I'm new to CalWORKs and this thread is both helpful and terrifying! I just applied last month and my benefits are showing as pending too. Reading all these stories about people waiting weeks without any communication from their workers has me really worried. It seems like the system has some serious issues with transparency and communication. I had no idea that things like one-time child support payments or random system glitches could cause such long delays without anyone telling you what's happening. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and solutions like the Claimyr service and going to the office early in the morning. This community seems way more responsive and helpful than the actual CalWORKs system! Hopefully my case processes faster since it's a new application, but now I know what to look out for and what options I have if I get stuck in pending status too.

This whole thread really highlights how broken the CalWORKs communication system is! I've been dealing with similar pending benefit issues for the past month and it's incredibly stressful when you're already struggling financially. What I've learned from my own experience and reading everyone's stories here is that there are so many different reasons benefits can get stuck - child support payments, income reporting threshold changes, random system glitches, processing backlogs - but they never bother to tell us what's actually happening. We're just left to guess and worry while bills pile up. The fact that we have to rely on third-party services like Claimyr or show up at offices at 7:30 AM just to get basic information about our own cases is ridiculous. Thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences and solutions - this community provides way better support than the actual agency does. For anyone still dealing with pending benefits, definitely try the suggestions people have mentioned here. The system may be broken but at least we can help each other navigate it!

I work at a nonprofit that helps families navigate CalWORKs issues, and I see this SAR 7 problem constantly. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're really struggling to get everything together in time, you can request what's called a "good cause" extension. You have to show that there were circumstances beyond your control that prevented you from completing the SAR 7 on time (like not receiving proper notice, medical emergency, etc.). It's not guaranteed, but it can give you extra time to gather documents. Also, consider reaching out to your local legal aid office - many have CalWORKs specialists who can help advocate for you if the county gives you any pushback. Don't let them intimidate you - you have rights in this process!

I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago and I totally understand the panic! One thing that really helped me was calling the county's main number early in the morning (like right when they open at 8am) - I had better luck getting through then. Also, if you do have to go in person, try to get there about 15-20 minutes before they open because the line gets crazy long fast. When I submitted my corrected SAR 7, I made sure to bring multiple copies of everything and asked the worker to stamp one copy as my receipt. The whole process took about 2 weeks to get my benefits restored, but like others said, they did backpay me for the time I was cut off. Stay strong - this is fixable! The system is frustrating but you can get through this. Make sure to keep all your paperwork organized in a folder so if this happens again you're ready.

This thread has been so informative! I'm a newcomer to CalWORKs (just got approved last month) and honestly had no clue how they calculated my benefits. Reading through everyone's explanations about the $450 disregard and the 50% rule has been a huge help. I'm a single mom with twin 6-year-olds and I work about 18 hours a week at a retail store making $17/hour. My cash aid is around $720 and I always wondered if that was right. Based on the math people have shared here, it seems like it might be correct, but I'm definitely going to call and ask for that written breakdown everyone mentioned. It's honestly pretty frustrating that they don't explain these calculations clearly when you first apply. I remember my eligibility worker just telling me my benefit amount without any explanation of how they got there. Thank you to everyone who took the time to break down the formula - this is exactly what new recipients need to know! One question for the group: is there a good time of day to call that makes it more likely to get through? I've tried calling a few times but the wait times are brutal.

This has been such an incredibly helpful thread for understanding CalWORKs calculations! I'm pretty new to the program myself (just approved 2 months ago) and like so many others here, I was completely in the dark about how they determine benefit amounts. I'm a single parent with one 8-year-old, working about 22 hours a week at $16.50/hour making roughly $1,430/month. My cash aid is $512 which honestly felt really low to me, but after reading everyone's explanations about the income disregards, I can see how they probably got that number. What really strikes me from this conversation is how many people have discovered errors on their cases just by asking questions and requesting explanations. It makes me realize we really do need to be our own advocates in this system. I'm definitely going to call and request that written breakdown of my grant calculation that several people mentioned. Thank you especially to those who took the time to break down the math - having that $450 + 50% formula explained so clearly is going to help so many people! And the tip about calling at 8am or during lunch hours is gold. I've been trying to call at random times and getting nowhere. It shouldn't be this hard to understand our own benefits, but I'm grateful we have communities like this to share knowledge and support each other through the process.

I went through an ICT from Orange County to San Bernardino about 6 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. The key thing that saved me was getting everything in writing and keeping a paper trail. I sent my notification letter via certified mail AND email, then followed up with phone calls. One thing I learned is that you should ask for the name and contact info of your new caseworker in San Diego as soon as possible. Sometimes the counties don't communicate well with each other, so having a direct contact in the receiving county can help if things get delayed. Also, don't be surprised if San Diego asks you to provide some documents again even though Sacramento should have transferred everything. I had to resubmit a few things but it wasn't a big deal since I had copies ready. The whole process took about 3 weeks for me, which was pretty smooth compared to some of the horror stories I'd heard. Good luck with your move! Moving is stressful enough without worrying about benefit interruptions.

I just went through this exact same move (Sacramento to San Diego) about 3 months ago! The Inter-County Transfer process everyone mentioned is definitely the way to go. A few specific tips for Sacramento to San Diego: 1. Sacramento County was actually pretty good about starting the ICT quickly once I notified them in writing 2. San Diego County took about 2.5 weeks to contact me after the transfer was initiated 3. My benefit amount stayed exactly the same - both counties use the same state guidelines 4. San Diego did require me to do a phone interview to verify my info, but it was pretty straightforward One thing specific to San Diego - they're really organized with their paperwork but they do like everything documented properly. Make sure when you update your address that you also update it with any childcare providers, schools, etc. because San Diego will verify those addresses match. The good news is both counties are pretty experienced with ICTs so the process should go smoothly. Just start it ASAP like others said! Feel free to ask if you have any other questions about the Sacramento to San Diego move specifically.

I'm currently going through this exact process with my 6-week-old daughter! I submitted all her documents through BenefitsCal 3 days ago and have been trying to call ever since. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like the 8 AM calling strategy is definitely the way to go, and I love the tip about asking for the worker's direct extension once you get through. I had no idea about the $30 diaper benefit or that this counts as a mandatory mid-period change that should be processed within 10 days. The specific dollar amounts everyone shared ($175-200 CalWORKs increase plus diaper benefit, $90-95 CalFresh increase) really help set realistic expectations. It's frustrating that we all have to become experts at navigating this system just to get our babies the support they're entitled to, but seeing that persistence does pay off gives me hope. I'm definitely going to ask for email confirmation of received documents and request written notice of the processing timeline when I do get through. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences - this thread should be required reading for any new parent trying to add their baby to benefits!

I just successfully added my 8-week-old son to my benefits last month, and I want to share what actually worked for me! After reading similar horror stories about the phone system, I tried a different approach that saved me tons of time and stress. Instead of calling the main county number repeatedly, I went directly to my local office first thing Monday morning (they usually open at 8 AM). I brought my baby with me and explained that I had uploaded documents through BenefitsCal but needed to confirm they were received and get a timeline for processing. The in-person visit made all the difference - they pulled up my case immediately, confirmed all documents were there, and gave me a receipt showing what had been submitted. They also assigned me to a specific worker and gave me her direct phone number for follow-ups. The whole process took about 10 business days from that point, and both my CalWORKs (increased by $182) and CalFresh (up $94) were updated simultaneously. The $30 diaper benefit was added automatically once my son was in the system. My advice: if you can manage an in-person visit with your baby, it's way more effective than playing phone roulette. Bring all your documents even if you uploaded them online, and ask for a specific worker's contact info for future questions. The face-to-face interaction seems to move things along much faster than being another voice on an overwhelmed phone system!