CalWORKs SAR7 missing in mail but BenefitsCal shows incomplete - how to get paper form before benefits stop?

This has been happening a lot lately! The county is pushing everyone to the BenefitsCal website, but they're not always sending notifications when reports are due. You have a few options:1. Call your county office ASAP and request them to mail you a paper SAR7. Be prepared to wait on hold for a long time.2. Go to your local office in person and ask for a paper form. Bring ID and your case information.3. Complete the SAR7 online through BenefitsCal - there should be a section in your account for completing reports even if you didn't get a notification.4. If your benefits do get cut off, you have 90 days to submit a complete SAR7 and get them restored without having to reapply (though there might be a gap in payments).Don't panic yet - this happens frequently and there's still time to fix it!

Thank you so much! I tried looking for the SAR7 section on BenefitsCal but I honestly can't find it anywhere. The message just says my report is incomplete but doesn't give me a way to complete it. I've called the county office 6 times today and can't get through to a real person. Do you know if I can just download a blank SAR7 form somewhere and mail it in myself? I'm so worried about my kids' benefits getting cut off.

omg they did this to me 2!! never got the paper form then boom, got the discontinuance notice. i went to the office and waited 4 hours but got a paper form and filled it out right there. they stamped it received so i had proof. your county might have a drop box outside too if u cant wait all day. good luck!!

Thanks for sharing your experience. The office is like an hour bus ride from me with the kids, but I might have to do that as a last resort. Did you have to bring any specific documents with you when you went in person?

The whole system is DESIGNED to make you lose benefits!! They

I hear your frustration! While I don't think it's an intentional design, the system definitely has major communication gaps. I always tell clients to set calendar reminders for their SAR7 due dates (usually the 5th of your reporting month) regardless of whether they receive a notice or not. That way you can be proactive before hitting the discontinuance point.

I had something similar happen last month. After trying to call for three days with no luck, I used Claimyr to get through to a real person at the county office. It's a service that basically waits on hold for you then calls you when a real person answers. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE) and decided to try it because I was desperate. Got through to a worker in about 20 minutes who helped me complete my SAR7 over the phone and then noted in my file that I had reported. Saved me from losing benefits for my kiddos. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out instead of spending all day on hold.

I've never heard of this before! Did you have to give them a lot of personal info? I'm desperate at this point and willing to try anything because I NEED to talk to someone at the county before my benefits get cut off.

They just need your phone number so they can call you back when they reach someone at the county office. You still talk directly to the county worker yourself - they just handle the hold time. It worked for me when nothing else did. The county worker I reached was actually super helpful once I finally got through to her.

my case wrker told me thqt u can also go to cdss.ca.gov and serch for sar7 form and print it. not sure if it wrks but worth a try? i always go to the office cuz i dont trust the mail or website stuff lol

I'm a benefits counselor and want to clarify a few things:1. You have until the end of the month in which your SAR7 is due to submit it before benefits actually stop2. If your benefits do stop, you have

Thank you for this detailed information! I didn't know about the 30-day cure rights - that makes me feel a bit better. My worker never responds to emails though. I'll check my county website to see if I can download the form directly.

Just wondering... did you check your spam folder? I had this happen once and it turned out the notice was sent to my email but went to spam. BenefitsCal sometimes sends notifications that way instead of paper mail now.

OMG I just checked and there IS an email from them from 3 weeks ago! But it doesn't have the actual form attached, just says I need to complete my SAR7. Still doesn't solve my problem of how to get the form though 😞

Quick update based on your replies - if you found the email notification but can't find where to complete the SAR7 on BenefitsCal, try this:1. Log into BenefitsCal2. Look for \

Thank you! I'll try these steps right now. I really appreciate everyone's help. This community has been so supportive while I'm figuring this out!

Did u fix it? Let us know what worked!!!

I finally got through to someone! I ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned because I couldn't find the form on BenefitsCal and my kids start school next week so I didn't have time to go to the office. The worker helped me complete the whole SAR7 by phone and said my benefits should continue without interruption. She also noted in my file to send paper forms in the future since I had this issue. Such a relief!

@Marcus Patterson I'm so relieved you got this resolved! Your situation sounds exactly like what happened to my sister last year. The mail delivery issues combined with the BenefitsCal transition has been causing so many headaches for families. It's really frustrating that we have to jump through all these hoops just to keep essential benefits for our kids. Thanks for sharing your experience with Claimyr too - I'd never heard of that service before but it sounds like a lifesaver when you can't get through to the county office. Definitely saving this whole thread for future reference in case I run into similar issues. Hope your kids have a great start to the school year!

This is such an important thread for anyone dealing with CalWORKs paperwork issues! I'm a newcomer to this community but have been receiving CalWORKs for about 6 months now. Reading through all these responses really highlights how common these SAR7 problems are. I had no idea about the mail delivery issues or that BenefitsCal wasn't always reliable for notifications. The tips about setting calendar reminders and having backup plans like Claimyr are incredibly valuable. It's honestly heartbreaking that families have to stress about losing essential benefits due to administrative mix-ups, but I'm so grateful for communities like this where people actually help each other navigate these challenges. @Marcus Patterson I'm so glad you got everything sorted out before school started! Your experience will definitely help other families facing similar situations.

I'm new to this community and to CalWORKs, but this entire discussion has been incredibly helpful and honestly quite alarming. I had no idea that missing a SAR7 form could happen so easily or that the system had so many communication gaps. @Marcus Patterson, I'm so relieved you were able to get everything resolved! Your situation really highlights how stressful this process can be when you're depending on these benefits for your family. What strikes me most is how everyone here jumped in to help with practical solutions - from explaining the 90-day restoration period to sharing specific services like Claimyr. This is exactly the kind of community support that makes such a difference when dealing with complicated bureaucracy. I'm definitely taking notes on all the tips shared here: setting up calendar reminders regardless of notices, checking spam folders, knowing about the cdss.ca.gov form downloads, and having backup plans for when phone lines are impossible. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge - it's going to help so many families avoid this same panic!