CalFresh sent text saying no recertification received after I submitted it last week - what to do?

This happens ALL the time with the CalFresh system. Their text notification system often doesn't sync properly with the online portal submissions. Since you have confirmation numbers, you should be okay, but I wouldn't just assume everything is fine. Here's what I recommend:\n\n1. Call your county office ASAP and explain the situation. Have your confirmation numbers ready.\n2. Take screenshots of your BenefitsCal account showing the submissions and timestamps.\n3. If you can't get through by phone (which is likely), email those screenshots to your worker directly if you have their email.\n\nThe system is supposed to automatically update when you submit online, but there are frequent delays or system errors. Better to be proactive than risk a benefit lapse.

Thank you! I'll try calling first thing tomorrow morning. Do you know if there's a specific department I should ask for? Just worried about getting bounced around different automated menus for hours.

omg same thing happened 2 me last month!! the system is so broken! i had submitted everything and still got the scary text. i ended up having to go in person and wait 3 hours just to have someone look it up and tell me \

Ugh that's exactly what I'm afraid of! I work two jobs and taking time off to sit at the county office for hours would be so hard. Did they at least give you something in writing confirming they had your stuff?

I've had this EXACT problem three times now!!! The county ALWAYS does this to people. Their left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. I swear they do this on purpose to try to kick people off benefits. Last time I submitted my SAR7 TWICE and they still said they didn't get it. Then they discontinued my benefits and I had to reapply from scratch which took SIX WEEKS to process while my kids went hungry!!!\n\nDefinitely call them TODAY! Don't wait! And DEMAND to speak to a supervisor because the regular workers will just give you the runaround.

That sounds horrible, I'm so sorry that happened to you! I've been trying to call all morning but can't get through - just keeps putting me in an endless queue with estimated wait times of 2+ hours.

This is a very common issue with the CalFresh system's notification process. Here's what's likely happening: You submitted through BenefitsCal, but there can be a 3-5 business day delay before those documents are actually processed and marked as

Thank you for the detailed explanation. I checked BenefitsCal and I do have confirmation numbers for both submissions. My recertification due date is actually this Friday so I'm getting really anxious about this. I'll try calling again this afternoon.

have u checked ur spam folder maybe they sent u an email saying they need more info or something thats what happened to me

Good idea! I just checked and don't see anything from them in spam. The text definitely says they haven't received my recertification at all.

I had this exact issue last month with my CalFresh recertification. Spent THREE DAYS trying to call my county office with no luck - constant busy signals or being on hold for hours only to get disconnected. I finally tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and was able to get through to a real person in about 10 minutes. They confirmed they had my documents but the system hadn't been updated yet. Saved me a trip to the office and probably hours of stress. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8\n\nDefinitely worth it when you're dealing with something as important as your food benefits.

Thank you for this suggestion! After trying to call for the past two days and getting nowhere, I'm desperate enough to try anything. Going to check this out now.

btw make sure ur checking if theres any verification documents they need from u too sometimes they want like extra paystubs or something even if u already sent them

I did upload all my paystubs and rent receipts with my recertification. The text specifically says they haven't received the recertification itself, which is what's confusing me since I got confirmation numbers.

I work at a CBO that helps people with benefits issues, and we see this ALL the time with recertifications. The county's different systems don't talk to each other well. The BenefitsCal system, the CalSAWS system the workers use, and the automated notification system are all separate and often out of sync.\n\nOne thing to try: if you have a worker assigned to your case (their name should be on any notices you've received), try emailing them directly with your confirmation numbers from BenefitsCal. Many counties now have direct email access to workers. \n\nAlso, if your recertification is due by the end of this month, you technically have until the end of the month plus a 30-day restoration period where they can restore benefits without a new application if there was a processing error. So even in worst case, you have some time to get this fixed.

This is really reassuring, thank you! I do have my worker's name on my last approval notice, but I don't see an email for them. I'll call the main line and ask if there's a way to email my worker directly.

Quick update - after seeing your post, I checked with a couple other clients I help with benefits (I'm a social worker), and two others got the same text message this morning despite having submitted their recertifications. This suggests it might be a system-wide glitch with their notification system today. Still follow up, but don't panic too much yet!

Oh wow, that's actually really helpful to know! Maybe it is just a system glitch then. I'll still try to get confirmation from my county office but that gives me a bit more peace of mind. Thank you!

UPDATE: I was able to finally get through to my county office after using that Claimyr service I mentioned. They confirmed it WAS a system-wide issue with their notification system! Apparently a bunch of texts went out by mistake to people who had already submitted their recertifications. The worker said they're aware of the problem and are working on sending out correction notices. You might want to still call to confirm your specific case, but sounds like you're probably fine if you have those confirmation numbers.

Thank you so much for the update! That's a huge relief. I'll still try to get confirmation for my specific case, but knowing it was likely a system-wide issue makes me feel much better. I appreciate everyone's help with this!

I'm so glad this turned out to be a system glitch! This is exactly why I always recommend keeping those confirmation numbers and screenshots when submitting anything through BenefitsCal. The different systems they use (BenefitsCal, CalSAWS, their notification system) are notorious for not syncing properly, and it causes so much unnecessary stress for families who are already dealing with enough. For anyone else reading this thread - if you ever get a scary text like this, don't panic immediately. Check your BenefitsCal account first to see if your submissions are still showing as received, and definitely try to get through to your county office to confirm before assuming the worst. And keep those confirmation numbers saved somewhere safe! Thanks to everyone who helped troubleshoot this - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes such a difference when dealing with these systems.

I'm really glad this got resolved and turned out to be a system error! As someone who's been dealing with CalFresh for a while now, I've learned that their automated notification system is probably the most unreliable part of the whole process. I've gotten panic-inducing texts about missing documents that I had already submitted multiple times. One thing I'd add for anyone else who runs into this - if you can't get through by phone and don't want to pay for a service like Claimyr, try going to your county's website and looking for their "Contact Your Worker" or "Email Your Case Worker" page. A lot of counties now have online portals where you can send messages directly to your assigned worker with attachments. It's often faster than trying to call during peak hours. Also, if you're ever in this situation again, remember that even if there WAS a real issue with your submission, you typically have a 10-day "cure period" after your benefits end to fix any problems and get them restored back to the original date. The system is designed to be scary, but there are usually protections in place for genuine mistakes or system errors. Glad everything worked out for you and your family!

This whole thread is such a perfect example of how broken the CalFresh system can be! I'm relatively new to receiving benefits and stories like this make me so anxious about potentially losing coverage due to system errors that are completely out of my control. What really stands out to me is how much community knowledge and support made the difference here - from people sharing their experiences with similar glitches, to recommending specific services like Claimyr, to the social worker providing professional insight about how the different systems don't sync properly. It's frustrating that we have to rely on crowdsourced solutions and paid services just to navigate a government benefits system that should work smoothly for the people who need it most. I'm definitely going to start taking screenshots and keeping confirmation numbers for everything I submit going forward. And it's good to know about that 10-day cure period and 30-day restoration window - information that really should be clearly explained to everyone when they first apply for benefits. Thanks for sharing your experience and to everyone who helped troubleshoot. This kind of mutual support is invaluable when dealing with these frustrating systems!

As someone who's been through the CalFresh system for a few years now, this whole thread really highlights why we need better communication from the county offices about how their systems work (or don't work together). I've had similar scares with automated texts that turned out to be false alarms, and it's incredibly stressful when you're already dealing with food insecurity. What I've learned is to always keep a paper trail - I actually print out my BenefitsCal confirmation pages and keep them in a folder with all my other CalFresh documents. It sounds old-fashioned, but having physical proof has saved me multiple times when dealing with system glitches like this. I'm really glad this community exists and that everyone jumped in to help troubleshoot. It's frustrating that we have to become experts in navigating these broken systems, but at least we can help each other through it. The suggestion about Claimyr is interesting - I hadn't heard of that service before, but it makes sense that someone would create a solution for getting through those impossible phone queues. Hope your recertification gets processed smoothly from here on out!