CalFresh office won't answer - can Assembly Members help with social services like they do with EDD?

YES they definitely can help!!! I had the exact same problem last year when my CalFresh recertification got "lost" even though I submitted everything on time. Couldn't get thru to anyone for 3 weeks. I contacted my Assembly Member and their district office has staff specifically assigned to help with state agency problems including social services. They had someone from the county call me back within 48 hrs. Just google "California Assembly Member" plus your zip code to find yours.

Assembly Members' offices absolutely can assist with CalFresh issues. I work in constituent services (not for an Assembly office), and this is a common service they provide. Make sure to sign their authorization form allowing them to inquire about your case - they'll need your permission to access your information. Bring your case number and any notices you've received. They can often get priority responses from county supervisors that regular customers can't access. Also, you might want to check your BenefitsCal account if you have one. Sometimes there are notices explaining benefit stoppage that don't make it to you by mail.

Assembly members can def help BUT dont expect miracles. My cousin tried this route and it still took like 2 weeks to get anywhere. Better than nothing tho.

Have you tried Claimyr to get through to CalFresh? I was dealing with a similar situation where I couldn't reach anyone for weeks, and Claimyr got me connected with an actual human at the county office in about 20 minutes. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when a real person picks up. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8) and it worked exactly like they showed. You might want to try that before going the Assembly Member route since it could be faster. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.

As a former county eligibility worker, I can share that Assembly Member inquiries are taken very seriously within Social Services/CalFresh offices. They typically get routed directly to a Supervisor or Program Manager rather than regular staff. Your case would be flagged as a priority. There are a few common reasons benefits suddenly stop without notice: 1. A required quarterly/semi-annual report (SAR7) was due and not received/processed 2. Mail was returned to the county as undeliverable 3. The system flagged potential duplicate aid or unreported income 4. A system error occurred during the batch processing of benefits An Assembly Member inquiry will typically get you a call back within 2-3 business days. Be sure to clearly explain the timeline of events, when your benefits stopped, and what steps you've already taken. The more documentation you have, the better.

OMG THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER THING TOTALLY WORKS!!!!! I had an issue with CalWorks (not CalFresh but same department) where they claimed I never submitted my quarterly report even though I had the receipt!!!! I called and called and got nowhere for a MONTH. Then someone told me about contacting my Assembly Member and I swear to god I had a supervisor from the county calling me THE NEXT DAY apologizing and saying they found my paperwork and would rush my benefits. Try it!!!

why does our system have to be so broken that we need to involve politicians just to get basic services we're entitled to?? this country is a joke. ive been on calfresh for 4 years and every single time something goes wrong i have to jump through 500 hoops to fix it. its like they WANT people to give up and go hungry.

one more tip - when u contact ur assembly member make sure to tell them its an EMERGENCY cuz ur family has no food. that gets them moving faster. good luck!!