CalWORKs discontinuance for missing documents - is there a grace period or do I need to reapply?

Yes, there IS a grace period! It's called the "cure period" and it's typically 30 days from when your benefits were discontinued. During this time, you can submit the missing verification documents and have your CalWORKs restarted without doing a whole new application. Call your worker again and specifically mention you want to "cure the discontinuance" by providing the missing verification. You should also submit the documents ASAP through BenefitsCal or by dropping them off at your local office if possible. Make sure to write your case number and "CURE PERIOD" clearly on any documents you submit. If it's been more than 30 days since the discontinuance date though, you'll unfortunately need to reapply.

they say theres a grace peroid but when it happend to me they still made me do the whole interview and everything all over again even tho i was only like 10 days late. so annoying!! make sure u keep calling them every singel day

Ugh I HATE how they never tell us clearly about these cure periods!!! I went through this EXACT same thing in January and had to figure it all out the hard way. The system is DESIGNED to kick people off benefits by making everything so complicated! I had to physically go down to the office and DEMAND they take my documents because nobody would return my calls. Even then they took almost TWO WEEKS to reinstate my benefits after I cured the discontinuance. I had to borrow money from family to avoid getting evicted. The county workers don't care AT ALL about our situations. They'll let your kids go hungry while your paperwork sits on their desk!

I had this exact issue last year and discovered a service called Claimyr that helped me actually get through to a real CalWORKs worker on the phone. I was getting desperate because my benefits were discontinued and I couldn't get anyone on the phone for days. Basically they call the county office for you and when they get through to a real person, they connect you. Saved me so much time and stress when I was trying to cure my discontinuance. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE After I finally got through to a worker, I was able to explain my situation, and they told me exactly what documents I needed to submit to get my benefits reinstated without reapplying. Much better than leaving voicemails that never get returned!

Hey i messed up my paperwork too last month I had a baby n forgot to send the verification they asked for but my friend told me you don't have to do the whole application again as long as you fix it within 30 days. You just gotta get the papers in fast and keep bugging them until they fix it!!! Make sure you write your case # on everything

When my CalWORKs got cut off last year I had to do the whole application over again but thats cuz I waited like 2 months before I tried to fix it lol. My bad. But yeah if ur fast you should be ok. Also make sure u check if u need to do a new SAR7 too cuz sometimes they want that AND the verification documents. good luck!!!!

One more important thing - make sure you keep a copy of EVERYTHING you submit and get a receipt if you drop documents off in person. If you submit online through BenefitsCal, take screenshots showing the confirmation. Also, if you don't hear back within 3-5 business days after submitting your documents, follow up with your worker again. The 30-day cure period is your right, but some workers don't process these promptly unless you stay on top of them. If you continue to have trouble getting a response, you can also contact your county's CalWORKs ombudsperson. Every county has one, and their job is to help resolve issues when the normal channels aren't working.

did u end up getting ur benefits back? im in the same boat rn and stressed bout rent coming up