I don't know what happened, but okay

[simplyn2deep]

A recap. I get CalFresh. It's monies provided on a debit card for low-income people (though apparently not all low-income people qualify?) to get groceries. The money can only be used for groceries and not other household goods.

I have been using it for about 4 years now, though I took some time off when I was working other temp jobs that put me over the threshold for whatever reason.

Every year I have to do a recertification where I update the county on my employment status, school status, and living arrangements. In past years it had been no problem, but when it came time for this year, I had to let them know that I'm self-employeed in addition to getting paid by the state under my caregiver/IHSS work.

Well, my recertification was in October/November because my benefits expire at the end of November. I put in all of that information and during my phone interview with my caseworker, I was informed that proof of self-employment would be needed. I explained to her that I don't get the standard pay-stub, but I did have access to something that showed what I get paid in commissions for any sales I make. I take screenshots of that and submit...well before the end of my benefits.

But! Come November 18, I get a letter saying that my benefits are being discontinued because I didn't submit proof of self-employment. Uhh the fuck I did! Of course, it was like a Friday/Saturday when I found out my benefits were discontinued so calling didn't do any good other than to tell me that I could appeal the decision online. I got right on it and did that, only I don't know/think that my request went through because every time (the 2 times I tried on 2 different days) I submitted it, I got a blank screen and no email confirmation. I wasn't going to try online again, so I typed up the request for appeal and was going to mail it in (that was one of the options as well), but never got around to it as I ran out of stamps and money to get stamps, so the letter has been sitting in my purse signed and in an addressed envelope waiting to be stamped and mailed.

Then! Today I'm checking my email and as I look over the Informed Delivery Digest from the USPS, I see there's another letter from the county! I recognize the address, so I get on my laptop, log into the county website where my benefits are from and I see they approved me!

WHAT!?

On November 18 my benefits were discontinued but on November 25 they were approved! I looked at the approval letter and nowhere does it mention the discontinuance from the week before, but my benefits were reduced by $76.

So for like 20 days I was stressed over how to make what little money Kim gets last until I could mail my request for appeal mailed...only to find out that the day before Thanksgiving it was approved but the letter is just now arriving to me due to mail being slow.

I have no idea why my benefits were discontinued in the first place. I think my social worker just said that I never submitted them, thus triggering the discontinuance, but I also think that she didn't look over the proof I sent in a timely manner and my case was automatically discontinued. Then the 3rd option is one of the online appeals I submitted actually went through and they saw that it shouldn't have been discontinued. I'll never know.

Comments

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

What an absolute pain {hugs} Bureaucracy is often like that - the left hand neither knows nor cares what the right hand is doing.

[simplyn2deep.livejournal.com]

That's what my BFF and Kim's sister said.

I'll also never get an explanation as to what happened either. The frustration of it being discontinued and why even though I submitted the required documentation is what gets me.

But I know for the future, it doesn't pay to be honest...or maybe it does because I got my CalFresh back? I don't know.