Congratulations on your new baby! 🎉 I'm also a CalWORKs recipient and went through this same situation about 8 months ago. I did receive the prorated amount, but like others have mentioned, it came about 5 weeks later and was just added to my regular payment with no explanation. One thing I learned that might help you - when I brought in my baby's birth certificate, I specifically asked my worker to put a note in my case file about when the prorated amount should be processed. She told me it would be "in the next payment cycle" but that was pretty vague. Having that conversation documented helped when I had to call later to ask about it. Also, just a heads up - when the prorated amount does come through, make sure to save some of it if you can because your ongoing monthly amount might be slightly different than what you're expecting due to how they calculate everything. The whole system is confusing but you definitely deserve that prorated amount since you reported right away!

Congratulations on your beautiful new baby! 🍼💕 I just wanted to add my experience to this helpful thread. I had my son 6 months ago and went through the same thing with the prorated benefits. Like many others here, I did receive the prorated amount but it was definitely confusing and took longer than expected. What I found helpful was calling the CalWORKs customer service line about 3 weeks after my appointment to check on the status. The representative was able to see in the system that the prorated amount was "pending" and gave me a rough timeframe. It ended up coming through about a week after that call, added to my regular monthly payment. One thing I wish someone had told me - take a screenshot or photo of your EBT balance before and after each payment so you can track what you received. When the prorated amount came through mixed with my regular payment, I almost missed it because I wasn't paying close attention to the exact amounts. You're absolutely entitled to that prorated amount since you reported right away, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise. This community has been such a great resource for navigating all the CalWORKs quirks. Wishing you and your little one all the best! 💙

Just wanted to add my experience here! I went through this same panic last year when I got my refund right before my renewal. I called my county office and they confirmed what everyone is saying - tax refunds are completely exempt and don't need to be reported. What really helped me was actually reading the CalWORKs handbook section on exempt income. It's all spelled out there if you want to see it in writing. The exemption covers ALL types of tax refunds - regular refunds, EITC, Child Tax Credit, everything. One tip: if you're still worried, you can always ask your worker to note in your case file that you asked about this and they confirmed refunds are exempt. That way there's documentation if any questions come up later. But honestly, this is such a standard rule that most workers know it by heart. Don't stress about it - file your taxes when you're ready and use that refund for whatever you need!

I'm so glad you asked this question because I was literally in the same boat last year! I was getting my first big tax refund with the Child Tax Credit and was terrified it would mess up my benefits. Just to echo what everyone else is saying - you are 100% safe. Tax refunds are completely exempt from CalWORKs income calculations. I ended up getting almost $5,000 back and it didn't affect my benefits at all. My worker actually rolled her eyes a little when I asked about it because apparently this is one of the most common questions they get during tax season! The key thing that gave me peace of mind was learning that the exemption isn't just some loophole - it's specifically written into the program rules because lawmakers recognize that tax refunds are basically your own money being returned to you, not new income. Don't let the stress of this keep you from filing your taxes on time. File when you're ready, use that money for whatever you and your kids need, and don't worry about your CalWORKs renewal. The two things are completely separate!

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress! The same thing happened to my neighbor last month - her CalWORKs cash aid just didn't show up on the 1st with no warning. She was panicking about rent too. After hours of calling, she found out it was a "system verification hold" that required a supervisor to manually release. The county worker couldn't even explain why it happened, just said sometimes the computer flags cases randomly. She got her money 3 days later but had to borrow from family to avoid late fees. Definitely keep calling and ask to speak to a supervisor immediately - don't let them put you off. Document the time and date of every call attempt in case you need to file a complaint later. Hoping yours gets resolved faster than hers did!

This is so frustrating and I totally understand your panic! I went through something similar about 6 months ago where my cash aid just vanished on payment day. After calling nonstop, I found out there was a "data verification error" on my case that triggered an automatic hold - basically their computer got confused about something in my file even though nothing had actually changed. The worker said it happens more often than people realize, especially after SAR7 submissions when the system tries to cross-reference all your information. What really helped me was calling the state CalWORKs hotline at 1-877-847-3663 in addition to my county office. Sometimes the state reps can see different information or bypass certain holds that county workers can't. Also, if you do get through to someone, specifically ask them to check for any "system-generated flags" on your case - that's the exact language that got my worker to dig deeper and find the issue. I know waiting is terrible when you have bills due, but based on what others are saying about the system-wide issue, it sounds like you're not alone and they should be able to fix this quickly once you reach the right person. Hang in there!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the county office! Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and it actually worked. The worker told me they're processing my claim and it should be resolved within 5-7 business days. She also recommended I apply for emergency food assistance through the local food bank which I'm going to do tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

So sorry this happened to you! I work at a local community center and we see this unfortunately way too often. While you're waiting for your benefits to be restored, here are some immediate resources that might help: 1. Contact 211 (dial 2-1-1) for emergency food assistance in your area 2. Check if your local Salvation Army or Catholic Charities has emergency rent assistance programs 3. Many food banks don't require any paperwork and can help immediately 4. Some churches have emergency funds for rent assistance even if you're not a member Also, when you call the county again, specifically mention that you're at risk of homelessness due to this theft - they have special protocols for cases involving housing instability. Document everything and don't give up! You did nothing wrong and they need to fix this quickly.

I'm glad you were able to get through and that it was just a system issue! For future reference, if you ever face a situation where your benefits are delayed and it causes you to be late on rent, you can request a letter from your eligibility worker explaining the delay. Many landlords will accept this as documentation and waive late fees. Also, if you ever face a complete discontinuance without proper notice, you have the right to request a state hearing and can get aid paid pending the hearing result in many cases.

I'm so glad you were able to get this resolved! System glitches like this are way too common and it's awful that families have to stress about basic needs because of technical issues. For anyone else reading this who might face similar problems, I'd also recommend documenting everything when this happens - take screenshots of your BenefitsCal account showing no pending payments, keep records of when you called and couldn't get through, etc. This documentation can be really helpful if you need to escalate the issue or request aid paid pending like Oscar mentioned. It's frustrating that we have to be our own advocates just to get the benefits we're entitled to, but sadly that's the reality of navigating this system.