Do I need to attach paystubs with my SAR 7 if my income hasn't changed at all? (CalWORKs question)
Hey everyone, I'm filling out my Semi-Annual Report (SAR 7) for CalWORKs and I'm confused about the paystubs requirement. My income has been exactly the same for the past 3 months - same job, same hours, same pay. Do I still need to attach all my paystubs from the report month before I send it to DPSS? The form says to 'attach proof' but I can't remember if I need proof when nothing's changed. I don't want my Cash Aid to get cut off for missing verification, but also don't want to waste time collecting all these stubs if I don't have to. Anyone know the right answer?
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Amy Fleming
YES! Always include your paystubs even if your income hasn't changed. I learned this the hard way when my CalWORKs got discontinued last year. The SAR 7 instructions specifically require proof of income for the report month no matter what. Even if you write 'no change' on the form, you still need to attach verification. The worker needs to see actual proof of what you earned, not just your statement that it's the same.
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Juan Moreno
•Thank you! That makes sense. So just to be clear, I only need to include paystubs from the report month (the month with the arrow pointing to it on the SAR 7), right? Not all months since my last report?
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Alice Pierce
my worker told me u only need 2 attach paystubs if theres a change but idk cuz i always send them anyways just to be safe lol
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Esteban Tate
•This is incorrect information. According to CalWORKs regulations, you MUST include verification of income (paystubs) for the report month on your SAR 7 regardless of whether your income has changed or not. The only exception would be if you have zero income - then you'd just mark that on the form. Please don't skip attaching your paystubs or your benefits could be discontinued for incomplete SAR 7.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
When I turned in my SAR 7 last month, I didn't include paystubs because nothing changed and they DISCONTINUED MY BENEFITS! Had to go through the whole appeal process, which was a nightmare. Don't make my mistake. Include all paystubs from the report month (the one with the arrow pointing to it on your SAR 7 form). Better to provide too much documentation than not enough with DPSS!
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Juan Moreno
•Oh no, that sounds awful! I definitely don't want to go through that. Thanks for the warning. I'll make sure to attach all the paystubs from the report month.
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Elin Robinson
The whole system is designed to kick people off! They KNOW most people won't have perfect documentation every time. I swear they make these rules complicated on purpose! I've been on and off CalWORKs 3 times because of "incomplete" SAR 7 forms. ALWAYS SEND PAYSTUBS!!! Always make copies of EVERYTHING you send them too!!!
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Atticus Domingo
•i feel u! their system is so frustrating. last year they told me they never got my SAR 7 even tho i had the receipt showing i turned it in! took 3 weeks to get my benefits back on.
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Beth Ford
If you want to avoid all this stress in the future, I discovered this service called Claimyr that can connect you directly to a CalWORKs worker at DPSS without waiting on hold for hours. I used it last month when I had a question about my SAR 7 and got through to someone in minutes. They explained exactly what I needed to attach. Check out their video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE or go to claimyr.com. Saved me so much stress and prevented a potential discontinuance!
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Juan Moreno
•Thanks for sharing this! I've been on hold with DPSS for over an hour before and ended up hanging up. I'll check this out for next time. For now, I'll just make sure to include all my paystubs with the SAR 7.
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Esteban Tate
To summarize the correct information for your SAR 7: 1. Yes, you MUST include paystubs for the report month (the month indicated with an arrow on your SAR 7) even if your income hasn't changed 2. You only need to include paystubs from that specific report month, not all months since your last report 3. Make copies of everything before sending 4. If submitting online through BenefitsCal, scan all paystubs clearly 5. Make sure the paystubs show your name, employer name, pay period dates, and gross amount If you're ever unsure about SAR 7 requirements, call your worker directly or check the official DPSS website. Incorrect SAR 7 submission is the #1 reason for CalWORKs discontinuances.
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Juan Moreno
•Thank you so much for this clear summary! This is really helpful. I'll make sure to follow all these steps when submitting my SAR 7.
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Alice Pierce
i had this same problem but with my calworks and calfresh but i think its different for each county maybe?? i live in san bernardino and they told me one thing but my cousin in LA county got told something else about her WTW hours so idk
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Amy Fleming
•SAR 7 requirements are actually standardized across all California counties - they all require paystubs for the report month regardless of changes. What might differ slightly by county are the ways you can submit them (uploading to BenefitsCal, faxing, mailing, in-person) and local office procedures. But the actual documentation requirements are the same statewide.
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Morita Montoya
When I was on CalWORKS last year I went thru a whole thing with my SAR 7 cause I didn't know I had to report and verify that my ex started paying child support even tho it didn't affect my income eligibility. They suspended my benefits then I had to reapply! Such a headache.
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Esteban Tate
•You're right that you need to report ALL income sources on the SAR 7, including child support payments. But to clarify for the original poster: the question was specifically about paystubs for unchanged employment income, which definitely require verification each reporting period regardless of changes.
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Juan Moreno
Thanks everyone for all your helpful responses! I'll definitely include all my paystubs from the report month with my SAR 7 even though nothing's changed. Better safe than sorry! I've already collected them all and made copies for my records too. Really appreciate all the advice - this community is so helpful!
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Statiia Aarssizan
You're so welcome! This is exactly why this community exists - to help each other navigate these confusing CalWORKs requirements. I'm glad you got the clarity you needed. Making copies is definitely smart too - I always keep a file with all my submitted documents just in case DPSS claims they didn't receive something. Good luck with your SAR 7 submission!
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Lena Schultz
•This thread has been so helpful! I'm new to CalWORKs and was dreading dealing with all the paperwork requirements. It's reassuring to know there's a supportive community here to help navigate these confusing rules. I'll definitely bookmark this for when I need to submit my first SAR 7. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - both the success stories and the cautionary tales!
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Yara Haddad
Just wanted to add my experience - I've been on CalWORKs for 2 years now and I ALWAYS include paystubs with my SAR 7, even when nothing changes. My worker actually told me during my intake that it's required every time, no exceptions. The way she explained it is that DPSS needs to verify your actual earnings for that specific report month, not just take your word that it's the same. I've never had any issues with my benefits getting discontinued by following this rule. It might seem like extra work, but it's way less work than having to reapply if your case gets closed for incomplete verification!
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Ava Williams
•That's exactly the kind of clear guidance we all need! It sounds like your worker was really helpful in explaining the requirements upfront. I wish all workers were that clear about expectations. You're absolutely right that doing the extra work now is so much better than dealing with a case closure later. I'm definitely going to follow this approach - always include paystubs regardless of changes. Thanks for sharing your positive experience with consistently following the rules!
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Jordan Walker
This is such great advice from everyone! I'm also on CalWORKs and had the same confusion about SAR 7 requirements. Reading through all these responses really cleared things up for me. I especially appreciate the summary from Esteban with the numbered list - that's going to be my checklist going forward. It's scary how easy it seems to be to accidentally get your benefits discontinued over something like missing paystubs. I'm definitely going to be extra careful and always include everything, even when I think nothing has changed. Thanks to Juan for asking this question and to everyone who shared their experiences!
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Admin_Masters
•I'm so glad this thread helped you too! As someone who's newer to this community, it's amazing to see how willing everyone is to share their experiences and help each other out. The numbered checklist from Esteban really is perfect - I'm going to save it as well. It's honestly pretty overwhelming when you first start dealing with all these CalWORKs requirements, but seeing how supportive this community is makes it feel much more manageable. Thanks Jordan for adding your perspective, and you're right that Juan asking this question probably helped a lot of people who had the same confusion!
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Connor Richards
As someone who's been helping families navigate CalWORKs for years, I want to emphasize what others have said - ALWAYS include your paystubs with the SAR 7, even when income hasn't changed. The state regulations are very clear that verification is required for the report month regardless of changes. I've seen too many families lose benefits because they assumed "no change" meant "no verification needed." Also, pro tip: if you submit by mail, send it certified with return receipt so you have proof DPSS received it. And if you're ever unsure about what to include, it's always better to over-document than under-document. The appeal process for discontinued benefits is lengthy and stressful - much easier to just include everything upfront!
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Sofia Rodriguez
•This is such valuable advice from someone with professional experience! The certified mail tip is brilliant - I never thought about getting proof that DPSS actually received my SAR 7. That would have saved me so much stress in the past when I wasn't sure if they got my paperwork. You're absolutely right that over-documenting is always better than risking a discontinuance. The appeal process sounds like a nightmare, so I'll definitely stick to including all required verification every single time. Thanks for sharing your professional insights - it really helps to hear from someone who's seen these situations from the other side!
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Santiago Diaz
I'm new to this community and CalWORKs, and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I just received my first SAR 7 form last week and was completely confused about what documentation I needed to include. Reading everyone's experiences - especially the stories about benefits getting discontinued for missing paystubs - has really opened my eyes to how strict these requirements are. I'll definitely be including all my paystubs from the report month, even though my income has been steady. It's reassuring to know there's such a supportive community here willing to share their knowledge and help newcomers like me avoid costly mistakes. Thank you all for taking the time to explain these requirements so clearly!
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Ravi Kapoor
•Welcome to the community, Santiago! I'm glad this thread was helpful for you too. It's definitely overwhelming when you're new to CalWORKs and trying to figure out all the requirements. I remember feeling the same way when I first started. The most important thing I've learned from everyone here is that when in doubt, always include more documentation rather than less. The SAR 7 can seem confusing at first, but once you get into the routine of always attaching those paystubs from the report month, it becomes second nature. Don't hesitate to ask questions in this community - everyone here is really supportive and willing to help. Good luck with your first SAR 7 submission!
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