Can I still do CalFresh renewal after discontinuance? BenefitsCal site won't let me submit

If your CalFresh case was discontinued within the last 30 days, you can still get it reopened without starting a completely new application. But you can't do it through BenefitsCal - the system won't allow renewals on discontinued cases. You need to contact your county worker directly. They can reactivate your case and process your renewal if you're still within that 30-day window. If it's been more than 30 days since discontinuance, unfortunately you would need to submit a brand new application.

same thing hapn to me last yr. benefitscal is trash i swear. u gotta call the county office and they do somthing on their end to fix it. took me 3 days of calling to reach someone tho 😑

I've helped many clients with this exact situation. Here's what you need to know: 1. You have 30 days from discontinuance to request a "restoration" of your CalFresh case 2. You cannot do this online - BenefitsCal doesn't have this functionality 3. You must speak with a worker directly 4. You'll need to complete the renewal requirements (interview, verification documents) 5. If approved, benefits may be prorated for the current month And to answer your other question - no, you typically won't receive benefits for days the case was discontinued, but they can issue benefits from the day you contact them to restore your case. If this is urgent and you're struggling to reach someone, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that gets you through to a live person at the county office much faster than trying on your own. I've referred clients to use their service and they've had much better luck getting through. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE

when this happened 2 me they said it was cuz i missed my recertification interview!!!! But I SWEAR they never called me for one!! Check ur case notes on BenefitsCal - go to Messages and see if theres anything about a missed interview. They might have called u on a different number or something. The whole system is broken and they just want 2 kick people off benefits i stg

Actually I think ur confusin CalFresh and CalWORKs. They both use BenefitsCal but they're different programs. This is the CalWORKs forum. CalFresh is just food benefits but CalWORKs is cash aid for families with kids. The renewal process is similar tho.

I had a similar issue last year. Called 13 times before someone finally picked up! So frustrating. When they finally answered, the worker was able to reactivate my case and process my renewal over the phone. I had to do another interview right then. Make sure you have your income info ready when you call. I tried using the Contact Us form on BenefitsCal too but nobody ever responded to it. Phone is definitely better even though it's a pain.

Just to follow up on this thread - based on everything shared, here are the steps you should take: 1. Call your county office ASAP (within 30 days of discontinuance) 2. Explain you missed the interview but want to complete your renewal 3. Ask them to restore your case and schedule a new interview 4. Mention that they called your old phone number despite your update 5. Have your income verification ready for the new interview 6. If approved, benefits will restart from the date you contacted them And if you're having trouble getting through on the phone, several people here have mentioned Claimyr as an option to avoid the hold times. Let us know how it goes!

Good luck with your call tomorrow! One tip that worked for me - try calling right when they open (usually 8am) or right after lunch (around 1pm). Those seem to be the best times to actually get through. Also, don't hang up if you get the busy signal - sometimes if you stay on the line it will eventually put you in the queue. The whole system is definitely frustrating but once you get a worker on the phone they can usually sort it out pretty quickly. Hope you get your benefits restored soon!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! My CalFresh got cut off because I missed my recertification interview (they sent the notice to my old address even though I had updated it). The good news is that you can definitely get it restored without starting completely over, but like others mentioned, you absolutely have to call - the online system won't work for discontinued cases. When I finally got through to a worker, they were actually pretty understanding about the whole thing. They restored my case the same day and scheduled a phone interview for the next morning. The key things they asked for were recent pay stubs and bank statements - basically the same stuff you would have needed for your original renewal. One thing I learned is that if you can prove they had outdated contact info (like calling your old number), it can help your case. The worker told me that's considered "good cause" for missing the interview and makes the restoration process smoother. Also, don't stress too much about the paperwork - if your case gets restored, a lot of your previous documentation might still be valid depending on how recent it was. The worker will tell you what new stuff they need. Definitely try calling first thing in the morning - that's when I had the best luck getting through. And be patient with the hold times, it's worth it to get your benefits back!

I'm new to this community but going through something similar right now. My CalFresh case got discontinued 2 weeks ago and I've been trying to figure out the restoration process. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - especially learning about the 30-day window and that you can't do it online. I wanted to add that when I called yesterday, the automated system gave me an option to request a callback instead of waiting on hold. It took about 4 hours but they did call me back and I was able to speak with someone right away. Might be worth checking if your county offers that option since so many people are having trouble getting through. The worker I spoke with confirmed everything mentioned here - they can restore within 30 days, you need to do a new interview, and benefits restart from when you contact them (not backdated to when you were cut off). She also mentioned that if you're within 10 days of your original interview date, they might be able to expedite the process. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps knowing others have been through this and gotten it resolved!

I work as a benefits specialist and see this situation frequently. You're definitely on the right track - restoration within 30 days is absolutely possible for CalFresh cases. A few additional points that might help: 1. When you call, specifically ask for a "restoration" not a new application - using the right terminology can help move things along faster 2. If they give you any pushback about the missed interview due to wrong contact info, you can reference Manual of Policies and Procedures (MPP) Section 63-300.7 which covers "good cause" for missed interviews 3. Some counties allow you to email documents directly to your worker after the call, which can speed up the verification process 4. If your county has a customer service line separate from the main eligibility line, try that first - sometimes less busy The callback option mentioned by others is becoming more common but isn't available in all counties yet. San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento counties definitely have it. One last tip - if you do end up needing emergency food assistance while waiting for restoration, most food banks don't require any paperwork and can help immediately. Just wanted to mention that option in case you're really struggling right now. Good luck with your call tomorrow!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share something that might help - if you're having trouble reaching your county office by phone, you can also try walking into your local DSS office in person. I know it's not always convenient, but sometimes the in-person intake workers can help with case restoration on the spot, especially if you bring all your documents with you. When I had a similar issue, the worker was able to pull up my case right there and schedule my interview for later that same week. They also helped me update my contact information in the system to make sure it wouldn't happen again. If you do go in person, try to get there early (like right when they open) since walk-in appointments can fill up quickly. And definitely bring photo ID, your EBT card if you still have it, and any recent income documentation you have. The restoration process everyone described is exactly right - you have that 30-day window and they can't backdate to when you were cut off, but they can start benefits from when you make contact. Hope this gives you another option if the phone calls don't work out!

I just went through this exact situation last month! My CalFresh got cut off because I missed my recertification interview (they had the wrong phone number on file). Here's what worked for me: Called my county office at exactly 8:00 AM and got through on the second try. The worker was actually really helpful once I explained that they had called my old number. She was able to restore my case that same day and scheduled my interview for the next morning over the phone. A few things that helped: - Had all my recent pay stubs and bank statements ready - Mentioned right away that they had outdated contact info (she said that counts as "good cause") - Asked specifically for "case restoration" not "reopening" The whole process from that first call to getting benefits back took about 5 days. They couldn't give me benefits for the week I was cut off, but started them again from the day I called. Don't give up on calling - it's definitely frustrating but once you get through, the actual restoration is pretty straightforward. The worker told me this happens more often than people think, especially with contact info mix-ups. Good luck!

I went through this exact same situation about 3 months ago! My CalFresh got discontinued because they tried to call me for my recertification interview but used my old number even though I had updated my contact info in the system months earlier. It was so frustrating because I had no idea I was supposed to have an interview. Here's what I learned from my experience: 1. You definitely CAN get your case restored without starting over, but you MUST do it within 30 days of discontinuance 2. BenefitsCal won't let you do anything online once your case is discontinued - you have to call your county office directly 3. When you call, ask specifically for "case restoration" not just "reopening" - the terminology matters 4. If they called your old number, that's considered "good cause" for missing the interview and should make restoration easier 5. Be prepared to do a new interview right away (mine was scheduled for the next day) I called at 8:15 AM on a Tuesday and actually got through on my first try! The worker was really understanding about the phone number issue. She restored my case that same day, I did my phone interview the next morning, and had benefits back within a week. One thing to note - they can't backdate benefits to when you were cut off, but they start them from the day you contact them to restore. So don't wait if you're still within that 30-day window! The key is persistence with calling. Try early morning (right at 8 AM) or right after lunch around 1 PM. Don't give up - once you get someone on the phone, the actual restoration process is pretty quick. Good luck!

I'm new to this community but currently dealing with a similar CalFresh discontinuance situation. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful! My case got cut off 2 weeks ago and I've been panicking about having to start completely over with a new application. Based on everything shared here, I feel much more prepared to call my county office tomorrow. I'm going to try calling right at 8 AM, ask specifically for "case restoration" (not reopening), and mention that they used my outdated phone number for the interview. I have all my recent pay stubs and bank statements ready to go. One thing I wanted to add - I noticed a few people mentioned Claimyr as an option for getting through the phone lines faster. Has anyone here actually used their service for CalFresh issues specifically? I'm curious if it works as well for county benefit offices as it does for other government agencies. The hold times have been brutal when I've tried calling on my own. Really appreciate everyone sharing their restoration success stories - it gives me hope that I can get this sorted out without starting from scratch. Will update once I get through to someone!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My CalFresh got discontinued about 10 days ago because I missed my recertification interview - they called my old landline number that I haven't had in over a year, even though I updated my contact info multiple times on BenefitsCal. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so helpful and reassuring. I was really worried I'd have to start completely over with a new application, but now I know about the 30-day restoration window. I'm definitely going to call first thing tomorrow morning at 8 AM and ask specifically for "case restoration" - seems like that terminology really makes a difference based on what everyone has shared. I've got all my recent pay stubs and bank statements organized and ready to go. Really hoping I can get through on the first try like some of you did! The outdated phone number thing seems pretty common based on these responses, which is frustrating but also gives me confidence that it should count as "good cause" for missing the interview. Thanks to everyone who shared their restoration success stories - it's exactly what I needed to hear to feel prepared for tomorrow's call. Will definitely update once I get through to someone!