ACS API issues from R packages

A colleague is getting the following errors using R API's that have been working until now …

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We are getting error while downloading 2008-12 ACS block group variables using R API’s. We have used “get_census” and “tidy census” API libraries to download the BG level ACS data earlier. But now getting the error as "Geography does not exist".

Here are package specific errors:

1. tidy census:

Getting data from the 2008-2012 5-year ACS

Using FIPS code '06' for state 'CA'

Error: Your API call has errors.  The API message returned is error: unknown/unsupported geography hierarchy.

2. get census:

 The Census Bureau returned the following error message: error: unknown/unsupported geography hierarchy

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Any ideas?  Any recent changes in the API?

Thanks,

-- Dave Stinchcomb