SAR 7 submitted on BenefitsCal but CalFresh didn't come through - should I call my worker?

you DEF need to call!!! same thing happened to me and my worker said the online system doesnt alert them when reports get submitted!! i waited 3 weeks thinking they were reviewing it but they had no idea i even submitted anything smh the whole system is broken

Unfortunately, you should always follow up after submitting documents online. While BenefitsCal does send notifications to the county, those notifications can get lost in the worker's queue or the system might have glitches. When you submit something important like a SAR 7, I recommend always calling 3-5 business days afterward to confirm receipt. Since your CalFresh benefits didn't come through, this is now urgent - you should call immediately and let them know your SAR 7 was submitted and your benefits weren't issued. They can expedite processing of your report and potentially issue emergency CalFresh benefits if you qualify for expedited service.

This happens literally every other month for me. The BenefitsCal system is a joke. I've learned to just physically go into the office and hand everything to an actual person who will stamp it received right in front of my face. Better than their "online system" that supposedly makes things easier 🙄

Yes, definitely call your worker ASAP. The BenefitsCal system is supposed to notify workers, but many county offices are short-staffed and workers have huge caseloads. Your SAR 7 might be sitting in their electronic queue without them knowing it needs immediate attention. If you're having trouble getting through on the phone (which is very common), I've had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They keep calling the county office for you and connect you directly to a worker when they finally get through. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE showing how it works. I was skeptical at first but it saved me hours of being on hold last time I had an issue with my CalWORKs paperwork not being processed.

Call immediately! And ask for supervisor if worker doesn't answer. They should backdate ur CalFresh to the date they should have issued it once u explain the situation. I always take screenshots of my BenefitsCal submissions as proof just in case. the system says "received" but workers don't always check their queues. good luck!

I remember when we had to mail in SAR 7 forms and then call to confirm they got them. Then we had to fax them. Now we upload them and STILL have to call. Nothing changes lol

Make sure ur checking the right program. sometimes people confuse calworks and calfresh deadlines and reporting periods. they might be different depending on when u got approved. did u also check if u went over the IRT (income reporting threshold)? if u earned more than ur IRT and didnt report within 10 days that could cause a stop in benefits too

To answer your question about retroactive benefits - yes, if they determine your SAR 7 was properly submitted and there was a county error in not processing it, they should issue your CalFresh benefits retroactively from the date they should have been issued. Make sure to specifically request the retroactive benefits when you speak with them. If they initially say no, ask to speak with a supervisor and cite "county administrative error" as the reason for requesting the retroactive benefits. Document everything - who you talk to, date/time, and what they say.

Update us on what happens! I'm curious if they'll actually fix it quickly. When this happened to me it took almost 3 weeks to resolve. the system is such a mess.

One more tip - when you call, have your BenefitsCal confirmation number for the SAR 7 submission ready. Should be in your BenefitsCal notifications or account history. This will help them locate your submission faster.

UPDATE: Finally got through to someone! You all were right - they had my SAR 7 in their system but it was just sitting there not assigned to anyone for review. The worker I spoke with apologized and said they'd process it today and issue my CalFresh benefits within 3 business days. She also noted I should receive the full month's amount, not just prorated from today. So relieved! Thanks everyone for your help and advice.