wait wait I just thought of something else! If u have ANY kind of home health aide or even if family helps you with daily activities, that can sometimes count as proof too. My mom was helping me with grocery shopping and driving to appointments and we included that in my paperwork. CalFresh accepted that as evidence I couldn't work cuz I needed help with basic stuff. worth mentioning if thats ur situation too

I went through something very similar with undiagnosed chronic pain issues. One thing that helped me was getting documentation from my physical therapist instead of just my doctor. PTs often see the functional limitations more clearly since they work with you on movement and activities. My PT was willing to write a letter describing exactly what I couldn't do physically, and CalFresh accepted that along with my doctor's more general medical statement. Also, if you're prescribed any assistive devices (even just a cane or compression socks), make sure to mention those in your paperwork - it shows medical professionals are acknowledging your limitations even without a specific diagnosis name. Don't give up - there are people in the system who understand that real medical issues don't always come with neat diagnostic labels!

Hey! I work as a benefits counselor and just wanted to add a few things that might help. First, definitely apply even though your combined gross income is over the initial threshold - with Oakland rent prices, you'll almost certainly qualify after deductions are applied. One thing I don't see mentioned yet is that you should also ask about the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) when you apply. Since you mentioned paying $180 for utilities, you can claim either your actual utility costs OR the SUA (whichever is higher). The SUA for 2025 is usually around $400+ for heating/cooling, so that alone could save you a significant amount in the income calculation. Also, if either of you has any medical expenses (prescriptions, copays, etc.), make sure to include those too - they're deductible for everyone, not just elderly/disabled applicants. Even small medical costs can add up and help lower your countable income. The reduced hours situation Justin mentioned is super important - make sure to emphasize that this is a recent change when you apply. Sometimes they can even backdate benefits if your income dropped significantly in recent months.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through a similar situation with my brother last year in SF. We were also over the gross income limit initially, but ended up qualifying after all the deductions. A few things that really helped us: - Make sure you bring documentation for EVERYTHING when you apply (pay stubs from both jobs, lease agreement, utility bills, any medical receipts) - Ask specifically about the "excess shelter costs" deduction - with your $2300 rent in Oakland, this will probably be your biggest deduction - If you get denied initially, don't give up! You can request a hearing and sometimes they missed deductions the first time around Also, even if you only end up qualifying for a small amount (like $50-100/month), it's still worth it because you'll also get access to other programs and discounts. We only get about $80/month but it helps, especially with prices being so crazy right now. The whole process is honestly confusing and the rules seem to change constantly, but stick with it. Having that financial cushion for groceries has been a huge relief for us, especially during months when work is slow.

I work at a county eligibility office and can confirm what others have said - the automated phone system often doesn't display pending deposits until 3-5 days before issuance. Your benefits should continue automatically between quarterly reviews as long as you haven't received a Notice of Action about discontinuation. The fact that you only received an appointment notice (not a discontinuation notice) is actually a good sign. Your April verification is routine and shouldn't affect your monthly deposits. Keep checking around the 4th-5th if your case number ends in 7!

I've been on CalFresh for about 2 years now and this exact same thing has happened to me multiple times, especially around quarterly reviews. The phone system is honestly pretty unreliable for showing future deposits - sometimes it shows them, sometimes it doesn't. What I've learned is that as long as you haven't gotten any official notices about your benefits being discontinued, they usually deposit on schedule regardless of what the automated system says. Since you mentioned your case number ends in 7, definitely check your account on the 7th. In my experience, the benefits almost always show up even when the system acts weird like this. Try not to stress too much about it!

I just wanted to add another data point for everyone who's waiting - I'm in Riverside County and got my P-EBT 4.0 card yesterday! Like others mentioned, it went to the address I had on file with my daughter's school as of January 2025. What surprised me was that even though I have CalFresh and my address in that system was outdated (I forgot to update it when I moved last summer), they still used the correct school address. So it really does seem like the school address takes priority over other benefit programs. For anyone still stressing about this - the card came in a plain white envelope with "California Department of Social Services" as the return address, so keep an eye out for that. Also, there was a phone number on the back of the card specifically for P-EBT questions that seemed to have shorter wait times than the main hotline. Hope this helps!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! I moved in November 2024 and have been panicking about my P-EBT 4.0 card going to my old apartment. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been SO helpful - it sounds like as long as I updated my address with my son's school before January 2025 (which I did in December), I should be okay. I tried calling the hotline last week and waited 2 hours just to get disconnected, so I'm really grateful for all the real-world data points people are sharing here. Has anyone else noticed if certain counties are getting their cards faster than others? I'm in Orange County and still waiting. Also @Hannah Flores that Claimyr service sounds like a lifesaver - definitely going to try that if I need to call again!

This whole thread is so helpful! I've been dealing with the same P-EBT confusion at stores. One thing I learned from my caseworker is that you can also show them the back of your P-EBT card - it has the same "Quest" logo and processing info as regular EBT cards, which helps prove they're processed the exact same way. I've had success at the Costco in Modesto by going to customer service first before shopping and asking them to make a note that I'll be using P-EBT at checkout. That way the cashier is already prepared and there's no confusion or delays. Might be worth trying if you want to avoid any awkward moments with a full cart! The $1,800 you mentioned is definitely worth fighting for - that could feed your family for months if you shop smart at Costco. Don't let uninformed employees keep you from using benefits you're entitled to!

I work part-time at a grocery store and deal with EBT transactions daily, so I can shed some light on this from the employee perspective. The main issue is that many cashiers (especially newer ones) aren't properly trained on P-EBT cards since they look slightly different from regular EBT cards and have different expiration dates. From a technical standpoint, P-EBT cards run through the exact same payment processing system as regular EBT - there's literally no difference in how the register handles them. The confusion usually happens because some employees think P-EBT is a "special" or "limited" program and don't realize it's just a different way of distributing SNAP benefits. My advice: if you get pushback, ask them to try running it as EBT first. If that doesn't work, then ask for a supervisor. Most of the time the card will process just fine once they actually attempt the transaction instead of refusing upfront. And definitely mention that it's federally mandated - that usually gets managers to take it seriously. Hope this helps from the "other side of the counter" perspective!