Is BenefitsCal website down? Can't access my CalFresh account today
Is anyone else having trouble getting into BenefitsCal this morning? I've been trying since 7am to check my CalFresh application status, but the site keeps giving me an error message. I need to see if they got the verification documents I uploaded last week before my application gets denied. My phone interview is scheduled for tomorrow! Getting really anxious about this. Is it just down for maintenance or is something else going on?
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Jackson Carter
Yep its down for me too. Tried on my phone and computer. Keeps giving me that stupid "service unavailable" message. So frustrating!! I need to upload my SAR7 TODAY or my benefits will get cut off.
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Kolton Murphy
•Same here, been trying since last night. My worker told me my verification docs are due by tomorrow and now I can't upload them. Why do they always do maintenance right when deadlines are coming up??
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Evelyn Rivera
BenefitsCal is experiencing statewide technical issues today according to their status page. They're estimating it will be back up by 3pm. If you have documents due, take screenshots of the error message as proof you tried to submit. For urgent matters, you should call your county office directly to let them know you're attempting to upload documents but can't access the system.
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Lilah Brooks
•Thanks for this info! I've been trying to call my county office all morning but keep getting the automated system that eventually disconnects me. Do you know if they'll extend deadlines because of this outage?
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Julia Hall
•i called alameda county this morning and they said theyre aware of the issue but still want us to keep trying...like how?? if the site is DOWN? makes no sense smh
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Arjun Patel
If you need to reach a real person at the CalFresh office, I'd recommend trying Claimyr.com - it's what I used last month when I was in the same situation with the system being down. They got me through to an actual worker in about 10 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 It was super helpful because the worker noted in my case that I tried to submit my documents but couldn't because of their technical issues.
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Lilah Brooks
•I've never heard of this before. Does it actually work? I'm desperate at this point since my interview is tomorrow.
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Arjun Patel
•Yes it worked for me! My worker even put a note in my file that I tried to submit on time but couldn't because of their system issues. They gave me an extension for my documents.
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Jade Lopez
County worker here. Yes, BenefitsCal is experiencing a major outage today. If you have documents due or an interview scheduled, don't panic. Here's what you should do: 1. Take screenshots of any error messages as proof 2. Call your county office and request a "good cause" extension due to system unavailability 3. Email your documents directly to your worker if possible 4. If your interview is scheduled, still be available by phone at your appointment time We're aware of the issue and have been instructed to accommodate clients affected by the outage. No one should have their benefits discontinued due to the system being down.
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Lilah Brooks
•Thank you so much for this information! This makes me feel better. I'll take screenshots and keep trying to call. For my interview tomorrow, should I still expect a call at the scheduled time?
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Jade Lopez
•Yes, definitely be available for your scheduled interview time. The phone system for interviews is separate from BenefitsCal, so interviews are still happening on schedule. Good luck!
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Tony Brooks
This happened to me last month too!!! The system was down for like 2 days and I almost lost my benefits because of it. I ended up having to go IN PERSON to the county office with printed copies of all my documents. It was such a nightmare and I had to take time off work. The whole system is so broken I swear.
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Jackson Carter
•OMG i can't even imagine having to go in person! the office near me ALWAYS has a 2+ hour wait. did they at least help you right away since their system was down?
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Tony Brooks
•Nope! Still had to wait 3 hours just to hand someone my papers. And then they said they couldn't even process anything because the system was down, they just put my documents in a folder. So frustrating!
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Kolton Murphy
BenefitsCal is back up!! Just got in and was able to upload my documents. It's moving really slow though so be patient when you're uploading. At least it's working now!
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Lilah Brooks
•THANK YOU for the update! Just checked and I got in too. Successfully verified my documents were received for my interview tomorrow. Such a relief!
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Julia Hall
•still not working for me :( keeps timing out when i try to login
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Kolton Murphy
•Try clearing your cookies or using incognito mode, that sometimes helps. Or maybe try again in an hour - they might be gradually restoring service by county or something.
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Genevieve Cavalier
Just wanted to share another tip that helped me during system outages - if you have a smartphone, try using the mobile browser instead of the desktop version. Sometimes one works when the other doesn't. Also, I've found that trying to access BenefitsCal very early in the morning (like 5-6am) or late at night often works better because there's less traffic on the servers. It's frustrating that we have to work around their technical issues, but these workarounds have saved me multiple times when I had urgent deadlines!
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TommyKapitz
•This is really helpful advice! I never thought about trying different times of day. I'm new to CalFresh and still learning all these workarounds. It's kind of crazy that we have to become tech experts just to access our benefits, but I really appreciate you sharing these tips. The mobile browser idea is smart - I'll definitely try that next time the desktop site isn't working.
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