u/Brugthug

I'll try to make this as succint as possible. Looking for people who can help someone living in California on ebt BenefitsCal. My interview was on June 25th and I am terrified things have gone wrong.

My situation:

● I don't really have an official home. I go between living at my friend J's house and my gf's house.

● I go between because my friend J is diagnosed as severe ADHD, autism, and ARFID. He qualifies for disabilities but is too disabled to jump through the hoops on his own. He's waiting for appointments to possibly get the process started. I help out around the house and be sure he's eating.

● At my gf's, I do what I believe would qualify as "in-kind work". That includes daily cleaning, cooking, miscellaneous errands. We did the math and it does rack up to over 20hrs a week easily.

●My therapist says she believes I qualify for disabilities and I do have some pretty debilitating agoraphobia, along with autism and difficulties getting jobs. She said she could try to write a note if needed explaining what I'm dealing with and the job hardships.

■ During the interview:

● The caseworker called in advanced, about an hour before the interview was scheduled and asked me to fill out my SARS 7 form that should have been mailed to me. The physical form was at J's house and I am awhile aways so was not able to get to it. She asked I do it online while she conducts a different interview. She says it'll be about an hour so to "hurry".

● I already have panic attacks during any interview in general and the aspect of limited time and having to hurry had me freaking the hell out.

● As said, this interview means the world to me. I feel like I'm scrambling at straws, desperate to find any way to keep my benefits. I end up clicking all the boxes; □ one that I can't work due to mental/physical health, □ I take care of someone who is disabled, and □ I do in-kind work for now. The idea was to show them how hard I was trying given my situation. I wanted to show them my worth and how much I needed these stamps.

● I realize what I had done was so stupid. The case worker did warn that the auditor who has the final say won't know my situation and will only see the papers. I felt like such an idiot, of course they don't have time to hear everyone out or understand unique situations.

● She informed me my answers were ultimatelty contradictory and I had to do something about it. I cannot edit my answers online but have to write a written note. I don't know how to even go about this without format or template or any guidance at all..

● She explained I also have to ask my gf to write a written statement detailing the in-kind work I provide.

● I asked her isn't that the "MC 210 form" the one to fill in for in-kind work and she says that is not the right form. What I can find online, it's called the "MC 210 S-I" form, *not* the Medi-cal form with a similar name. It would be *so* incredibly helpful to have a format to fill out this info. If we really have to write it all down free hand, how would we go about that?

If anyone can help, I'd be forever grateful.

Please.

This is a weird situation that has me freaked beyond belief. I don't have much in life. If I lose my ebt then I lose my livelihood since culinary stuff is the only interest that the anhedonia hasn't swallowed. I'll try to make this as succint as possible. Looking for people who can help someone living in California on ebt BenefitsCal. My interview was on June 25th and I am terrified things have gone wrong.

My situation:

● I don't really have an official home. I go between living at my friend J's house and my gf's house.

● I go between because my friend J is diagnosed as severe ADHD, autism, and ARFID. He qualifies for disabilities but is too disabled to jump through the hoops on his own. He's waiting for appointments to possibly get the process started. I help out around the house and be sure he's eating.

● At my gf's, I do what I believe would qualify as "in-kind work". That includes daily cleaning, cooking, miscellaneous errands. We did the math and it does rack up to over 20hrs a week easily.

●My therapist says she believes I qualify for disabilities and I do have some pretty debilitating agoraphobia, along with difficulties getting jobs. She said she could try to write a note if needed explaining what I'm dealing with and the job hardships.

■ During the interview:

● The caseworker called in advanced, about an hour before the interview was scheduled and asked me to fill out my SARS 7 form that should have been mailed to me. The physical form was at J's house and I am awhile aways so was not able to get to it. Nobody told me it was there though I asker. She asked I do it online while she conducts a different interview. She says it'll be about an hour so to "hurry".

● I already have panic attacks during any interview in general and the aspect of limited time and having to hurry had me freaking the hell out.

● As said, this interview means the world to me. I feel like I'm scrambling at straws, desperate to find any way to keep my benefits. I end up clicking all the boxes; □one that I can't work due to mental/physical health, □I take care of someone who is disabled, and □I do in-kind work for now. The idea was to show them how hard I was trying given my situation. I wanted to show them my worth and how much I needed these stamps.

● I realize what I had done was so stupid. The case worker did warn that the auditor who has the final say won't know my situation and will only see the papers. I felt like such an idiot, of course they don't have time to hear everyone out or understand unique situations.

● She informed me my answers were ultimatelty contradictory and I had to do something about it. I cannot edit my answers online but have to write a written note. I don't know how to even go about this without format or template or any guidance at all..

● She explained I also have to ask my gf to write a written statement detailing the in-kind work I provide.

● I asked her isn't that the "MC 210 form" the one to fill in for in-kind work and she says that is not the right form. What I can find online, it's called the "MC 210 S-I" form, *not* the Medi-cal form with a similar name. It would be *so* incredibly helpful to have a format to fill out this info. If we really have to write it all down free hand, how would we go about that?

I apologize for the lack of info. The interview was long, arduous, confusing, frustrating, with constant repetitive loops of no answers to my questions. The case worker was old, hard to understand, even said herself she hasn't really been trained much on the new trump policy. I'm not kidding. I also can't make any helpful phone calls as the robots send you through a loop of menu options and/or will hang up on you. I had to take a week to calm my explosive nerves on this but need to focus now but I'm freaking out again. Can't afford to put it off.

If anyone can help, I'd be forever grateful.

Please.