CalFresh benefits stopped 2 months ago - should I reapply or request reinstatement?
I'm freaking out a little here. My CalFresh EBT benefits suddenly stopped loading about 2 months ago. I didn't receive any notice in the mail (or maybe I missed it?). I've been scraping by using food banks but it's getting really tough. My question is: should I just submit a whole new application through BenefitsCal, or is there a way to contact my county worker and request reinstatement of my existing case? I'm worried if I reapply, it'll take even longer to get benefits back. Has anyone been through this and know the fastest way to get my benefits going again?
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Mary Bates
This happens more often than you'd think. The important question is WHY your benefits stopped. Did you miss your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) or recertification? Or did you miss providing verification documents they requested? Depending on that, you have different options. If it's been less than 30 days since discontinuance, you can request what's called a 'restoration' where they just reopen your case. After 30 days, policy usually requires a new application, BUT some counties will still restore cases up to 90 days if you have good cause for the delay.
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Oliver Brown
AuthorI honestly don't know why they stopped. I haven't moved, my income hasn't changed. I might have missed a SAR7 form - is that something they mail every 6 months? I definitely don't remember doing a recertification recently. If I need to do a new application, will I lose benefits for the months I've already gone without?
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Clay blendedgen
same thing happened to my sister last year! she just reapplied and it was faster than trying to get someone on the phone tbh
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Ayla Kumar
While reapplying might be faster in some cases, it's always best to try contacting your county office first. If it's been less than 90 days AND you had good cause for missing whatever deadline triggered the discontinuance, they might be able to restore benefits with less hassle than a new application. Plus, if it was a county error, you might be eligible for retroactive benefits.
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Lorenzo McCormick
i bet you missed your SAR7!! thats what happened to me and i had to do a whole new application it was SO ANNOYING and took like a month to get approved again. check your mail more carefully next time cuz they barely give you any time to respond to those things!!
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Oliver Brown
AuthorUgh, that's what I'm afraid of. I've been dealing with some personal stuff and might have overlooked mail. A whole month with no benefits sounds awful. Did they give you benefits retroactively for the time you were without?
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Carmella Popescu
HEY JUST FYI - when this happened to me in January they told me I COULD NOT get benefits for the months I missed after being cut off. So don't count on getting back benefits even if its THEIR MISTAKE!!! The whole system is designed to cut people off and save $$$ for the government! I had to call like 25 times before I could even talk to anyone about my case getting closed for NO REASON!
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Mary Bates
This isn't entirely accurate. If benefits were discontinued due to county error (not your fault), you CAN request retroactive benefits. However, if you missed a deadline for submitting required paperwork, they typically won't provide retroactive benefits. Every situation is different, and it's always worth asking about your specific case.
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Kai Santiago
I recently dealt with this exact situation and spending literally DAYS trying to get through to anyone at the county office was the worst part. After constant busy signals and getting disconnected, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at the CalFresh office in under 25 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. The worker was able to tell me I missed my recertification deadline by just 3 days but they were willing to reopen my case without a full reapplication since it was so close to the deadline. Saved me weeks of waiting for a new application to process.
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Clay blendedgen
is that service legit? ive never heard of it before sounds almost too good to be true lol
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Ayla Kumar
Here's what you should do based on CalFresh regulations: 1. Call your county office ASAP - try to determine why your benefits stopped (SAR7, recertification, verification documents, etc.) 2. If it's been less than 90 days, request a case restoration with good cause (explain any circumstances that prevented you from responding to notices) 3. If they won't restore your case, then submit a new application through BenefitsCal immediately 4. Request expedited services on your new application (you should qualify for 3-day processing if you have very little income right now) 5. Submit any requested verification documents quickly - this is usually what delays applications For future reference, CalFresh requires a Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) every 6 months and annual recertification. Missing either one will cause discontinuance. Setting calendar reminders can help prevent this situation from happening again.
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Oliver Brown
AuthorThank you so much for laying this out so clearly! I'm going to call tomorrow first thing and see if I can get a restoration. If they won't do it, I'll submit a new application and request expedited services. I definitely learned my lesson about keeping track of those reporting deadlines.
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Lim Wong
This literally happens 2 my family every year lol. The county workers r so overloaded they just cut people off without even trying 2 contact u sometimes. Dont even get me started on how they lost my docs THREE TIMES last year and then blamed me!!! Just walk into the office in person if u can, always works better than calling.
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Oliver Brown
AuthorThat's a good suggestion. I might try going in person if the phone calls don't work out. The office is pretty far from me but might be worth it to get this sorted faster.
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Lorenzo McCormick
wait i just realized u should check ur mail to see if they sent u one of those NOA (notice of action) things that says why they stopped ur benefits!! that letter should tell u exactly why
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Oliver Brown
AuthorI'll definitely go through my mail pile tonight. I've been so stressed lately I might have just missed it. Thanks for the reminder!
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Mary Bates
One more thing to try - log into your BenefitsCal account online. You should be able to see electronic copies of notices they sent you, including the discontinuance notice. This might tell you exactly why your benefits stopped without having to wait on the phone. Also, check if your recertification or SAR7 is available to complete online - sometimes you can still submit these through the portal even after the deadline, though you'll need to call to request they process it.
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Oliver Brown
AuthorThat's brilliant! I hadn't thought of checking my BenefitsCal account. I set one up but honestly rarely use it. I'll log in right away and see what notices are there. Thank you!
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Lola Perez
I went through something similar about 6 months ago! My benefits stopped and I panicked thinking I'd have to start all over. Turns out I had missed my SAR7 deadline by about a week. The key thing that saved me was calling and explaining that I had been dealing with a family emergency (which was true). The caseworker was actually really understanding and was able to restore my case without making me do a full reapplication. It took about 10 days to get my benefits back, but that was way faster than the 30+ days a new application would have taken. Don't give up on trying to get it restored first - the worst they can say is no, and then you can always fall back on reapplying. Good luck!
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