I'm currently going through this exact transition and wanted to share what I've learned so far to hopefully help others. I was approved for SSDI last month ($1,240/month) and was really stressed about losing my CalWORKs benefits for me and my two kids. After reading through this amazing thread and talking to my worker, here's what actually happened: They discontinued my individual CalWORKs but immediately set up a child-only case for my kids. The child-only grant ended up being $624/month, which combined with my SSDI actually puts us in a better financial position than before! A few key things I learned: - Report your SSDI approval immediately when you get the award letter, don't wait for the first payment - Be very specific about asking for a "child-only case" - my worker initially just wanted to close everything until I mentioned this option - The income calculations are totally different for child-only cases, so don't assume you'll be worse off financially - My CalFresh did decrease from $289 to $203, but we still qualify for benefits - Most importantly - I no longer have to deal with WTW requirements since I'm excluded from the assistance unit! For anyone waiting to get through to their worker, I had success calling right at 8am on a Tuesday. Also keep all your SSDI paperwork organized because they'll want to see everything. The transition was way less scary than I expected once I knew what to ask for. Hang in there everyone!

I'm going through this exact same situation and this thread has been such a lifesaver! I just received my SSDI approval notice two days ago ($1,189/month) and I've been on CalWORKs with my three kids for about 8 months. I was honestly panicking thinking we'd lose everything, but reading all these real experiences has given me so much hope. The most important thing I'm taking away is that I need to be proactive about asking for the child-only case option rather than assuming my worker will automatically know to do this. It's both reassuring and frustrating to see how many people had to specifically advocate for this - but at least now I know what to ask for! I'm planning to call first thing Monday morning (8am sharp based on everyone's timing advice) with all my SSDI paperwork ready. My main questions for my worker will be: 1) Setting up a child-only case for my kids, 2) Making sure my Medi-Cal stays active, 3) Understanding how this affects my CalFresh, and 4) Getting everything properly documented in my case file. One thing I'm wondering - has anyone dealt with this transition while also having childcare assistance through CalWORKs? I'm currently getting help with daycare costs for my youngest and I'm hoping that continues under a child-only case since I'll still need childcare to manage my disability appointments and treatments. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences so openly. This community support is incredible and I feel way more prepared to navigate this transition now!

I'm so glad to see this thread - it's such a perfect example of how this community comes together to help each other navigate these scary situations! As someone who's been on CalWORKs for a few years now, I've learned that the Homeless Assistance program is one of the best-kept secrets in the system. Most caseworkers don't proactively tell you about it unless you're already homeless, which is backwards since it's designed to PREVENT homelessness. A few additional tips for anyone else facing eviction: - If you're denied for any reason, ask about the appeal process immediately - you have 90 days to appeal - Some counties have partnerships with legal aid organizations that can help negotiate with landlords - Keep a log of every phone call, visit, and interaction with your caseworker - documentation is key @Ava Rodriguez you handled this crisis exactly right by reaching out here and acting fast. This thread should be bookmarked by everyone because housing instability affects way too many CalWORKs families. Hoping everything works out perfectly for you and your kids! 💪

Reading through all these responses has been so educational! I'm a new CalWORKs recipient and had no idea about the Homeless Assistance program until seeing this thread. It's concerning that this crucial information isn't being shared proactively during the application process. For anyone else who might be in a similar situation in the future, I found this thread incredibly helpful in understanding: - The difference between temporary and permanent homeless assistance - The once-in-a-lifetime limitation (which is really important to know!) - The specific documents needed and timeline for emergency processing - Alternative resources like 211 and legal aid partnerships @Ava Rodriguez - I hope your payment processes smoothly! You've been such a great advocate for yourself and your kids by acting quickly and getting all the right documentation together. Please keep us updated on how everything turns out. This community is amazing - the level of detailed, practical advice from people with real experience is invaluable. I'm definitely saving this thread for future reference and sharing it with other families I know who might benefit from this information. Thank you to everyone who took time to share their knowledge and experiences! 🙏

Congratulations on your new baby! I just went through this same process about 2 months ago when my son was born. Here's what happened in my case: The CalFresh increase showed up on my EBT card within about 10 days on my regular issuance date. The cash aid took a bit longer - about 2 weeks - but like others have mentioned, you do get backpay from your baby's birth date which was such a huge relief when it finally came through. One thing that really saved me stress was discovering you can check the status of pending changes in your BenefitsCal account. Look for the "Case Actions" or "Pending Changes" section - it will show whether they're still processing your baby's addition or if it's been completed. This way you don't have to keep calling just to get status updates. Since your rent is due next week, definitely stress that urgency when you call your worker back tomorrow. Ask specifically about emergency rental assistance programs - many counties have one-time emergency funds that can help bridge the gap while you're waiting for your increased benefits to process. They don't always mention these programs unless you ask directly. Also, try calling right at 8am when the offices open - that's when I had the best luck getting through to a real person without waiting on hold for hours. And keep all your documentation - screenshots of submissions, confirmation numbers, call dates, etc. If there are any processing delays, having that proof makes everything much easier to resolve. The $30 diaper allowance will be automatically included in your regular cash aid amount, not sent separately. And don't forget to update WIC with your new baby's info too since they process independently from CalWORKs. Hang in there! I know the waiting is incredibly stressful when you're already financially stretched with a newborn, but based on everyone's experiences here, it should come through within the next week or two.

Congratulations on your new baby! I just went through this exact process about 8 weeks ago when my daughter was born, so this is all still very fresh for me. Here's what happened with my case: The CalFresh increase showed up on my EBT card within about a week on my regular issuance date. The cash aid took longer - almost 2.5 weeks - but I did get the backpay from her birth date just like everyone mentioned, which was such a huge help when it finally processed. One thing I found super helpful was setting up text alerts in my BenefitsCal account so I'd get notifications about any case updates. You can also check the "Pending Changes" section to see the status without having to call constantly. When I checked mine, it showed "Processing" for about 10 days before switching to "Approved." Since your rent is due next week, definitely call your worker first thing at 8am (best time to get through) and explain the urgent situation. Ask specifically about emergency rental assistance - my county had a program that could provide one-time help while waiting for benefit increases. They didn't mention it initially, so I had to ask directly. Also, make sure to document everything - I took screenshots of all my uploads and saved confirmation numbers, which saved me when there was a small glitch with processing. The $30 diaper allowance gets added right into your regular cash aid, not as a separate payment. Hang in there! The waiting is so stressful with a newborn and tight finances, but it sounds like you did everything right by reporting quickly and uploading all the documents. It should process within the next week or so based on what I've seen.

I'm in a similar situation - been on CalWORKs with my 4-year-old and haven't worked at all this year due to my own health issues. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening! I had no idea there were credits available even without earned income. Quick question for those who have gone through the VITA program - do they help you understand what documentation you need beforehand? I want to make sure I have everything together before I go so I don't waste anyone's time. Also, how long does the appointment usually take? This thread has been so much more helpful than trying to get answers from my caseworker. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone still reading this thread - I was in almost the exact same situation as the original poster last year. Zero work income, two kids on CalWORKs, and I was convinced I couldn't file taxes. Turns out I was totally wrong! I went to a VITA site and ended up getting back about $2,200 just from the Child Tax Credit and California's Young Child Tax Credit. The volunteer there explained that California actually has some of the most generous tax credits for families with young children, even without earned income. The whole process was free and took maybe 90 minutes. They even helped me set up direct deposit so I got my refund in like 10 days. Honestly wish I had known about this years ago - I probably missed out on thousands of dollars over the years by not filing. Don't make the same mistake I did! Even if you think you don't qualify for anything, it's worth getting a free consultation at a VITA site. They know all the rules and can tell you exactly what you're eligible for.

Wow, reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with this exact same decision with my 3-year-old daughter and was feeling so overwhelmed trying to figure out which route to take. The construction work income inconsistency that so many of you mentioned really hits home - her father can make decent money for a few weeks and then be out of work for months. What really stood out to me was when @Myles Regis broke down the actual numbers ($650 guaranteed + $200 when he pays vs potentially $480 but often $0). That kind of real math comparison is exactly what I needed to see! I had no idea that the $100 (or $200 for multiple kids) was ON TOP of your CalWORKs grant rather than part of it - my worker definitely didn't explain that clearly. And learning about all the enforcement tools LCSA has access to, especially for tracking people who move between construction jobs, makes the CalWORKs route seem like such a better option for our situation. The risk management perspective that @Carmen Lopez mentioned really resonates with me too. Even if the best-case scenario is getting full child support, the reality is that with his inconsistent work history, the CalWORKs stability is probably more valuable than gambling on reliable payments. I think I'm going to stick with letting CalWORKs/LCSA handle everything and then reassess in a year once I can see how consistent (or inconsistent) the payments actually are. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - this thread has been way more helpful than anything I've gotten from my caseworker! 🙏

I'm also dealing with this same decision and found this thread super helpful! My situation is almost identical - 2-year-old son and his dad works construction with very sporadic income. After reading everyone's experiences, I'm definitely going with the CalWORKs route. What really convinced me was learning that the $100 (or $200 for multiple kids) is ADDITIONAL income on top of your regular CalWORKs grant, not part of it. My worker made it sound like I'd be giving up most of the child support money, but she didn't explain that I'd still get my full grant plus that extra amount when he does pay. The enforcement tools that LCSA has access to sound way better than anything I could do myself - especially the ability to track employment across different construction companies and set up automatic garnishments that follow him from job to job. I can't imagine trying to serve papers at random construction sites or hiring a lawyer every time he stops paying! Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences. This thread answered more questions than weeks of trying to reach my caseworker did. The stability of guaranteed benefits while they handle all the collection headaches is definitely worth more than gambling on consistent payments from someone with such unpredictable work. 🙏