i added my gf and her kid last year and they wanted everyting for both!!! so bring EVERYTHING you can think of - lease, birth certificates, id's, ssn cards, bills, paystubs, marriage license, bank statements, everything!!!! the welfare office in our county kept asking for more and more stuff and it took like 3 months to finally get them added and get the right benefits. so frustrating!!!

Hey Jade! Congratulations on your new baby and marriage! 🎉 I just went through this exact process 6 months ago when I added my partner and our baby to my case. Here's my advice based on what worked for me: **Bring copies of everything, not just originals!** They kept some of my documents and I'm so glad I had copies. **For timing on reporting changes:** Don't wait for your SAR7 - report household changes within 10 days. I know it seems scary but it's actually better to report right away. They'll do the income calculation and you might be pleasantly surprised - with the baby added, your family size increases which means higher income limits. **Important tip nobody mentioned:** Ask specifically about transitional childcare benefits when you're there. Even though your baby is young now, getting on the waitlist early is smart because there's often a waiting period. Also, bring a snack and water bottle - these appointments can take HOURS! Good luck mama, you've got this! 💪

Thanks everyone for all this info! I'm definitely going to request a review of my case since it sounds like they shouldn't have counted my tax refund as income. And I'll plan for the lower CTC amount just to be safe with my budget. This community is always so helpful - I learn more here than from my actual caseworker half the time!

I'm so glad you found this helpful! It's really frustrating when we get wrong information from workers who are supposed to be helping us. I've been on CalWORKs for 2 years now and I swear I've gotten different answers about the same question from like 4 different people at my county office. For the case review, you can start by calling your worker directly and asking them to remove the overpayment because tax refunds are exempt income. If they give you pushback, ask to speak to a supervisor. You can also file a formal complaint with the county if needed. And yeah, definitely budget for the lower CTC amount - better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed! Those monthly payments in 2021 were amazing but I'm not holding my breath for them to come back anytime soon.

u got lucky they had someone at the dropbox! at my county office the dropbox is just like a mail slot in the wall lol. no receipts or nothing. glad u got ur SAR-7 in on time tho!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm new to CalWORKs and had no idea there were so many backup options when the BenefitsCal system fails. I've been stressed about submitting my first SAR-7 next month and was worried about what would happen if I ran into technical issues. Reading about the dropboxes, fax options, and the importance of documenting everything really helps me feel more prepared. It's frustrating that we have to deal with these system problems, but at least now I know I'm not alone and there are workarounds. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

This whole thread is so educational! I'm fairly new to CalWORKs (just got approved 3 months ago) and honestly had no idea about so many of these things. The text alerts, keeping organized document folders, the sworn statement option - wish someone had told me all this when I first applied! I've been living in constant anxiety about doing something wrong and losing my benefits. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel way more prepared. Already logged into BenefitsCal to set up those text notifications and bookmarked that Claimyr website. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge - this community is seriously a lifesaver for those of us still figuring everything out!

This is such a valuable thread for everyone! I've been on CalWORKs for about a year and I wish I had known about some of these resources earlier. Just wanted to add that if anyone is having trouble getting through to their county office by phone, you can also try going to the office first thing in the morning (like 8:30am when they open) - you'll usually have better luck getting help in person before they get swamped with calls and walk-ins later in the day. Also, if you ever have to submit the same type of verification multiple times (like rent receipts), ask your caseworker if they can put a note in your file about your housing situation being stable - sometimes this can reduce how often they ask for the same documents. Great job getting everything sorted out @Aisha Mohammed and thanks everyone for all the helpful tips!

Thank you everyone for the helpful answers! Really appreciate you all taking the time to explain. I'll mark my calendar for both the SAR7 at 6 months and the full recertification at 12 months. Going to start keeping a folder with all my important documents so I'm prepared when the time comes.

Just wanted to add one more helpful tip as someone who's been through several recertifications - if you have direct deposit set up, make sure your bank account info is still current when you do your recertification! I forgot to update mine after switching banks and it caused a delay in getting my benefits restored after recert. Also, if you're working or have any income changes during your certification period, keep all your pay stubs organized by month. They'll want to see everything during recertification and having it organized makes the process so much smoother.