Department of Public Social Services - Los Angeles, California

Royce A.

If I could give it 0 stars I would. Worst place I've ever had the displeasure of going to. Had to replace a card and could not do it online, even when I changed my address online, it said it had to be done in person. So I wait for about an hour, only to find there's separate lines for people who only need card replacements once I'm up front and I'm able to expedited, and once I'm in I go through security and they throw out half my stuff, and don't tell me where they put it. The service workers were incredibly rude and although they say they're accommodating to people with disabilities they are anything but. I spent what felt like days arguing with them.

If you can handle stuff over the phone, please try to do so, for your own sanity.

David G.

I dread anytime I have to call this office for anything. 2 hour wait minimum basically every time. And that's just to get a hold of a person; you're still going to get transferred around and wait more. Make sure to schedule an entire day for dealing with this office. Not like we have lives or anything.
My first time calling them about 5 years ago was to sign up for Medi-Cal, and they said I was ineligible because they had in their records that I was still receiving income from a job I quit over a year prior. It took WEEKS of calling them and being transferred around and sending them all sorts of records to prove that I was in fact unemployed. And after all that, a month later, I received a letter in the mail saying I was still ineligible because they thought I was still at my last job, and to call my case worker. I gave up at this point. Then, about a YEAR later, it mysteriously worked out on their end and I got a letter saying I was approved. What on earth?

My most recent dealing with this office was to sign up for CalFresh. I steeled myself for the process, which of course ending up being an agonizing slog. I signed up, did the interview a few days later, everything was going great. I received a letter saying I was approved. Weeks passed, no EBT card in the mail. I kept receiving emails telling me my interview was coming up (which I already had.) Weird. Month and a half passes and still no card, now I think okay something's wrong. I call the office, get put on hold for 2 hours...and when I am connected, I explained the situation and am informed that the card delivery had been cancelled because it didn't make it to the truck on time...? And since it was cancelled, I was somehow supposed to know to call them and schedule a pickup. She asked if I was able to pick it up today. But that was in 15 minutes, and the office was half an hour away from me. I would have been able to get it if I wasn't ON HOLD FOR 2 HOURS. I asked if I could pick it up the next day instead, and she informed me that no, I need to call them AGAIN to schedule a pickup that day because the authorization gets cancelled at the end of the day. So that would mean another 2 hours on hold. I said no, please deliver it to my house. Luckily, within a week, it did make it to me. I just don't understand why this needed to be so complicated, and as others have mentioned, that you need to follow up with them every step of the way to make sure they're doing their job.

Matthew S.

On my way today to apply for gr cash iam homeless and need hygiene and also I have needs per my Diabetes and Mental Health Disability I was terminated off my cash which my pick up day was The 5th of this month once I went to withdraw my funds I only had food stamps.Now I also was helped to type this because I can't read as well or write I never finished the third grade I was in special education classes my friend is putting this together for me as I give him some type of intell my story please help me get my y cash today. Thank you so much

Garrick H.

So far, great. Helped me out with an ebt card. I'm so grateful.

M J.

AVOID at all cost!!! I am currently on hold! I am trying to cancel. The ppl in this office need to get audit. How is this waiting time allow?! Defund the Los Angeles county workers. Third parties out of the countries are more responsive!

Ro M.

The social service employee don't know what they are doing.

Brad F.

The system that all the taxpayers help pay for is being ruined by mismanagement and people that just don't care. I get the job as hard and you deal with a lot of other people's pain. What part of service to others is to push through that and do the right thing. Your systems on the internet are trash. This all is all blamed at the upper levels of this department! Not the workers!!!!

Shredmeister 1.

Worst Government Agency in the United States. Employees would either make you wait for 3 hours over the phone and drop your call or answer your call and would transfer you for no reason to another department in less than 30 seconds. I've already called at least a dozen times and it's the same thing over and over. Phone Representatives sound like they can barely speak English. They're probably getting paid $5/day by the California Government. No wonder California is the worst State in the US!