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I'm in San Bernardino County and still waiting for mine too! My benefits load on the 12th so I was getting really worried, but after reading all these comments I feel so much better knowing my old card will keep working. It sounds like they're really moving south through the counties systematically. Has anyone from San Bernardino or Imperial counties gotten theirs yet? Also thanks to everyone who shared that EBT customer service number - I'm definitely going to try calling them instead of my local office which never picks up!
I'm in San Bernardino County too and haven't gotten mine yet either! My benefits load on the 8th so I was really panicking until I read all these responses. It's such a relief to know our old cards will keep working. I called that EBT customer service number yesterday (1-877-328-9677) and they confirmed that San Bernardino County is scheduled for mid to late April, so we should be getting them soon. The representative was actually really helpful and much easier to reach than the local office. Hang in there - sounds like we're next in line!
I'm in Kern County and just wanted to add my experience for anyone else still waiting! Got my new card 3 days ago and the activation was super smooth. Like others mentioned, it came in a plain white envelope that looked like junk mail. The new blue card definitely looks more official than the old yellow one. One thing I wanted to mention that I haven't seen others talk about - when I activated the new card, I got a text message confirmation which was nice. Also, I tested both cards at the store the same day (before the old one got deactivated) and the new chip reader is noticeably faster than swiping the old magnetic strip. For anyone in the Central Valley counties still waiting, it looks like they're definitely working their way south. The EBT customer service line (1-877-328-9677) was able to give me the exact week my county was scheduled which helped ease my anxiety a lot. Don't stress if yours is running a few days behind what your worker estimated - seems like the rollout has some natural delays but your benefits are totally safe with the old card until you're ready to switch!
Thanks for sharing your experience! The text confirmation sounds really helpful - I didn't know they were doing that now. It's good to hear that the chip technology is actually making a difference in transaction speed too. I'm in Tulare County and still waiting for mine, but hearing from someone in Kern County gives me hope that we're getting close since we're neighbors! Did you have to wait on hold long when you called that EBT customer service number? I'm planning to call them tomorrow to check on my county's timeline.
@Ana Erdoğan That text confirmation feature sounds really reassuring! I m'in Kings County also (Central Valley and) haven t'gotten mine yet but I m'feeling much more confident after reading everyone s'experiences here. The chip technology upgrade sounds like a nice bonus too - anything that makes checkout faster is great when you re'already feeling self-conscious about using benefits. Did you notice if the PIN stays the same with the new card or do you have to set up a new one when you activate it?
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Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I just downloaded the ConnectEBT app and got it set up successfully. Had to try twice because I didn't enter my name exactly as it appears on the card the first time (missed my middle initial). The balance is showing correctly now. I'll check out the Providers app too since it sounds like it has that farmers market feature. Really appreciate all the warnings about scam apps - definitely going to be careful!
Glad you got it working! One more tip: make sure to set up the low balance alerts in the ConnectEBT app settings. It'll send you a notification when your balance gets below whatever amount you specify, which is super helpful for budgeting.
That's a great tip, thank you! Just set it up to alert me when I get below $25.
Hey Isabella! Welcome to CalFresh! Just wanted to add that if you're planning to shop at farmers markets, you should also look into the Market Match program that Omar mentioned. Many California farmers markets will match your CalFresh spending dollar-for-dollar on fresh fruits and vegetables, so you can get double the produce for your money. You can find participating markets on the Ecology Center website or ask at your local farmers market. It's an amazing way to stretch your benefits and get really fresh, healthy food!
This is such valuable information, Aaron! I had no idea about the Market Match program. That sounds like an incredible way to get more fresh produce. I'll definitely check out the Ecology Center website you mentioned. As someone just starting with CalFresh, learning about programs like this that can help stretch my benefits is really helpful. Do you know if the match has a weekly or monthly limit, or is it per visit to the market?
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This is absolutely heartbreaking and infuriating. As someone new to this community, I had no idea this kind of internal fraud was happening with CalFresh benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences - the missing funds, the runaround from workers, the impact on families trying to put food on the table - it's clear this goes way beyond just one bad actor. I'm not in Fresno County myself, but this makes me want to check my own EBT transaction history just in case. Are there warning signs we should all be looking for regardless of which county we're in? Things like unexpected benefit reductions, mysterious "system errors," or workers being evasive when we ask questions about our cases? It sounds like the advice here about documenting everything and being persistent is crucial. Thank you to everyone sharing resources and legal information - this community support is exactly what people need when dealing with government agencies that don't always have our backs.
Welcome to the community, Savannah! You're absolutely right to be concerned - this could be happening in other counties too. Some red flags to watch for: unexplained drops in your monthly benefits, workers who can't clearly explain benefit calculations, getting vague answers about "system updates" or "recalculations," and especially if you notice EBT transactions at stores you've never visited. I'd recommend everyone check their transaction history monthly, not just when problems arise. It's scary how easy it was for this worker to manipulate the system for months before getting caught. The fact that so many people here had suspicions but were dismissed by workers is really telling about how these schemes can continue unchecked.
Great question about warning signs! I've been dealing with CalFresh in a different county for about 2 years now, and reading this thread makes me realize some weird things that happened to me might not have been innocent "mistakes." Like when my worker told me I had to resubmit income verification even though nothing changed, then my benefits got cut by $80 for three months before they "found" my paperwork again. At the time I just thought it was typical government incompetence, but now I'm wondering if something shadier was going on. Definitely going to pull my transaction history this week and look for anything suspicious. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's making me realize we need to be way more vigilant about monitoring our accounts instead of just trusting the system works properly.
This whole situation is absolutely disgusting. As a single parent relying on CalFresh to feed my two kids, reading about this theft makes me sick to my stomach. I'm not in Fresno County, but I'm definitely going to check my transaction history going back several months now. What really gets me is how the workers dismissed people when they reported discrepancies. "You probably just forgot you spent it"?? Are you kidding me? Those of us on food assistance know EXACTLY where every dollar goes because we have to make it stretch. We don't just "forget" spending $200+ at a grocery store. I've noticed my benefits seemed lower than expected a couple times over the past year, but like others here, I was told it was due to "system calculations" and felt too intimidated to push back. Now I'm realizing I should have been more persistent. Does anyone know if there's a way to request an audit of your case worker's activity? I want to see if the same person has been handling my renewals and recertifications, and if there are any unexplained changes to my file. This fraud case proves that having system access doesn't mean someone is trustworthy. Thank you to everyone sharing resources and legal advice here. We need to stick together and hold these agencies accountable when they fail to protect our benefits.
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I'm so glad I found this thread! I just got approved for CalFresh last month and honestly had no clue about any of these security features. Reading about everyone's experiences with card skimming is making me realize how naive I've been - I've been using my card everywhere without a second thought. The fact that they can just remove security features without telling anyone is really scary, especially for those of us who are new to the system and don't know what we're missing. I'm going to change my PIN today and start checking my balance daily like everyone's recommending. It's frustrating that we have to rely on community forums like this to get basic information about protecting our benefits. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and looking out for each other - this is exactly the kind of support new recipients need!
Welcome to the community! You're definitely not naive - most of us had to learn about these security issues the hard way. The lack of proper education for new CalFresh recipients is a real problem. I'm glad you found this thread before experiencing any fraud yourself! Your plan to change your PIN and check daily is exactly right. I'd also suggest keeping a list of which stores you feel comfortable using and maybe avoiding gas stations with card readers that look sketchy. Don't feel overwhelmed - you're already ahead of the game by being here and learning from everyone's experiences. We'll all be much safer once that freeze feature comes back in March!
I'm new to CalFresh and just discovered this community today while searching for information about the EBT app. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea there was even a freeze feature until reading everyone's posts. I've been using my card pretty carelessly for the past couple months without thinking about security at all. After reading about all the skimming incidents, I'm definitely going to change my PIN immediately and start checking my balance every day. It's really frustrating that they removed this security feature without any warning - how are new users like me supposed to know what protections we're missing? Thank you all for sharing your experiences and keeping each other informed. This community seems like such a valuable resource when the official channels clearly aren't doing their job of keeping us updated!
Welcome to the community! It's great that you found us and are learning about these security issues before anything bad happened to your benefits. Don't feel bad about not knowing - the system really doesn't do a good job educating new recipients about all these important features and risks. I was the same way when I started! Changing your PIN and checking daily is definitely the right move. Also consider sticking to just a couple stores you trust until the freeze feature comes back in March. This community has been a lifesaver for staying informed when the official channels fail us. We're all looking out for each other here!
Sophie Duck
i herd they might do a P-EBT 5.0 for last school year too (2023-2024) but not sure if its true. anybody know?
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Emma Olsen
•There are rumors, but nothing official has been announced about a P-EBT 5.0 program yet. The federal authorization for the program was extended, but each state has to apply for and implement it separately. California has typically been pretty good about participating in these programs, but there's always a significant delay between the school year and when benefits are actually issued. If your children qualify for free/reduced lunch, it's worth keeping your address updated with their school district so you'd receive any future P-EBT cards if they do get approved.
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GalacticGuardian
Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble activating your P-EBT 4.0 card, you can also try activating it online at ebtedge.com rather than calling. I had the same issue with long hold times, but the website worked immediately. You'll need your card number and some basic info like your ZIP code. Also, don't worry if the card looks different from your regular EBT - the P-EBT cards often have different designs but work at all the same places. The benefits are retroactive for the 2022-2023 school year, so even though it's 2025 now, you're not missing out on anything by just receiving it!
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