Can I submit my CalWORKs SAR7 online through BenefitsCal or must I mail the paper form with verification docs?

You can absolutely submit your SAR7 through BenefitsCal! I've been doing mine online for almost two years now and it's much easier than the paper form. Just log in to your account, click on the SAR7 notification, fill out all the sections about your income, household changes, etc., and upload photos/scans of your verification documents (paystubs, rent receipts, utility bills). The system will guide you through everything you need to submit. Just make sure you don't skip uploading the verification documents - that's the number one reason SAR7s get rejected. And double-check that all your uploads go through properly. Also, do it a few days before the deadline just in case there are any technical issues. If you wait until April 5th and have problems, you might miss the deadline.

they still mail the paper form even if u do it online lol so dont worry about it. the online is better tho cos u get a confirmation number right away

The previous answers are mostly correct, but let me clarify something important: While you CAN submit online through BenefitsCal, not all counties process the online submissions efficiently. In some counties, workers still prioritize paper forms that come in through the mail. To be safe, I recommend doing BOTH if possible: 1. Submit through BenefitsCal and save your confirmation number 2. Also mail in or drop off the paper form when you receive it For verification of your new job, you need to upload: - All paystubs you've received (even if just 2) - The employment verification form if they sent you one - If you don't have paystubs yet, a signed letter from your employer stating your hire date, hours, and pay rate Doing both online and paper submission creates a safety net to ensure your benefits continue uninterrupted.

idk what these ppl are talking about but my worker SPECIFICALLY told me that if we submit online we should NOT also mail the paper form cuz it creates duplicate work for them and can actually delay processing. pick one method and stick with it. i always do online and never had a problem. also make sure u report that new job within 10 days not just on the sar7!! there's a separate income reporting requirement if ur income goes above the IRT (income reporting threshold) that they told u about when u got approved. if u wait till sar7 to report a job u started months ago they might hit u with an overpayment!!

I tried calling about my SAR7 last month and was on hold for 2.5 HOURS before getting disconnected. Then tried again next day and same thing happened. Ended up having to take a day off work to go to the office in person just to ask a simple question. The system is designed to make us fail I swear.

My SAR7 is due the same week as yours! One thing - make absolutley sure you hit submit after uploading all your documents on BenefitsCal. The system is super confusing and it looks like you're done after uploading docs but there's actually another submit button at the very end. My friend thought she submitted but actually hadn't completed the final step and her benefits got cut off. Also if your job is below the IRT they gave you, you don't have to report it within 10 days, you can just report it on the SAR7. But if you're unsure, better safe than sorry!

Thank you everyone for all the advice! I decided to submit online through BenefitsCal today. I uploaded my two paystubs and also found a section to enter my work information. The system gave me a confirmation number and said my SAR7 was successfully submitted! I also called my county office (it took forever to get through) and they confirmed my job doesn't put me over my IRT so I didn't need to report it within 10 days. But the worker said I did the right thing reporting it now on my SAR7. I'll still keep an eye out for the paper form in the mail just in case. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly! This is all so stressful when you're trying to work and take care of kids at the same time.