Congratulations on the job offer! This is such exciting news and you absolutely should take it. Everyone here has given you fantastic advice about the income disregards and how you'll still qualify for benefits while working. I wanted to share my experience as someone who made this exact transition about 18 months ago. With your $2,450 monthly income and 2 kids, you'll definitely still qualify for some assistance after the $450 disregard and 50% calculation on the remaining income. Your countable income will be around $1,000, which means you'll likely get reduced cash aid but keep full CalFresh and Medi-Cal. Here's what I wish someone had told me: the first month or two can feel chaotic as you adjust to working while managing benefit changes, but it gets so much easier once you establish a routine. Make sure to set up a simple filing system for all your work documents from day one - pay stubs, work schedules, any correspondence with your caseworker. This will save you so much stress later. Also, when you call Monday to report your job, ask about any "return to work" bonuses or incentives your county might offer. Some counties provide small one-time payments or gift cards to help with work-related startup costs like uniforms or transportation. The financial improvement is real - between your wages, partial benefits, childcare assistance, and tax credits, you'll be in such a better position than benefits alone. Take that job with confidence! You're setting up your family for real stability and independence.

Congratulations on the job offer! This is such an exciting opportunity and you should definitely take it. Everyone here has given you amazing advice about how the income disregards work, but I wanted to add something from my recent experience. I was in almost the exact same situation 6 months ago - $2,300/month job offer with 2 kids, terrified of losing my $845 cash aid. Turns out the income disregards really do work like everyone explained! With your $2,450 income, after the $450 disregard and 50% calculation, your countable income will be around $1,000, so you'll still get some cash aid plus keep all your other benefits. One thing that really helped me was calling the CalWORKs customer service line at 1-877-847-3663 instead of trying to reach my individual caseworker. They were able to run the calculations over the phone and tell me exactly what my new benefit amount would be before I even reported the job. It made me feel so much more confident about the decision. Also, definitely ask about the childcare assistance right away! That benefit alone saved me over $800/month in daycare costs, which more than made up for the reduction in my cash aid. You're going to be so much better off financially with work income + partial benefits + childcare support + those tax credits everyone mentioned. Take that job - you've got this!

Welcome to the community @Elin Robinson and @Ava Kim! This thread is a perfect example of why this community is so valuable - the official channels often leave us in the dark about changes like the MAP increase, but members here share real experiences that actually help. I've been on CalWORKs for about 3 years and I still learn new things from posts like this. Definitely keep checking your BenefitsCal accounts regularly - I've found notices there weeks before they show up in the mail (if they ever do). And don't hesitate to post questions here - this community is super supportive and knowledgeable about navigating all the confusing aspects of the system!

This is such a great thread for understanding the MAP increases! I'm also new to CalWORKs and had a similar experience - my payment went up unexpectedly and I panicked thinking it was a mistake. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel so much better about it. It's frustrating that the county doesn't proactively communicate these changes clearly, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people share real information. I'm definitely going to start checking my BenefitsCal account regularly like everyone suggested. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge - it's incredibly helpful for those of us still learning how this system works!

That's awesome that you got it sorted out! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you're in a WTW program and NOT getting these payments automatically, definitely speak up. Sometimes there are system glitches or your program might not be coded correctly in their system. I had to push my worker to check why mine weren't coming through, turns out my vocational training wasn't marked as "approved" even though it was on the state list. Don't assume you're not eligible - advocate for yourself!

Great to see this thread helping so many people! I went through something similar when I started my pharmacy tech program. For anyone still confused about WTW supportive payments, here are the main types you might see: transportation (most common), childcare assistance, work clothes/uniforms, books/supplies, and tools/equipment. The amounts vary by county and your specific situation. If you're not getting payments you think you should be getting, ask your worker to review your WTW plan - sometimes they need to update it to include supportive services. Also, keep attending your program regularly because they do track attendance and can stop payments if you're not participating consistently. Good luck to everyone in their programs!

I'm new to CalWORKs and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea that gifts needed to be reported even if they don't count as income. Reading everyone's experiences makes me realize how important it is to be transparent about everything and let the workers make the determination rather than trying to figure out the rules myself. @GalacticGuru I think you're being really smart by calling your worker proactively - from what everyone is saying, that honesty will definitely work in your favor. I'm going to start keeping a log of any money I receive like @Isaac Wright suggested, even small amounts from family, just to make my future reports easier and more accurate. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's made me feel much more confident about navigating this system correctly!

As someone who just started receiving CalWORKs benefits last month, this entire discussion has been incredibly eye-opening and honestly a bit overwhelming. I had no idea there were so many nuances to what needs to be reported versus what counts as income. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that the safest approach is to report everything and let the workers decide, but I'm curious - is there a comprehensive guide somewhere that explains all the different types of income/money we might receive and how they should be handled? Things like gifts, loans from family, selling personal items, etc.? I feel like I'm walking through a minefield not knowing what might trigger issues down the road. The community support here is amazing though - seeing how people share real experiences and practical advice makes me feel like I'm not alone in trying to navigate this correctly. @GalacticGuru I really admire your courage in addressing this proactively rather than hoping it goes unnoticed!

I'm going through my CalWORKs recertification right now and this entire thread has been a HUGE relief! I submitted my recertification application and documents through BenefitsCal two weeks ago, had my phone interview last Friday, and have been checking the website obsessively ever since looking for ANY kind of confirmation that the interview happened. Of course, there's absolutely nothing showing up - no interview record, no status update, nothing! Reading all your experiences has made me realize this isn't a problem with my case, it's just how terribly designed BenefitsCal is. It's honestly mind-blowing that a system managing people's basic survival needs provides less transparency than ordering food online. I'm definitely going to start following the advice here about taking screenshots and keeping my own documentation. It's frustrating that we have to create backup systems because the official one is so unreliable, but clearly that's just the reality of dealing with this program. For anyone else going through this stress - you're not alone! Based on everyone's experiences here, as long as you completed the three main steps (online application, document upload, phone interview), you should be fine even if BenefitsCal shows zero confirmation. The system is broken but the process still works behind the scenes. Now I just need to stop checking my mailbox five times a day waiting for that Notice of Action! 😅 Thank you all for sharing your stories - this community support makes navigating this confusing system so much more manageable! 💙

I just completed my CalWORKs recertification last month and had the EXACT same experience! The panic when you can't find any trace of your phone interview in BenefitsCal is so real. I was convinced something went wrong with my case, but it turns out this is just how poorly designed the system is. Here's what I learned that might help ease your anxiety: 1. The phone interview data goes into the county's internal system (CalSAWS), not BenefitsCal 2. As long as your recertification task shows "Complete" and your documents show "Received," you're on track 3. The Notice of Action typically arrives 5-10 business days after the phone interview I also started doing what others mentioned here - taking screenshots of everything and keeping my own records. It's frustrating that we have to create backup documentation because the official system is so unreliable, but it's saved me stress in the long run. The waiting period is absolutely nerve-wracking, but based on your post it sounds like you did everything correctly. Try not to stress too much - the system is broken but the process still works behind the scenes. You should get your Notice of Action soon! 💙