discovering "missing" verification requests they were never told about is infuriating! I'm taking notes on all the strategies shared here - calling right at 8am, using the BenefitsCal app for uploads, keeping call logs, and being super proactive about checking for verification needs. It's ridiculous that we have to become experts at navigating their dysfunction just to get approved benefits, but at least we have each other to share what actually works. Going to start making calls first thing tomorrow morning. Will definitely update if I figure out what's blocking my payment. This community support is exactly what we need when the system fails us! 💙

Welcome to the program! I'm also a CalWORKs newcomer (got approved about 2 weeks ago) and this thread has been absolutely incredible for understanding the timing details. Like so many others here, my worker just said "deposits on the 1st" with zero explanation of what that actually means in practice. Reading everyone's experiences about the midnight to early morning deposit window has been such a relief - I was imagining having to wait until business hours or something! The clarification that Cash Aid is NOT staggered by case number like CalFresh is super important too, since I'm getting both benefits and would have definitely been confused about that. Just downloaded the EBT app based on all the recommendations here and set up notifications. The tip about calling the automated line on the 31st to verify everything looks good is brilliant - wish I had thought of that myself! This community has provided more practical, useful information in one thread than I got from my entire intake appointment. It's amazing how people here take the time to share real experiences and help newcomers feel less anxious about navigating this system. Thank you to everyone for being so welcoming and informative!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who was recently approved for CalWORKs too! I got approved about 6 weeks ago and was super stressed about the timing for my first payment. Everyone here is absolutely right - Cash Aid deposits on the 1st regardless of case number (that staggered schedule is only for CalFresh). In my experience, the funds have consistently hit between 12:30am and 2:30am on the 1st. I live in Orange County if that helps with regional timing. Since your rent is due on the 2nd, you should be completely fine! One thing that really saved me stress was setting up both text AND push notifications through the EBT app - that way you get alerted immediately when funds deposit instead of constantly checking your balance. Also, if you haven't already, make sure your EBT card is activated! They should have mailed it after your approval. The first month is definitely the most nerve-wracking, but once you get into the routine it becomes much more predictable. This community has been amazing for getting real answers that workers don't always explain clearly. Welcome to the program and try not to stress too much - you've got this!

Just wanted to jump in here as someone who's been through the CalWORKs appeal process twice - you're doing absolutely everything right by gathering all this information and not giving up! One thing I learned that really helped: when you request that hearing, also ask for a "continuance of aid" if you were receiving any benefits before (though it sounds like this might be your first application). More importantly, ask them to flag your case as "priority processing" due to having minor children and facing homelessness. Also, I saw you mentioned those MPP codes - here's a trick that worked for me: when you call, don't just ask what verification is missing. Ask them to read you the EXACT text of what's in your case notes about why you were denied. Sometimes the worker who handled your case left detailed notes that explain way more than what's on the denial notice. The fact that everyone here is giving you such consistent advice about pursuing multiple approaches simultaneously really shows this is the right strategy. You're not being pushy or difficult - you're being a smart advocate for your family. One last thing: if you end up getting approved after all this, make sure to ask about "retroactive benefits" back to your original application date. You shouldn't lose out on aid for the time period when they incorrectly denied you. You've got an army of people here rooting for you. Keep us posted on how those calls go tomorrow!

I'm really sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! As someone who's navigated CalWORKs denials before, I want to add a few things that haven't been mentioned yet. First, when you call tomorrow, ask specifically if your case was denied due to a "failure to appear" for any scheduled appointments. Sometimes they schedule phone interviews or document submission deadlines that aren't clearly communicated, then deny for non-compliance. If this happened, you can often get it reopened just by explaining the miscommunication. Also, since you mentioned your CalFresh was approved, ask them to do a "joint processing review" where they compare what was accepted for CalFresh versus what was supposedly missing for CalWORKs. Sometimes this reveals inconsistencies in how your case was handled. One more strategy: if you have a local Legal Aid office, many have "self-help" workshops specifically for CalWORKs appeals where you can get free help filling out hearing request forms and understanding your rights. Even if you can't get a lawyer, these workshops can be incredibly valuable. The community here has given you such solid advice - definitely pursue multiple approaches simultaneously. Your determination to keep fighting for your kids despite this broken system is really admirable. Don't let them wear you down - you clearly submitted everything properly and deserve these benefits. Keep us updated on how your calls go tomorrow! We're all pulling for you and your family.