What happens after submitting SAR7? Does CalWORKs worker call you or just process silently?

If everything on your SAR7 is complete and you included all required verification (pay stubs, etc.), your worker will just process it without contacting you. You'll get a Notice of Action in the mail confirming your benefit amount for the next 6 months.They only call if something is missing or if they need clarification on something you reported. No news is good news when it comes to SAR7 processing! Regarding your rent increase - you did the right thing by not reporting it on the SAR7. Rent changes don't affect your CalWORKs cash amount (unless you're getting homeless assistance). The only things you MUST report between SAR7s are:1. Income goes over your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) 2. Address changes3. Someone moves in/out of your home4. Fleeing felon statusYour benefits should continue without interruption as long as your SAR7 was complete.

Thank you!! That makes me feel so much better. I didn't realize they wouldn't call if everything was okay - I've been checking my phone constantly lol. I was worried about the rent increase because I thought maybe they'd increase my grant amount to help cover it, but sounds like that's not how it works. Thanks for explaining what needs to be reported between SAR7s - that's super helpful!

LOL they NEVER call if things r good, only if u messed something up!!! i never hear from my worker unless i forgot to sign something or didnt send a paystub. thats how u know ur good, when u DONT hear from them haha. but u can always call ur worker if ur worried, thats what there their for

This is so true! I've been on CalWORKs for 3 years now and I literally only hear from my worker when there's a problem. I used to get stressed about it but now I'm like, no news = everything's fine! 😂 OP, just check BenefitsCal in a week or so, you should see your next month's payment listed there if everything went through okay.

Not to scare you, but my experience has been completely different than what others are saying. In my county (Los Angeles), workers are SUPPOSED to process SAR7s without calling if everything is complete, but the reality is they often don't process them at all until the last minute - even when everything is perfect! I've had my benefits stopped THREE TIMES despite sending in perfect SAR7s with all verification because my worker \

I agree with this 100%!!! I never trust them to process anything correctly. I always call to confirm they got my SAR7 and then call AGAIN a week later to make sure it was processed. My county office is so disorganized they've \

Everybody's giving different answers because it actually depends on your county AND your specific worker. Some counties have good tracking systems and efficient workers, others are a mess.When I submit my SAR7, I ALWAYS call my worker about 3-4 days later to confirm they received it. Then I ask them directly: \

Thank you for the suggestion! The county office here is IMPOSSIBLE to get through to by phone. I'll check out that service if I don't hear anything in the next week. It's so stressful not knowing if my paperwork is being processed correctly.

I submit my SAR7 online through BenefitsCal.com now instead of mailing it. When you do it that way, you get a confirmation number immediately and can upload all your verification documents right there. Then you can actually see the status change to

I had no idea you could submit the SAR7 online! That would definitely make things easier. I'm going to create an account on BenefitsCal right now so I'll be ready for next time. Thanks for the tip!

My last worker was amazing and would actually call me to let me know she received my SAR7, but then she retired and my new worker never calls about anything. I found out later that the first worker was going above and beyond - they're not actually required to call if everything is fine.One thing to watch for: check your mail carefully for the next couple weeks. If there's any problem with your SAR7, they'll send you a form called \

what county r u in? each county does stuff different. in sacramento they never call just send letters. my friend in SF says her worker sometimes texts her which is crazy! wish mine would do that lol

I'm in Alameda County. My old worker would call sometimes but like other people are saying, it was usually when something was wrong. That makes sense they all handle things differently by county. Texting would be amazing though!

u should definitely check ur EBT account in about a week!!! if ur benefits are still coming thru it means they processed it fine. if nothing shows up for next month then PANIC and start calling like crazy!!! thats how i always know if theres a problem lol. also the BenefitsCal website will show if ur case is active or discontinued

To directly answer your question - NO, your case worker will NOT call you if everything on your SAR7 is fine. They will only contact you if there's a problem.BUT - and this is a big but - that doesn't mean your SAR7 is actually being processed correctly. The sad reality of our broken system is that CalWORKs workers are so overwhelmed with cases that things fall through the cracks ALL THE TIME.I always recommend taking these steps after submitting your SAR7:1. Wait 5-7 business days (so they have time to receive and scan it)2. Call your worker to confirm receipt (be prepared to call multiple times)3. Specifically ask if anything is missing or unclear4. Ask when you can expect it to be processed5. Get your worker's name and write down the date/time of your call6. If you can't reach anyone by phone after several attempts, visit the office in personIt sucks that we have to be so proactive, but I've seen too many people lose benefits because they trusted the system to work properly. It often doesn't.

I'm new to CalWORKs (just started my application process last month) and this thread is so helpful! I had no idea about the SAR7 form or that you could submit it online through BenefitsCal. Reading everyone's experiences makes me realize I should probably be more proactive about staying on top of things rather than just assuming everything will work smoothly. @Mei Liu your step-by-step advice is really practical - I'm going to save that for when I get to my first SAR7. It's kind of scary that the system is so inconsistent between counties and workers, but at least now I know what to expect. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences!