CalWORKs recert marked 'incomplete' with no reason why - can't reach worker by phone
I submitted my CalWORKs recertification last week through BenefitsCal and when I checked my account today, it shows 'Incomplete' status but doesn't tell me what's missing! I have 3 kids and rent due in 2 weeks, so I can't afford any delay in my Cash Aid. I've tried calling the county office literally 20+ times over the past 2 days but either get disconnected or stuck on hold forever. Has anyone had this happen with their recert? Did your benefits get cut off? I'm freaking out because there's no message in my inbox explaining what documents they need, and the deadline to fix it is probably coming up fast. What should I do???
21 comments


Zainab Ismail
The exact same thing happened to me in January! My recert said incomplete but no message why. Turned out they needed proof of my WTW participation hours even though I had already uploaded everything. My worker finally called me back after TWO WEEKS and by then they had already cut my benefits for the month! Had to pay late fees on rent because of their mistake. The system is so broken.
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Miguel Silva
•TWO WEEKS?? I can't wait that long! Did your benefits get turned back on after they finally reached you? Did they give you the missing month's payment?
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Connor O'Neill
this is why i always do my recert in person, the online system messes up all the time. check ur mail, sometimes they send the reason that way instead of in the system. also make sure u didn't miss any sections in ur SAWS2 or forget to click submit on any screens
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Miguel Silva
•I checked my mail every day this week and nothing from them! I definitely hit submit on all screens and checked all the boxes. Maybe they're just behind on processing? Idk but I'm so stressed.
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Yara Nassar
When this happens, it usually means one of three things: 1. Your income verification doesn't match what they have on record 2. You need to provide updated information about someone in your household 3. There's a technical glitch where the system shows incomplete but your worker hasn't updated it yet You need to keep trying to contact your worker, but also try these approaches: - Go in person to the office if possible, even without an appointment - Check if you can upload additional documents proactively (pay stubs, rent receipts, school verification for kids) - Send a message through BenefitsCal asking specifically what's missing - Call right when they open (usually 8am) for the best chance of getting through Don't wait until your benefits get cut off to take action. The recertification deadline is very strict.
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Miguel Silva
•Thanks for these tips! I'll definitely try calling right at 8am tomorrow. I'm worried about going in person because I work mornings and can't afford to miss work. Would uploading extra documents help even if I don't know what they need?
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Keisha Robinson
Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to a CalWORKs worker? I was in a similar situation last month and was getting nowhere with calling. A friend told me about claimyr.com and they got me connected to a real person at the county within 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE For recert issues, you really need to talk to someone ASAP because they only give you 10 days to fix whatever's missing before they discontinue your case. I wouldn't wait anymore since you've already tried calling so many times.
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Miguel Silva
•I've never heard of this! Does it actually work? I'm desperate at this point, so I'll check out the video. 10 days isn't much time and I don't even know when they marked it incomplete since they didn't notify me.
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GalaxyGuardian
whatever u do DONT resubmit a whole new application!!! that will make things wayyyy worse bc then they might count it as a new application instead of a recert and you'll lose benefits for sure. keep calling and maybe try the main state number not just your county
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Yara Nassar
•This is absolutely correct. Submitting a new application when you're in recertification can cause your case to be discontinued and then you'd have to start all over. The state number might help, but they'll likely just redirect you back to your county office since recertifications are handled at the county level.
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Paolo Ricci
The county office is so frustrating to deal with, I swear they do this on purpose! My last recert they claimed I didn't turn in my SAR7 even though I had confirmation it was received. Then they cut my benefits with no warning. I had to go down there and throw a fit before anyone would help me. The system is rigged to make us fail I swear.
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Amina Toure
•I feel u... it's like they hope we give up sometimes. but remember the workers r dealing with like hundreds of cases so sometimes it's just them being overwhelmed not trying to hurt us. still sucks tho
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Keisha Robinson
Update us on what happens! If you're able to get through using any method, please share so others can learn from your experience. The recertification process is one of the most stressful parts of receiving CalWORKs because there are so many ways things can go wrong.
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Miguel Silva
•I managed to get through finally! Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and got connected in about 25 minutes. Turns out they needed my 16-year-old's school verification even though I already uploaded it. The worker said the document didn't open correctly on their end. They're fixing it now and said my benefits should continue without interruption. Such a relief but so frustrating that there was no notification about what was missing!
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Norman Fraser
•@f791cdc18483 So glad you got it resolved Miguel! It's crazy that they don't automatically notify you when documents don't open properly on their end. I've been on CalWORKs for 2 years and this kind of technical issue happens way too often. Thanks for sharing what worked - I'm definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service for future emergencies. The stress these system glitches cause when you have kids depending on these benefits is just awful.
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Dylan Fisher
This is such a common problem with the BenefitsCal system! I've been helping families navigate CalWORKs issues for years and the "incomplete" status with no explanation happens way too often. A few additional tips that might help others in this situation: - Take screenshots of your submission confirmation and any documents you uploaded as proof - If you can't get through by phone, try visiting during lunch hours (11am-2pm) when it's sometimes less busy - Ask specifically for a supervisor if the first worker can't help - they often have more authority to override system glitches - Document every call attempt with date/time in case you need to file a complaint later The fact that there's no automatic notification when documents fail to upload properly is a major flaw in the system. Families shouldn't have to stress about losing benefits due to technical issues they have no control over. Glad to see Miguel got it resolved, but this needs to be fixed at the system level.
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Lara Woods
•@da395ad0139a These are really helpful tips, especially about taking screenshots! I wish I had known about documenting call attempts earlier - I must have tried calling 30+ times over the past few days. The supervisor tip is good too, I'll remember that for next time. It's encouraging to know there are people like you helping families navigate this confusing system. You're right that this should be fixed at the system level - no family should have to go through this stress over a technical glitch.
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Olivia Garcia
I'm going through something similar right now with my recertification! Mine has been showing "under review" for 3 weeks now with no updates. Reading through all these comments, it sounds like the BenefitsCal system has a lot of technical issues that aren't communicated well to us. Miguel, I'm so relieved you got yours resolved - that Claimyr service sounds like a lifesaver! I'm definitely going to try that if my case doesn't get updated soon. It's really frustrating that we have to jump through so many hoops and use third-party services just to get basic information about our own cases. The stress of potentially losing benefits while trying to support our families is unbearable. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips - this community is so helpful when the system fails us.
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Zara Ahmed
•@f29351457e93 I'm so sorry you're dealing with this too Olivia! The "under review" status for 3 weeks is way too long - that's definitely not normal. From what I've learned from this thread, you should definitely try that Claimyr service or go in person if possible. Don't wait any longer since these cases can get discontinued without warning. Also, Dylan's tip about asking for a supervisor is really good - regular workers sometimes can't see what's causing the delay but supervisors have more access to fix system issues. Keep us posted on how it goes! This community has been such a lifeline during this stressful process.
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Freya Pedersen
This whole thread is so eye-opening and frustrating at the same time! I'm a single mom of 2 and just reading about all these system glitches and lack of communication from the county offices makes me anxious about my own upcoming recert next month. It's honestly ridiculous that families have to rely on third-party services like Claimyr or go through so much stress just to get basic information about their cases. @f791cdc18483 Miguel, I'm so glad you finally got through and it was just a technical issue with your son's school verification! That must have been such a relief. It's crazy that they don't have a system to automatically notify us when documents don't upload properly. @da395ad0139a Dylan, thank you for those practical tips - I'm definitely going to screenshot everything when I do my recert and write down all my call attempts. The supervisor tip is something I never would have thought of. This community is honestly more helpful than the actual CalWORKs system sometimes. At least here we can get real answers and support from people who actually understand what we're going through!
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Zoe Stavros
•@327c0af4ba16 You're absolutely right Freya - this community really is more helpful than the actual system sometimes! It's sad that we have to rely on each other to figure out how to navigate something that should be straightforward. I'm new here but already learned so much from everyone's experiences. For your upcoming recert, definitely follow Dylan's advice about screenshots and documenting everything. And don't hesitate to use that Claimyr service if you run into issues - it seems like it really works based on what Miguel shared. It's frustrating that we have to pay for a third-party service to access our own benefits, but at least it's an option when the regular system fails us. This thread has been a real wake-up call about how broken the process is, but also reassuring to know we're not alone in dealing with these problems.
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