BenefitsCal website glitching repeatedly - can't complete CalFresh renewal

omg YES!!! thought it was just me! been trying since monday to report my new address and the stupid site keeps logging me out randomly. tried calling too and gave up after 45 mins on hold

I'm experiencing the same issues with document uploads on BenefitsCal. It seems to be a system-wide problem affecting multiple counties. Here's what you can try: 1. Use the BenefitsCal mobile app instead of the website - some people report better success there 2. Try uploading between 6-8 AM when the server load is lower 3. Make sure your documents are PDFs under 10MB 4. If all else fails, you can submit your recertification without the documents first to meet the deadline, then add the verification later Most importantly, document your attempts (screenshots with dates/times) in case they try to discontinue your benefits. This proves you were trying to comply with the deadline despite technical issues.

have u tried calling right when they open? thats when i always get thru

The ENTIRE system is garbage!! This happens EVERY SINGLE MONTH around the 15th when everyone's trying to submit reports and recerts at once. The county KNOWS the servers can't handle it but they do NOTHING to fix it!!! Last year I lost 3 months of benefits because their stupid website crashed and they claimed they "never received" my SAR7 even though I had confirmation screenshots!!! Had to do a hearing to get retroactive benefits. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!!!

I was having this exact same problem last week trying to submit verification documents for my CalFresh recertification. After hours of frustration, I found a service called Claimyr that helped me actually reach a live CalFresh worker on the phone in about 10 minutes. They got me a temporary workaround for my documents and noted in my case that I had been trying to upload them. Saved me a trip to the office! You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 or go to claimyr.com. Honestly, it was a lifesaver with my recert deadline approaching.

The BenefitsCal site is experiencing technical difficulties due to server upgrades they're implementing this month. I work with a community organization that partners with the county, and we received a notice about this yesterday. The good news is that there's an official workaround: 1. You can email your documents directly to your county office with your case number in the subject line 2. For Los Angeles County: DPSS.Recertification@lacounty.gov 3. For other counties, check their website for the email address Most importantly, they're being instructed to not penalize clients for late submissions if they're due between May 10-20, 2025, due to these known technical issues. Still try to submit on time, but know there's some flexibility built in right now.

UPDATE: I finally got it to work! For anyone else having this problem, here's what worked for me: 1. I used the BenefitsCal mobile app like someone suggested 2. Tried at 6:30 AM before work 3. Converted my photos to PDF first using a free online tool 4. Made sure each file was under 5MB (even though they allow up to 10MB) The upload went through instantly this time! And I received a confirmation email right away. So relieved! Also emailed copies to the county address shared above just to be double safe. Thank you everyone for your help! This community is amazing.

just wanted to say i had a similar problem with BenefitCal last month when i tried to add my newborn to my calfresh case and i ended up going to the office in person which was actually way faster than i expected. went at 2pm on a wednesday and was in and out in 40 min. sometimes in person is actually easier than dealing with the site!

This is such a widespread issue! I'm dealing with the same thing trying to upload my rent receipts for my annual review. The site keeps timing out after I select my files. I've been stressed about missing my deadline too. Based on what everyone's sharing, I'm going to try the mobile app first thing tomorrow morning, and also email my documents to the county address that @Aisha Abdullah shared. It's so frustrating that we have to jump through all these hoops just to maintain our benefits, but I'm grateful this community exists to help each other navigate these problems! Has anyone tried using a different device entirely? Like maybe the issue is more common on certain phones/computers?

I'm having the exact same problem! Been trying to upload my employment verification for my mid-period report and the site just crashes every time. It's so stressful knowing your benefits could get cut off because of technical issues that are completely out of our control. Thanks to everyone sharing their solutions - I'm definitely going to try the mobile app tomorrow morning and also email my documents directly to the county. It's ridiculous that we have to find workarounds for a system that's supposed to help us, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing what actually works. @Aisha Abdullah - do you happen to know if other counties besides LA have similar direct email addresses? I'm in San Diego County and would love to have that backup option too. Stay strong everyone - we'll get through this bureaucratic nightmare together! 💪

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Been trying to upload my verification documents for 4 days straight and the site either freezes completely or gives me some generic error message. My recert deadline is in 2 days and I'm panicking. Reading through everyone's solutions here has been SO helpful though - I had no idea there was a mobile app or that counties had direct email options. Definitely going to try uploading through the app early tomorrow morning like @StarSeeker did, and also email my docs to be safe. It's honestly insane that in 2025 we're still dealing with a government website that can't handle basic file uploads. But thank you all for sharing your experiences and workarounds - this community is literally a lifesaver when the actual system fails us! 🙏

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm a new CalFresh recipient and was completely panicking when the BenefitsCal site wouldn't let me upload my initial verification documents. I had no idea this was such a widespread issue or that there were workarounds like the mobile app and direct county emails. I just want to say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - especially @Aisha Abdullah for the official county email info and @StarSeeker for the detailed update on what finally worked. As someone who's never had to navigate this system before, having this community share real solutions when the official channels are failing is absolutely invaluable. Going to try the mobile app approach first thing tomorrow morning with smaller file sizes like others suggested. It's frustrating that we have to become tech troubleshooters just to access basic benefits, but I'm so grateful there are people here willing to help each other through these bureaucratic obstacles! 💙

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! Been trying to submit my SAR 7 for three days now and the document upload just spins endlessly. My report is due tomorrow and I'm seriously stressed about my benefits getting cut off. Thank you so much to everyone sharing solutions here - I had no idea about the mobile app or the county email options. This community is amazing! Going to try the early morning mobile app approach that worked for @StarSeeker, and definitely going to email my documents to the county as backup like @Aisha Abdullah suggested. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to find workarounds for a basic government function, but I'm so grateful people here are willing to help each other navigate these broken systems. Will update tomorrow on what ends up working!

I'm experiencing the exact same issue! Been trying to upload my pay stubs for my CalFresh recertification since Sunday and the site just freezes every single time. My deadline is in 4 days and I was starting to panic thinking it was just me or my internet connection. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there was a mobile app or that counties had direct email submission options! Going to try the early morning mobile app approach that worked for @StarSeeker, and also email my documents to my county office as backup like @Aisha Abdullah suggested. It's so frustrating that we have to become IT specialists just to submit basic paperwork for benefits we qualify for, but I'm really grateful for this community sharing real solutions when the official system fails us. Will definitely update here with what ends up working in case it helps others dealing with the same problem!

OMG thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and solutions! I've been struggling with this exact same problem for the past week trying to upload documents for my CalFresh renewal. The site keeps timing out right when I click upload and I was starting to think I was doing something wrong. @StarSeeker so glad you got it working! I'm definitely going to try the mobile app early tomorrow morning like you did. And @Aisha Abdullah that county email information is a lifesaver - I had no idea that was even an option. Going to email my docs as backup too. It's honestly insane that in 2025 we're dealing with a government benefits system that can't handle basic file uploads, but this community sharing real solutions when the official channels fail is exactly what we need. You've all probably saved multiple people from losing their benefits due to technical issues that are completely out of our control. Will update tomorrow on whether the early morning mobile app trick works for me too! 🙏