Just wanted to follow up and mention that you should request an expedited replacement if you have very little or no food in your house. When you talk to your worker, specifically use the phrase "immediate need due to household emergency" - this triggers specific protocols that can get you emergency benefits within 3 business days instead of waiting for the full investigation to complete.

So glad you were able to get your card deactivated and a new one issued right away! That's exactly the right first step. Just wanted to add that while you're waiting for the CF 303 to be processed, you might also want to document everything - like take photos of your transaction history showing the fraudulent charges, keep copies of all forms you submit, and write down the names of any workers you speak with and when. This creates a paper trail that can really help speed things up if there are any issues with your claim. Also, some counties have special emergency food vouchers they can issue while fraud claims are being processed, so it's worth asking about that too. Hoping you get your benefits restored quickly!

While ur waiting for this to get fixed try 211 for emergency food resources. They can connect u with food pantries in ur area. Also check if ur school district is still doing grab-n-go meals - some still have this from the pandemic. My kids school does free dinner pickup for any family that needs it no questions asked

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress - I've been there and it's awful. One thing that helped me was also contacting your local community action agency or United Way chapter. They often have emergency food vouchers or direct assistance programs separate from CalFresh. Also, WIC might be able to help with your younger kids if you're not already enrolled - they serve families with children under 5 and the income limits are higher than CalFresh. Some churches also do "blessing boxes" or community fridges where you can grab groceries without paperwork. Hang in there - this is fixable but I know waiting is the hardest part when you have little ones to feed.

Thank you all so much for the great advice! I'm definitely going to try the Market Match program. One last question - does anyone know if the doubled amount counts against your monthly CalFresh limit? Like if I get $20 matched, does that take $20 off my monthly benefits?

This is such valuable information! I'm new to CalFresh too and had no idea about Market Match. Just wanted to add that I called the Sacramento Central Farmers Market this morning and they confirmed they do participate - they're open Saturday mornings from 8am-noon under the freeway at 8th & W streets. The staff person I talked to was really helpful and said they usually have match funds available through the whole season, but it's first-come-first-served each market day. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is amazing!

I'm so glad you got this resolved quickly! It's a good reminder for everyone to always check the details on your Notice of Action carefully - especially the income, expenses, and household size information. Even a small data entry error can have a huge impact on benefit amounts.

Wow, I'm so relieved to hear you got this resolved! A $250 vs $2500 rent entry error - that's such a huge difference but probably an easy typo to make. It's scary how one small mistake can completely devastate a family's food budget. I'm dealing with a similar issue right now where my benefits dropped unexpectedly, and your experience gives me hope that it might just be a data entry error too. Thanks for sharing the update - it really helps to know that these things can get fixed quickly once you reach the right person!

Update: Just wanted to let everyone know that my benefits showed up this morning! They did give me prorated benefits from my application date (Nov 5th) through the end of the month. The worker also told me that starting in December, my regular issuance date will be the 6th of each month. Thanks everyone for your help!

Congratulations on getting approved! That's such a relief after waiting 3 weeks. Just wanted to add that you should also keep an eye out for your CalFresh card in the mail if you haven't received it yet - sometimes people get so focused on when the benefits will load that they forget they need the physical card to actually use them. The card usually arrives within 7-10 business days of approval. You can also set up account alerts through your county's EBT website to get text notifications when your benefits are loaded each month. Really helps with planning your grocery trips!