Late SAR 7 submission - CalWORKs still active but CalFresh discontinued?

You need to call your eligibility worker ASAP. When you submit a late SAR 7, they don't automatically reinstate your benefits - you have to request it. Since your CalWORKs is still active, that's good news! It means they probably processed your SAR 7 for Cash Aid but haven't processed the CalFresh portion yet. If you call them, they can often reinstate CalFresh without a new application as long as it's within 30 days of discontinuance. Just explain you had the SAR 7 submitted late but it shows as received.

omg i hate those SAR 7s! forget to check ONE box and they cut u off! same thing happened to me last year but with my cash aid too. had to wait 3 weeks to get it back and they didn't give me the money i missed!!

I went through this EXACT situation in January. Turned in my SAR 7 ten days late. CalWORKs stayed on but CalFresh shut off. I spent TWO DAYS trying to get through on the phone and kept getting disconnected. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they have a system that waits on hold for you and then calls you when a worker answers. Totally worth it because I got through in 45 minutes instead of days of trying. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE When I finally talked to someone, they reinstated my CalFresh the same day without me having to reapply. They can do a "restoration" if it's been less than 30 days since discontinuance.

My cousin works for the county and she says they ALWAYS separate CalWORKs and CalFresh when processing SAR 7s. Something about different departments handling them even though we just submit one form. So annoying!!

The same thing happened to me and the county told me I had to completely reapply for CalFresh, even though my SAR 7 was only 5 days late!!! I think your worker makes a big difference - some will help you and others just want to make things difficult. Make sure you talk to a supervisor if the first person says you need to reapply. And don't forget to ask for expedited CalFresh since you have no food benefits right now. They're supposed to process expedited apps within 3 days.

Just wanted to say I know how stressful this is... I have 4 kids and when my CalFresh got cut off last year because of paperwork issues, I was so worried about feeding them. Don't forget to check with your local food bank while you're getting this sorted out. Most give emergency food boxes that can last a week or two.

One more thing - when you do talk to someone, make sure they understand you had BOTH CalWORKs and CalFresh before. Sometimes they only see the active CalWORKs case and might tell you that "everything is fine" not realizing you're missing CalFresh. Be very clear that you're calling about the discontinued CalFresh specifically.

Update: I finally got through to someone! Used that Claimyr service that was recommended and it worked great. The worker reinstated my CalFresh and said I'll get this month's benefits loaded onto my card within 3 business days. She said since I submitted the SAR 7 within the "cure period" (30 days from discontinuance), they could just reactivate it without a new application. Thanks everyone for your help!