CalWORKs recertification confusion - submitted docs on BenefitsCal but questions missing after phone interview?

Don't worry, this is completely normal with BenefitsCal! The system doesn't always show all the questions after you've done the phone interview. The important thing is that you completed the interview and submitted your verification documents. Your worker takes notes during the interview in a separate county system, not directly in BenefitsCal. As long as you've done these things, your recertification is being processed: 1. Submitted the recertification application through BenefitsCal 2. Provided the requested verification documents (your check stubs) 3. Completed the phone interview You should receive a Notice of Action in the mail in about 7-10 days telling you if your benefits are approved for the next certification period. The county has 30 days to process recertifications, but they usually finish much sooner.

ya the same thing happned to me last month! i freaked out cuz nothing showed up after my interview but i still got my cash aid on time. the website doesnt update right at all. as long as u did the interview ur probly fine

I had a similar issue when I recertified for CalWORKs in February. The system is really confusing because there's no clear confirmation after the interview. Here's what I learned: The BenefitsCal website doesn't sync in real-time with the county workers' system (called C-IV or CalSAWS depending on your county). When they do your phone interview, they're entering information directly into their system, not BenefitsCal. If you want to be 100% sure everything is proceeding correctly, you can try calling your county office, but honestly, the wait times are ridiculous. I spent three hours trying to get through to someone last month about my Welfare to Work hours question. Instead, I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's a service that calls the county office for you and gets you connected to a live person without the wait. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Saved me so much time and stress! They got me through to a worker in about 10 minutes when I was panicking about my recertification status.

If you completed all three parts of the recertification process (online application, document submission, and phone interview), you should be fine. The technical term for what's happening is that BenefitsCal is just a "front-end portal" - it doesn't actually store or process your case information. Your eligibility worker uses a completely different system called CalSAWS to process your recertification. Here's how to confirm your recertification is on track: 1. Check your BenefitsCal Message Center for any communications 2. Look for a task called "Complete SAR 7" or "Complete Recertification" - if it shows as completed, you're good 3. If you submitted documents, check the "Documents" section to make sure they show as "Received" If it's been more than 2 weeks since your interview and you haven't received a Notice of Action (NOA) in the mail, then it might be worth calling. The county has to make a decision on your recertification before the end of your current certification period.

Has anyone else noticed that BenefitsCal is WAY worse than the old C4Yourself system? I swear every time I try to do anything on there it's a complete disaster. Last month I uploaded my paystubs THREE TIMES and they still sent me a discontinuance notice saying I didn't provide verification! Had to go into the office in person to get it fixed. Anyway, @OP, the website is terrible about showing the status of anything. Even after your recertification is approved, it probably won't show correctly online. They should really fix this because it causes so much unnecessary stress and panic for people.

Just to follow up on your question about checking recertification status - unfortunately, there's no clear way to see the status directly in BenefitsCal. The system will sometimes update your certification period after approval, but often that happens after you've already received the paper Notice of Action in the mail. One tip: if you have access to your Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) account, you can check if benefits have been loaded for the next month. If your Cash Aid shows up for the first of the next month, that's a good sign your recertification was approved. Also, don't forget that with CalWORKs, you'll still need to submit your SAR 7 (Semi-Annual Report) halfway through your certification period - that's different from the recertification we're talking about now.

once i had my benefits cut off cuz the worker said they never got my pay stubs but i uploaded them to benefitscal!! turned out they were there but in some other part of the system the worker couldnt see. had to reupload everything and got my benefits like 3 weeks late. make sure u call if u dont see your money on the 1st!!!

I'm going through my first CalWORKs recertification right now and this thread is SO helpful! I was literally about to panic because I can't find any confirmation of my phone interview either. It's crazy that they make you answer all the same questions again during the interview when you already filled everything out online - seems like such a waste of time for everyone involved. @Zoe I think you're going to be fine based on what everyone is saying here. The system sounds like it's just poorly designed but as long as you did all three steps you should be good. I'm definitely going to take screenshots of everything I upload like Giovanni suggested - that's smart! Does anyone know roughly how long it usually takes to get the Notice of Action in the mail after the phone interview? I had mine on Monday and I'm already checking my mailbox obsessively lol

I just went through this exact same situation last month! The anxiety is so real when you can't see any confirmation of your interview in the system. What helped me was remembering that the county workers are required by law to process your recertification as long as you've completed all the required steps - which it sounds like you have. One thing I learned is that you can actually call the county's main line and ask them to confirm that your phone interview was completed and recorded in their system. You don't need to speak to your specific worker for this - any eligibility technician can look up your case and confirm the interview date. This gave me so much peace of mind while waiting for my Notice of Action. Also, keep an eye on your mail for the next week or so. The Notice of Action will tell you everything - your new benefit amount, certification period, and any ongoing requirements. If you don't get it within 10 business days of your interview, that's when I'd definitely call. The whole BenefitsCal interface issue is frustrating but unfortunately very common. You're definitely not alone in this experience!

I'm a new CalWORKs recipient and this thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding the recertification process! I'm not at that point yet (just got approved last month), but reading about everyone's experiences with BenefitsCal is both reassuring and concerning. It sounds like the system has some serious issues with displaying accurate information. @Zoe - based on everything everyone has shared, it really does sound like you're on the right track since you completed all three required steps. The lack of confirmation in BenefitsCal seems to be a universal problem rather than an issue with your specific case. I'm definitely going to start taking screenshots and keeping notes from day one, thanks to all the tips shared here. It's unfortunate that we have to create our own backup systems because the official one is so unreliable, but at least we can learn from each other's experiences! For future reference, does anyone know if there are any advocacy organizations that help with CalWORKs issues? Sometimes having a third party contact the county can help move things along faster if there are problems.

Just went through my CalWORKs recertification last week and had the EXACT same experience! I was so panicked when I couldn't find any record of my phone interview in BenefitsCal. Called my county office three times before finally getting through to someone who explained that the interview information doesn't show up in the portal - it's all stored in their internal system. What really helped calm my nerves was checking a few key things in BenefitsCal: 1. My documents section still showed all my paystubs as "Received" 2. The recertification task showed as "Complete" (even though no interview details appeared) 3. My current certification period was still active Got my Notice of Action exactly 6 days after the interview confirming everything was approved for another year. The system is definitely confusing but as long as you did the interview and submitted docs, you should be good! The waiting period is nerve-wracking but try not to stress too much - sounds like you followed all the steps correctly.

I'm going through my first CalWORKs recertification right now and this whole thread has been such a lifesaver! I was literally about to have a panic attack because I couldn't find ANY confirmation of my phone interview from last Tuesday in BenefitsCal. Reading everyone's experiences here has made me realize this is just how the broken system works, not something wrong with my case specifically. I did all three steps - submitted the online application, uploaded my pay stubs, and completed the 45-minute phone interview where they asked me literally every single question I already answered online (so frustrating!). Just checked and my recertification task does show "Complete" and my documents are still marked as "Received" so I think I'm okay. Still going to be obsessively checking my mailbox for the Notice of Action though! Has anyone here had experience with different counties? I'm in San Bernardino County and wondering if some county offices are better than others at processing these recertifications quickly. My benefits expire at the end of next month so I'm trying not to stress but it's hard when the system gives you zero feedback about what's happening with your case. Thank you all for sharing your stories - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with this confusing process! 💙