Welcome to the CalFresh community! I'm sorry to hear about your restaurant closing - that must have been incredibly stressful. The advice here is really solid, but I wanted to add a few things that helped me when I first started using benefits: 1. Download the "Fresh EBT" app - it shows your balance and lets you find EBT-accepting stores nearby with user reviews 2. Many stores have "manager's special" sections with discounted items that are still fresh - great for stretching dollars 3. If you're near any Hispanic markets (carnicerias), they often have amazing prices on fresh produce and meat 4. Dollar Tree accepts EBT for food items and has some surprising deals on spices, canned goods, and frozen vegetables Also, don't feel bad about using convenience items when you need them. You're dealing with a major life change and sometimes a frozen meal is what keeps you sane while you're rebuilding. $500/month is actually a decent amount for two people if you shop strategically, but give yourself grace during this transition period. You've got this! The fact that you're being proactive and asking for advice shows you'll figure out how to make it work.

Just wanted to add a few more practical tips that helped me when I was new to CalFresh! 1. ALDI is amazing for stretching benefits - their prices are consistently low and they accept EBT. You'll need a quarter for the cart but you get it back. 2. If you're comfortable with it, consider joining local Facebook groups or Nextdoor for your area. People often share when stores have great sales or mark down items. 3. Generic/store brands are usually 20-30% cheaper than name brands and the quality is often identical. This is especially true for basics like pasta, rice, canned goods. 4. Keep an eye out for "Buy One Get One Free" deals - these work great with EBT and can really stretch your dollars on things like frozen vegetables or canned beans. 5. Many stores have senior discount days or special discount days that stack with EBT - worth asking customer service about. The learning curve feels steep at first but you'll get the hang of it quickly! And remember, this is temporary help while you rebuild - there's no shame in using every resource available to you right now.

Honestly the whole system is designed to confuse people and make it hard to get help. I've been on and off CalFresh for 4 years and STILL get confused about what requirements are for which program. It's not your fault for being confused because they make everything so complicated on purpose! But yes like others said - your grandkids qualify no matter what for CalFresh. There's no requirement about school or daycare for little kids. That's probably some other program's rule that got mixed up in all the paperwork they throw at us.

Hey Jacob! Just wanted to add that as someone who works with families navigating these programs, you're absolutely right to be confused - the terminology across different benefit programs can be really overwhelming. The good news is that for CalFresh specifically, your 2 and 4 year old grandchildren will definitely qualify as household members regardless of school or daycare enrollment. The application might have been asking about childcare needs for other programs like CalWORKs or childcare subsidies, but that won't affect their CalFresh eligibility. One tip: when you do speak with your county worker, ask them to walk through which programs you might be eligible for with the kids in your care. Sometimes they can do a "one-stop" screening that checks you for multiple benefits at once. With your retirement income and two young children to care for, there might be additional support available beyond just CalFresh. Also, don't stress too much about the paperwork - custody documents are excellent proof that the children live with you. That's actually stronger documentation than most people have when they apply!

I totally get the confusion! When I applied a few months ago, the worker gave me this overwhelming list too, but honestly you don't need everything perfect upfront. The absolute essentials for your situation are: - Photo ID - Pay stubs from BOTH jobs for the last 30 days (this is key since you have two income sources) - Something showing your rent amount (lease, receipt, even a text from landlord works) - CF 88 form for separate household since you don't share food with your cousin Don't wait to have everything perfect - submit your application TODAY with whatever you have ready. Your benefits get calculated from your application date, not when you finish submitting docs. They'll send you a specific list of anything else they need for your exact situation. I was in the same boat putting it off for months because it felt overwhelming, but once I just submitted with the basics, the rest fell into place pretty quickly. You've got this! The hardest part is just getting started.

I just went through this process last month and completely understand your frustration! The phone workers definitely tend to rattle off everything without explaining what's actually critical vs. what's "nice to have." For your specific situation with two part-time jobs and a roommate, focus on these core documents first: - Valid photo ID - Pay stubs from BOTH jobs for the past 30 days (super important since you have multiple income sources) - Proof of your housing costs (lease agreement or rent receipts) - CF 88 Separate Household Statement (absolutely essential since you don't buy food with your cousin) The utility bills are only needed if you pay utilities directly and want to claim the Standard Utility Allowance - if your cousin pays them or they're included in rent, you can skip this for now. Here's what saved me tons of stress: submit your application online TODAY with whatever documents you have ready, then upload the rest as you gather them. Your benefit calculation starts from your application date, not when you complete all paperwork. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good here! Once you submit, they'll send you a CF 27 form listing exactly what else they need for YOUR specific case - no more guessing. You've already delayed this long enough, so don't let document anxiety keep you from moving forward. Most people get approved without major issues once they get past the initial paperwork hurdle!

That's such great news! I'm so relieved you got it resolved quickly. The transition from expedited to regular benefits seems to be a common issue that trips up the system but nobody warns new recipients about it. It's frustrating that you had to go through the stress of not knowing what was wrong, especially with kids to feed. Definitely keeping Claimyr bookmarked for future reference - seems like it's a real lifesaver when the regular phone system fails us. Hope your benefits load smoothly from now on!

This is exactly why I love this community - everyone jumps in to help when someone's struggling! @Chloe Taylor I'm so happy you got your benefits sorted out. The expedited-to-regular transition issue seems to happen more often than it should, and you're right that they really should warn people about potential delays during that switch. For anyone else reading this who might face similar issues, it sounds like Claimyr is definitely worth trying when the regular phone system isn't working. It's ridiculous that we have to use third-party services to get basic help, but if it gets people the assistance they need faster, I'm all for it. Thanks for updating us with the resolution - posts like this are so valuable for other families who might hit the same roadblock!

Just want to add that if anyone is still struggling with getting through to customer service, try calling the EBT hotline early in the morning (like 8am) or late afternoon after 4pm - those tend to be less busy times. Also, if you have to visit your county office in person, many locations now allow you to schedule appointments online which saves hours of waiting. Check your county's website for their online scheduling system. I learned this the hard way after waiting 3 hours at the office only to be told I could have made an appointment! The whole EBT fraud prevention thing is definitely a necessary evil given how bad the skimming has gotten, but they really need to work on their communication with clients.

This thread has been so helpful! I'm relatively new to CalFresh and had no idea about any of these issues or solutions. A few months ago I would have panicked if my card suddenly stopped working, but now I know about the mobile payment option and the fraud prevention system. It's reassuring to know there are workarounds while waiting for replacement cards. One thing I'm curious about - does anyone know if the new chip-enabled cards will completely eliminate the skimming problem, or will scammers just find new ways around it? Also wondering if the mobile payment option will become the primary way to use benefits in the future, kind of like how everything else is going digital these days.