CalFresh shows 'discontinued' status right before pickup date - need urgent help!

omg this happened to me last month!! so stressful. mine showed discontinued but then benefits loaded normally on my pick up date. might just be a glitch in their system

This is unfortunately common but requires immediate action. Don't just wait to see what happens. When your account shows 'discontinued,' it usually means one of three things: 1. You missed a recertification or SAR7 deadline (even if you think you didn't) 2. The county tried to verify something and couldn't (employer verification, identity, etc.) 3. There was a system error on their end You need to contact your county office ASAP. Monday will be too late if it's truly discontinued since the 5th would have been your last chance for benefits.

GET TO THE COUNTY OFFICE RIGHT NOW!!! DO NOT WAIT!! I had this happen and waited thinking it was a mistake and ended up with NO FOOD for my kids for 3 weeks while they "processed" the reinstatement!!! The system NEVER makes mistakes in our favor only against us!!! Bring ID, proof of address, last 30 days pay stubs EVERYTHING you got!!

I dealt with this exact issue last month. After calling for two days and getting disconnected repeatedly, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual CalFresh worker in under 10 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 showing how it works. Basically they wait on hold for you and call you when a human picks up. The worker told me there was a system flag on my account that needed to be cleared, and they fixed it right away. You can check them out at claimyr.com - honestly saved me so much frustration.

Sometime they dont send the notice. My freind didnt get no notice and her CalFresh stopped to. Check your mail again maybe it got lost? They always say they mail something but half the time they dont or it goes to wrong adress.

have u checked ur mail careful?? sometimes the notice looks like junk mail i threw mine away by accident before lol

If you're sure you've submitted all required paperwork and haven't missed any deadlines, the most likely explanation is what we call an administrative discontinuance. This happens when: 1. The computer system flags your case for verification but the worker doesn't process it in time 2. A change was reported but not fully processed 3. A system update caused cases to be incorrectly flagged Call your county office immediately. If you can't get through by phone (very common), go in person tomorrow. Explain that you had no notice of discontinuance and request an 'administrative restoration.' They can often fix it while you wait if it's truly their error. Bring your ID and any recent CalFresh correspondence. If they say you missed a deadline, ask specifically what document was missing and when the notice was sent.

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the county office this morning! Turns out there was a glitch in their system during a software update and several cases including mine were accidentally flagged as discontinued. The worker was able to fix it right away and assured me my benefits will load on the 5th as scheduled. She's also sending me a confirmation letter. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! For anyone else experiencing this, definitely call or go in person right away instead of waiting.

So relieved to see your update! I was actually dealing with something similar last week - my account showed weird status changes that had me panicking. It's frustrating how these system glitches can cause so much stress when we're already dealing with food insecurity. Really glad you called right away instead of waiting it out. This thread is super helpful for anyone else who might face this situation!

This is such a relief to read! I've been checking my CalFresh status obsessively every few days because I'm always worried about random discontinuances like this. It's really helpful that you shared exactly what happened and how you resolved it. The fact that it was a system glitch affecting multiple cases makes me feel a bit better - at least it wasn't something you did wrong. I'm definitely saving this thread for reference in case I ever run into a similar situation. Thanks for taking the time to update us with the resolution!

This whole thread is exactly why I love this community! Grant, I'm so happy you got it resolved quickly. I've been on CalFresh for about 8 months now and had no idea these system glitches were so common. Reading through everyone's advice here - especially about administrative restoration and not waiting to see what happens - is incredibly valuable information. It's frustrating that we have to deal with these technical issues on top of everything else, but at least we have this community to help each other navigate these situations. Definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference!

Wow, what a rollercoaster! I'm so glad you got it resolved, Grant. This thread is incredibly helpful - I had no idea these system glitches were so widespread. I've been on CalFresh for about a year and thankfully haven't experienced this yet, but now I know exactly what to do if it happens. The advice about calling immediately rather than waiting and asking specifically about administrative restoration is gold. It's really frustrating that these technical issues can cause so much panic when people are already stressed about food security, but this community support makes such a difference. Thanks for sharing your experience and the resolution - definitely saving this for future reference!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - just checked my account and it's showing "pending review" status when my benefits are supposed to load tomorrow. After reading Grant's experience and everyone's advice, I'm definitely not going to wait and see what happens. Calling first thing in the morning and if I can't get through, I'll head to the office in person. It's so stressful how these system issues can pop up out of nowhere, but knowing that glitches during software updates are common makes me feel less like I did something wrong. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is amazing for helping navigate these complicated systems!

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I work as a benefits advocate and see these system glitches unfortunately pretty regularly. What happened to Grant is becoming more common as counties upgrade their systems. A few additional tips for anyone facing this: 1) Always screenshot your account status when you see these issues - it helps as evidence, 2) If you go in person, ask to speak with a supervisor if the first worker says you need to reapply, 3) Keep records of all your submitted documents with dates. The system errors usually affect multiple people at once, so don't blame yourself. Grant did exactly the right thing by calling immediately instead of waiting. Glad it worked out!

This whole situation really highlights how broken the system can be sometimes. I went through something similar about 6 months ago - woke up to see my CalFresh showing "case closed" with zero warning or explanation. Spent the entire day at the county office only to find out it was because they "couldn't verify" my address even though I'd been living in the same place for 2 years and receiving mail there just fine. Took them 3 weeks to fix it even with all my documentation. Grant, I'm so glad yours was resolved quickly! For anyone else dealing with this - definitely take Ravi's advice about screenshots and keeping records. The system seems to have these glitches more often now, and having proof of what you're seeing on your end can really help when you're trying to get it fixed.

Reading through this entire thread as someone who's been on CalFresh for over two years - this is exactly the kind of information I wish I had when I first started! Grant, I'm so relieved your situation got resolved quickly. These system glitches are honestly terrifying when you're depending on benefits to feed your family. What really stands out to me is how many people have experienced similar issues - it shows this isn't isolated incidents but a real problem with their system updates. The advice about taking screenshots, calling immediately, and asking about administrative restoration is invaluable. I'm definitely going to be more proactive about monitoring my account status now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - this community support makes navigating these complicated systems so much easier!

This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I've been on CalFresh for about 6 months now and honestly never realized these system glitches were so common. Grant, I'm so glad you got everything sorted out quickly - what a nightmare to deal with right before your pickup date! Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has taught me so much about how to handle these situations. The tips about taking screenshots, calling immediately instead of waiting, and knowing about administrative restoration are all going straight into my notes. It's really frustrating that we have to deal with these technical issues on top of everything else, but having this supportive community makes such a difference. Definitely going to be checking my status more regularly now and keeping better documentation. Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

This thread is absolutely incredible - thank you Grant for sharing your experience and everyone for the amazing advice! As someone who's been on CalFresh for about a year, I had no idea these system glitches during software updates were becoming so common. Reading through all the responses has been like a crash course in benefits advocacy. The tips about taking screenshots, calling immediately rather than waiting, and specifically asking about administrative restoration are pure gold. It's honestly shocking how many people have dealt with similar random discontinuances - really shows this is a systemic issue, not isolated incidents. I'm definitely going to start monitoring my account more frequently and keeping better documentation of everything. The community support here is just amazing - from Ravi's professional insight to everyone sharing their personal experiences. This is exactly why forums like this are so valuable for navigating these complex systems!