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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Just realized I should mention - if you do choose to mail it, send it certified mail with tracking! It costs a few extra dollars but gives you proof they received it. I've had workers claim they never got my paperwork until I showed them USPS tracking confirmation with the name of who signed for it.
That's a really smart idea! Seems like most people prefer the online method but if I do end up mailing it for some reason, I'll definitely send it certified.
mail it in!!! the website always crashes for me and i hate it. my worker said most people just mail the packets so they expect it that way. i think it depends how comfortable u r with computers tho
This isn't accurate information. Most counties now process 60-75% of recertifications online. Paper applications typically take 2-3 days longer to process because they need to be manually scanned into the system first. If you're comfortable using a smartphone or computer even a little bit, BenefitsCal is almost always the better option.
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This whole thread is so eye-opening and frustrating at the same time! I'm a single mom of 2 and just reading about all these system glitches and lack of communication from the county offices makes me anxious about my own upcoming recert next month. It's honestly ridiculous that families have to rely on third-party services like Claimyr or go through so much stress just to get basic information about their cases. @f791cdc18483 Miguel, I'm so glad you finally got through and it was just a technical issue with your son's school verification! That must have been such a relief. It's crazy that they don't have a system to automatically notify us when documents don't upload properly. @da395ad0139a Dylan, thank you for those practical tips - I'm definitely going to screenshot everything when I do my recert and write down all my call attempts. The supervisor tip is something I never would have thought of. This community is honestly more helpful than the actual CalWORKs system sometimes. At least here we can get real answers and support from people who actually understand what we're going through!
@327c0af4ba16 You're absolutely right Freya - this community really is more helpful than the actual system sometimes! It's sad that we have to rely on each other to figure out how to navigate something that should be straightforward. I'm new here but already learned so much from everyone's experiences. For your upcoming recert, definitely follow Dylan's advice about screenshots and documenting everything. And don't hesitate to use that Claimyr service if you run into issues - it seems like it really works based on what Miguel shared. It's frustrating that we have to pay for a third-party service to access our own benefits, but at least it's an option when the regular system fails us. This thread has been a real wake-up call about how broken the process is, but also reassuring to know we're not alone in dealing with these problems.
Reading through everyone's experiences here is both heartbreaking and infuriating. As someone who's been on CalWORKs for almost 3 years, I can confirm that the "incomplete" status with zero explanation is way too common. The fact that we have to play detective to figure out what's missing from our own cases is absolutely unacceptable. What really gets me is that they expect us to be available 24/7 for their calls and appointments, but when we need help, we get stuck in phone trees or on endless hold. And then they act like WE'RE the problem when benefits get delayed or cut off due to THEIR system failures. Miguel, I'm so relieved you got it sorted out! The school verification issue is classic - I've had documents "not open properly" on their end multiple times. Now I always upload documents in multiple formats (PDF and JPG) and take screenshots of the upload confirmation page. For anyone else dealing with this - don't give up! Keep trying different approaches until something works. Document everything, be persistent, and lean on this community for support. We shouldn't have to fight this hard for basic assistance, but unfortunately that's the reality of the system right now.
@b6ca316eeb5f Aisha, your point about uploading in multiple formats is genius! I never thought of doing that but it makes total sense given how unreliable their system seems to be. The fact that you've been dealing with this for 3 years and still have to fight for basic assistance is just wrong. You're so right about the double standard - they expect us to be instantly available but we can't even get through to a human when we need help. I'm bookmarking all these tips from this thread because clearly we can't rely on the system to work properly. It's sad that we have to become experts at navigating broken systems just to feed our families, but I'm grateful for people like you sharing hard-earned wisdom. This community really is a lifeline when the official channels fail us.
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This entire discussion has been absolutely incredible to read through! I'm a single parent who's been on CalWORKs for about 14 months, and like so many others here, I was given completely wrong information about savings limits. My worker told me during intake to "keep savings minimal" and mentioned something about a $2,000 limit, so I've been terrified to save more than $1,200 this whole time. Reading that the actual limit is $10,000 and that retirement accounts don't even count is literally life-changing information for me! I have a small 401k from a previous job that I've been worried about, plus I've been wanting to save for a car down payment but was scared it would disqualify us from benefits. What really frustrates me is how this misinformation is clearly affecting families across multiple counties. We're all sharing nearly identical stories of getting vague or outdated guidance from caseworkers. This shouldn't be something we have to figure out through community forums, but I'm so grateful this discussion exists! @Cass Green - thank you so much for confirming this as an actual caseworker! It gives me the confidence to call my worker and ask for written confirmation of the current limits. I'm also definitely going to ask about those IDA programs that were mentioned. To everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge here - you're literally helping families build financial stability and peace of mind. This community is doing what the system should be doing automatically. Thank you all! 🙏
Julian, your story is so similar to mine and so many others here! I've been on CalWORKs for about 8 months and got that same vague "keep savings minimal" advice from my worker. I've been keeping my emergency fund under $800 because I was terrified of losing benefits for my kids. This whole thread has been like a lightbulb moment - finding out we can actually save up to $10,000 without risking our benefits is incredible! And learning that retirement accounts are completely exempt is such a relief. I have a tiny IRA from years ago that I've been worried about reporting. What gets me most is how this misinformation is robbing families of the chance to build real financial security. Like, $10,000 is enough to actually handle emergencies, save for a car, or put aside money for kids' future needs. Instead, we've all been living paycheck to paycheck unnecessarily because workers aren't sharing current information. I'm calling my county office tomorrow to get this confirmed in writing. After reading @Cass Green s'response as an actual caseworker, I feel confident pushing for accurate information. This community has honestly been more helpful than my entire CalWORKs experience so far! Thanks for sharing your story - it s'reassuring to know I m'not alone in this confusion, but also frustrating that so many of us are dealing with the same systemic information problem. Here s'to finally being able to save for our families futures!' 💙
Reading through this entire thread as someone who's been on CalWORKs for about 6 months has been absolutely mind-blowing! My intake worker told me to "be very careful about any savings" and mentioned something about old limits, so I've been keeping my emergency fund under $500 this whole time. I actually turned down some overtime hours at work because I was scared the extra money would push me over some mysterious savings limit! Finding out the actual limit is $10,000 is honestly overwhelming in the best way possible. That means I can actually start building a real safety net for my daughter and myself. I can save for things like car repairs, school supplies, maybe even a security deposit for a better apartment eventually. What really gets to me is how many families are probably still living under this same fear because they got the same vague or outdated information. We're all sharing such similar stories of confusion and unnecessary financial stress. It's clear this is a widespread training issue affecting workers across multiple counties. @Cass Green - thank you SO much for jumping in as an actual caseworker to confirm this information! It gives me the courage to call my worker and ask for written confirmation of the current limits. I'm also definitely going to ask about those IDA programs and other asset-building resources people mentioned. This community is literally more helpful than my entire official CalWORKs orientation process. We shouldn't have to rely on forums to get accurate information about our benefits, but I'm so grateful this space exists. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences - you're helping families like mine finally build toward financial stability! 🙏✨
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I'm new to this community and this whole thread has been incredibly helpful to read through! Anna, I'm so glad you got everything sorted out with your worker and that you'll still qualify for some assistance. Your experience really highlights how important it is to be honest upfront rather than letting fear drive decisions. As someone who might need to apply for CalWORKs myself soon due to job uncertainty, this conversation has taught me so much about how the system actually works. I had no idea about the earned income disregards or how they handle variable income. It's also reassuring to know that the workers are generally understanding when people are trying to do the right thing. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge here - especially those who explained the technical details about reporting requirements and income calculations. This kind of community support makes navigating government assistance programs so much less intimidating for newcomers like me!
Welcome to the community, Connor! I'm also pretty new here and found this discussion really eye-opening. Like you, I had no idea about how the earned income disregards work or that CalWORKs is designed to help working families rather than just unemployed ones. Anna's story really shows how getting accurate information from experienced community members can make all the difference when you're dealing with these programs for the first time. It's great to have a place where people can ask questions without judgment and get real advice from folks who've been through the process. Hope you don't end up needing CalWORKs, but if you do, at least now we both know the importance of being completely honest about all income sources right from the start!
As a newcomer to this community, I've been following this thread and I'm really impressed by how supportive and knowledgeable everyone has been! Anna, congratulations on getting through to your worker and resolving the situation - your courage to be honest despite your fears is really admirable. This discussion has been incredibly educational for someone like me who is still learning about how these programs work. I had no idea that CalWORKs has earned income disregards specifically designed to help working families, or that they have processes for handling irregular income. It's reassuring to know that the system isn't as black-and-white as I initially thought. The consistent advice from experienced members here - to always be transparent about all income sources - really drives home how much better it is to deal with any complications upfront rather than risk the serious consequences of unreported income later. Thank you all for creating such a helpful and judgment-free space for people navigating these challenging situations!
I'm also new to this community and completely agree with Emily's observations! This thread has been such a valuable learning experience. What really stands out to me is how Anna went from being terrified about potential home investigators to successfully working with her CalWORKs worker - all because she got solid advice from this community about being transparent. As someone who might face similar challenges in the future, I'm grateful to see how the experienced members here consistently emphasized that the system is actually designed to help working families, not trap them. The detailed explanations about income disregards and reporting processes have given me so much more confidence about navigating these programs if I ever need to. It's amazing how much fear can be reduced just by having accurate information and supportive community guidance!
Max Reyes
The way they calculate your benefits is so confusing!!!! My worker told me EDD counts differently than regular income because it already has taxes taken out or something? But then another worker told me that was wrong. I don't even know who to believe anymore. The whole system is designed to confuse people on purpose I swear.
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Oliver Cheng
•EDD is considered unearned income (like disability, child support, etc.), while wages from a job are earned income. They are calculated slightly differently for CalWORKs, but both affect your grant amount. Your first worker might have been referring to the earned income disregard that applies to job income but not to unemployment benefits. The system is definitely confusing, but I promise it's not designed to trick you - it's just a complicated patchwork of rules.
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Ashley Simian
Update: I checked our last Notice of Action and our IRT is $2,676. My husband's EDD payment was $840 for two weeks, and I make about $1,100 a month part-time. So combined we're at $1,940, which is under our IRT. Does that mean I can wait until our next SAR7 in May to report it? Or do I still need to report it now?
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Ella Cofer
•be carefull, if he gets paid every 2 weeks he mite get 3 payments in 1 month sometimes. thats what happened to us and it put us over the IRT that month but we didnt realize until they came after us for not reporting
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Everett Tutum
•You're right to be cautious about the timing! Since you're under your IRT right now, you technically can wait until your May SAR7. But I'd suggest keeping a close eye on when his next payments come. EDD usually pays weekly or bi-weekly, so like Ella mentioned, you could end up with 3 payments in some months depending on the timing. I learned this the hard way when I got caught off guard by an "extra" payment that pushed us over our limit. Maybe set a reminder to check your total monthly income around the 20th of each month so you don't accidentally miss the 10-day reporting deadline if you do go over your IRT.
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