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This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm new to CalFresh and had no idea there was such a big difference between the EBT customer service line and the actual county offices. I've been lucky not to have card issues yet, but reading through everyone's experiences has given me a great roadmap for what to do if problems come up. The tips about calling county offices right when they open, having all your documentation ready, and even reaching out to state representatives if needed are so valuable. I'm bookmarking this thread and saving all those phone numbers and resources people shared. It's really amazing how this community comes together to help each other navigate such a complicated system. Special thanks to everyone who shared specific county numbers, timing strategies, and alternative resources like 211 and benefits navigators. Having this knowledge ahead of time could save someone days of frustration when they're already stressed about food access. This is exactly the kind of practical, real-world advice that makes these communities so valuable!
Welcome to CalFresh and this community! You're so smart to read through all these experiences and save the resources for future reference. I wish I had known about the difference between the EBT customer service line and county offices when I first started - it would have saved me so much confusion. The fact that you're being proactive about understanding the system before you run into problems is really wise. Hopefully you never need to use any of these tips, but if you do, you'll be way ahead of where most of us were when we first encountered issues. This thread really shows how much we can help each other by sharing our real experiences with navigating these complex benefit systems!
This entire thread is such a valuable resource! I've been dealing with CalFresh for about 6 months now and I had no idea about most of these tips. The distinction between the EBT customer service line and county offices is huge - I've definitely been calling the wrong number when I've had issues. I especially appreciate all the specific timing advice (8:01 AM on Mondays, trying lunch hours, etc.) and the alternative resources like 211, benefits navigators, and even contacting state representatives. The tip about checking the EBT Edge app for alerts is something I'm going to do right now! It's really encouraging to see how helpful people are here and how many different solutions exist when the obvious paths don't work. Saving this whole thread for future reference - thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences and practical solutions!
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UPDATE: My benefits just got loaded this morning! It took exactly 3 business days after approval. Thank you everyone for your help and advice. I'm so relieved to be able to get groceries for my kids today.
That's awesome! So glad to hear it worked out quickly for you. Make sure you're careful with that new card - I started only using mine at major grocery stores after my skimming incident.
Great news! For future reference (and anyone else reading this thread), I recommend setting up EBT text alerts through the ConnectEBT app or website so you get notified immediately when benefits are loaded or when transactions occur. This helps you catch unauthorized use quickly.
So happy to see your update! Three business days is pretty typical from what I've seen. For anyone else dealing with EBT skimming, here are some tips that helped me after my card got hit: 1. Always cover your PIN when entering it - skimmers sometimes have tiny cameras 2. Check your balance regularly through the app so you catch fraud early 3. Use your card at busy, well-lit locations when possible 4. If a card reader looks loose or different, don't use it The whole experience is so stressful when you have kids to feed. Glad you got through it quickly and can get groceries again!
Thanks for sharing those safety tips! I'm definitely going to be more careful about covering my PIN now. I never thought about the tiny cameras - that's terrifying. Do you know if there are certain stores or ATMs that are more likely to have skimmers? I want to avoid high-risk places if possible.
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I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm a single mom with three kids and just received my tax refund of $2,400. I was literally losing sleep over whether this would mess up our CalFresh benefits. Reading everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief - it sounds like tax refunds really don't count as income for CalFresh purposes. I've been on benefits for about 8 months now and I'm still learning all the rules. It's scary when you depend on these benefits to feed your children and you're constantly worried about making a mistake that could jeopardize everything. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences. This community is such a lifesaver for people like us who are just trying to navigate the system and do right by our families!
Madison, I totally understand that anxiety! As a fellow newcomer to this community, I've been amazed by how supportive and knowledgeable everyone is here. It's such a relief to find people who actually understand the stress of navigating these systems while trying to care for our families. I'm also still learning all the rules and it can feel overwhelming, but threads like this really help build confidence. It sounds like you can breathe easy about your tax refund - the consensus from everyone's experiences seems pretty clear that it won't affect your CalFresh benefits. Welcome to the community!
Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and just want to say thank you for all the detailed information in this thread. I'm currently going through the CalFresh application process and was wondering about this exact same thing since tax season is coming up. It's such a relief to see multiple people confirm that tax refunds don't count as income - I was already stressing about it even though I haven't gotten my refund yet! The fact that so many of you have been through this and your benefits weren't affected gives me a lot of peace of mind. I really appreciate how supportive and informative this community is. It's so helpful to have real people sharing their actual experiences with these programs instead of trying to decode confusing government websites. Looking forward to learning more from all of you!
Welcome to the community, Jamal! It's great that you're getting this information before you even need it - that's really smart planning. I just joined recently too and have been blown away by how helpful everyone is here. The shared experiences really do make such a difference compared to trying to figure out those confusing official documents on your own. It sounds like you'll be all set when tax season comes around, and now you'll have one less thing to worry about during your application process. Best of luck with everything!
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I just went through this process successfully last month! In addition to everything everyone mentioned, make sure your sister's letter explicitly states that you have "no other housing options available" - those exact words seemed to matter to my case worker. Also, if you're receiving any other services like WIC or have kids getting free school meals due to your homeless status, mention those in your application as they show consistency across programs. One thing that really helped me was calling the county's homeless services coordinator (not just the regular CalFresh line) - they actually understood the documentation requirements better and walked me through exactly what they needed. You can usually find that number on your county's website under homeless services or social services. Don't give up if they deny you the first time - I had to appeal mine but got approved on the second try with better documentation. The whole process is frustrating but the assistance really does help when you finally get through it!
This is such helpful advice! I'm definitely going to look for the homeless services coordinator number - that sounds like they'd be much more knowledgeable than the regular CalFresh workers. The phrase "no other housing options available" is really good to know about. My kids do get free school meals now because of our situation, so I'll make sure to mention that consistency across programs like you suggested. It's encouraging to hear you got approved on the second try - gives me hope that even if there are bumps in the process, persistence can pay off. Thank you for sharing what worked for you!
Just want to add one more thing that helped me when I was in a similar situation - if your sister pays rent or has a lease, have her include a statement that adding permanent residents would violate her lease terms and could result in eviction. My brother wrote something like "allowing permanent residents beyond the lease terms would jeopardize my housing and could lead to eviction for both families." This really drove home why the arrangement had to be temporary. Also, I found it helpful to have the letter notarized even though it wasn't required - it just seemed to give it more weight with the case worker. Most banks will notarize for free if you have an account there. The whole process took about 2 weeks for me once I had all the right documentation, but like others said, don't get discouraged if you have to resubmit - the system is complicated but the assistance is worth fighting for!
Carmen Diaz
This whole conversation has been so enlightening! I'm a new CalFresh recipient from Imperial County and had absolutely no idea about Museums for All until reading through all these amazing responses. My 5 and 8-year-old are fascinated by ocean animals and I've been wanting to take them somewhere educational like an aquarium, but the costs always seemed impossible on our budget. Learning that we can visit Cal Academy for just $3 per person with our EBT card is honestly bringing tears to my eyes - this means I can actually give my kids the kind of educational experiences I've always wanted to provide but couldn't afford. Reading about everyone's successful visits from different counties gives me so much confidence that our card will work there too. I'm already planning our trip and looking up other Museums for All participants in Southern California. Thank you Lorenzo for asking this question and thank you to everyone who shared such detailed experiences and helpful tips. This community has literally changed what's possible for my family - my kids are going to be so excited when I tell them we can finally visit a real aquarium! You've all given me hope that being on CalFresh doesn't mean my children have to miss out on these incredible learning opportunities.
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Nora Brooks
•Carmen, your comment brought tears to my eyes too! As someone who's been on CalFresh for a while now, I completely understand that feeling of wanting to give your kids amazing experiences but feeling limited by budget. The aquarium section at Cal Academy is absolutely magical - your 5 and 8-year-old are going to be mesmerized by the massive tanks with sharks, rays, and colorful tropical fish. There's also this incredible coral reef exhibit that looks like something out of a nature documentary. Since you're coming all the way from Imperial County, I'd definitely suggest making it a full day and maybe even looking into some of the other SF museums mentioned in this thread like the Exploratorium. The fact that Museums for All exists shows that there are people who understand that every child deserves access to these incredible learning experiences regardless of their family's financial situation. Your kids are so lucky to have a mom who's actively seeking out these opportunities for them. Welcome to this amazing community - you'll find so much support and knowledge here about benefits and programs we never knew existed!
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Max Knight
This thread has been absolutely amazing to read! I'm a CalFresh recipient from Humboldt County and I honestly had no clue about Museums for All until seeing this conversation. My 9-year-old daughter is obsessed with astronomy and space, and I've been wanting to take her to a real planetarium but the costs always seemed way out of reach. Learning that we can get $3 admission to Cal Academy with our EBT card is incredible - that planetarium everyone keeps mentioning sounds perfect for her! Reading all these success stories from families across different counties gives me so much confidence that our rural county EBT card will work there just fine. I'm already looking at making the drive down from Eureka and planning it as a special educational weekend trip. Thank you Lorenzo for asking this question and thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed tips about timing, what to bring, and other participating museums. This community has opened my eyes to so many opportunities I never knew existed - my daughter is going to be over the moon when I tell her we can finally visit a real planetarium and see those space shows she's always dreamed about!
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Nina Chan
•Max, your daughter is going to absolutely love the planetarium at Cal Academy! As someone who's visited multiple times with my kids, I can tell you the space shows are truly spectacular - they have this incredible dome theater that makes you feel like you're actually traveling through the solar system. The astronomy exhibits are amazing too, with interactive displays about planets, stars, and space exploration that are perfect for curious 9-year-olds. Since you're making the drive all the way from Eureka, I'd definitely recommend calling ahead to check the planetarium show schedule and maybe even planning to stay overnight to make the most of your trip. You could easily do Cal Academy one day and maybe hit the Exploratorium the next day (they also accept EBT for $3 admission and have incredible hands-on science exhibits). Don't worry at all about your rural county card - the Museums for All program is truly nationwide and your Humboldt County EBT card will work perfectly. Your dedication to giving your daughter these educational experiences is so inspiring, and I have a feeling this trip might spark an even deeper love of astronomy that could shape her future interests!
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