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I'm so relieved to find this thread! I've been having the exact same problem with the EBT Edge app for about three weeks now. It keeps showing my balance as $31.67 no matter what I spend, but when I call the automated line I have $178 available. What's really been getting to me is the anxiety every time I go to the store - I never know if my card will actually work or if I'll get that embarrassing decline at checkout. Just this morning I was at Target and almost put back the milk and eggs because I thought I was running low, but then I called from the cereal aisle and found out I had plenty left. It's exhausting having to call every single time, especially with my two young kids asking "why are we waiting, mom?" while I'm on hold. I've tried all the usual fixes - deleting the app, restarting my phone, even got a new phone thinking it was a device issue. Nothing works! Thanks to everyone for sharing the midnight checking tip and the manual tracking idea - I'm definitely going to start writing down my balance each morning after calling. It's frustrating that we have to create these workarounds just to buy groceries, but at least now I know it's not just me going crazy. Really hoping they stick to that June timeline because this is affecting real families trying to put food on the table!
Natasha, I totally feel you on the anxiety of never knowing if your card will work! That constant stress of wondering if you'll be embarrassed at checkout is so draining. The cereal aisle phone call with kids asking "why are we waiting" really hits home - I've been in that exact situation so many times lately. It's bad enough dealing with a broken app, but trying to explain delays to impatient kids while you're just trying to buy basic groceries is its own special kind of stress. I'm also fairly new to CalFresh (got approved about 6 months ago) and honestly didn't expect the technology to be this unreliable. The manual tracking system has been a lifesaver for me - I call first thing in the morning now and write the balance on a sticky note that goes in my wallet. It's old school but at least I can shop with confidence. Hopefully they actually meet that June deadline because none of us should have to jump through these hoops just to feed our families!
I'm having this exact same issue! My EBT Edge app has been frozen showing $45.22 for almost two weeks now, but when I call the automated line I actually have $163 left. It's been so stressful because I keep second-guessing myself at the store. Yesterday I was at Walmart with a cart full of groceries and almost didn't go through checkout because the app made me think I was close to running out. I ended up calling the number right there in line (so embarrassing!) and found out I had plenty left. The worst part is when you're trying to budget for the week and you can't trust any of the numbers the app is showing you. I've been calling the automated line every morning now and writing the balance on my phone notes, which works but is such a hassle. Really glad to know it's not just me dealing with this - I was starting to think there was something wrong with my specific account. Thanks everyone for the workarounds and for confirming this is widespread. Hopefully they actually fix it by June like that community worker mentioned!
I totally understand that embarrassment of having to call from the checkout line! I'm new to this community and just reading through everyone's experiences - it's shocking how widespread this app issue is. The fact that you had $163 when the app showed $45 is such a huge difference - no wonder you were second-guessing your grocery budget! I've been on CalFresh for about a month now and was already feeling overwhelmed navigating the system, but hearing that even the basic tools for checking your balance don't work properly is really disheartening. The morning phone call and notes approach seems to be what everyone's settling on, which is smart but shouldn't be necessary. Thanks for sharing your story - it really helps newcomers like me understand what to expect and how to work around these issues until they hopefully get fixed!
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Wow, what an incredible thread! @ac0944eb9a44 I'm so thrilled to see you got approved - congratulations! 🎉 Your experience is going to be such a lifeline for other people going through this confusing process. I'm actually day 15 into my own CalFresh application and had no idea about any of this EBT card timing stuff. I would have absolutely freaked out if a card showed up with $0 on it! Thanks to everyone sharing their knowledge here, especially @f4ad134a031c for the professional insights and @8279860bb01f for the social worker perspective. The fact that there's no automatic notification system for document requests in 2025 is honestly mind-blowing. I'm definitely going to be checking that Message Center religiously now - can't believe how easy it would be to miss something important buried in there. This community is doing such amazing work filling the information gaps that the official system leaves. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been more helpful than anything I found on the official CalFresh website. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space for people navigating this maze!
@0e2e7fcf7510 @ac0944eb9a44 This whole discussion has been absolutely incredible to read through as someone who's completely new to the CalFresh system! Congratulations on your approval - what a relief that must have been after all that stress and uncertainty! I'm honestly shocked that they send out EBT cards before benefits are approved - that seems like such a cruel design flaw when people are already struggling to put food on the table. Getting an empty card when you're hoping for help must be devastating. The fact that there's no clear explanation included with the card about this process is just adding insult to injury. @8279860bb01f your social worker perspective really drives home how systemic this problem is - if you're seeing this confusion "constantly" then clearly the system needs to be redesigned. A simple insert or notification system would save so much anxiety for families who are already dealing with food insecurity. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and professional knowledge throughout this thread. @f4ad134a031c @c87948ddf282 your detailed explanations are invaluable. This community support is what makes navigating these broken systems bearable. I'm definitely bookmarking this entire conversation for future reference!
This entire thread has been such an education! @ac0944eb9a44 huge congratulations on getting approved - what a rollercoaster that must have been! Your story perfectly illustrates everything that's wrong with how this system communicates with applicants. I'm currently on day 12 of my own CalFresh application and honestly had no clue about the EBT card vs benefits timing issue. I would have been devastated to get a card with $0 thinking something went wrong with my application. The fact that they don't include ANY explanation with the card about this process is just cruel - people are already stressed about being able to feed their families! What really gets me is how this community thread has more clear, useful information than any official government resource I've found. @f4ad134a031c @c87948ddf282 @8279860bb01f - thank you for sharing your professional knowledge so generously. The tip about checking the Message Center daily is going to save me so much anxiety. It's 2025 and we can get instant notifications for pizza delivery but not for critical food assistance documentation requests? The system really seems designed to make people give up. Thank you everyone for creating this supportive space and sharing your experiences - it's making this overwhelming process feel much more manageable!
@500faee064fc Wait, I'm confused - are you the same person as the original poster @ac0944eb9a44? You both have the same name (Amara Okafor) but different member IDs. If you are the same person, that's so cool that you're helping other newcomers navigate this process after going through it yourself! If not, what are the odds that two people with the same name would end up in this thread? 😅 Either way, your point about the notification system is spot on - we really can get alerts for everything except the stuff that actually matters for survival. This whole thread has opened my eyes to how much the CalFresh system relies on people just... knowing things that aren't explained anywhere official. Thank you to everyone sharing their knowledge here!
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I'm currently going through a similar county transfer (moving from Kern County to Los Angeles County) and this entire thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding what to expect! From what I've learned through my own research and talking to workers, your EBT card will definitely continue working during the transfer. The card is issued by the state's EBT contractor (currently Conduent), not by individual counties, so it remains valid statewide regardless of which county is processing your case. A few additional tips that might help: 1. If you have the EConnectCA mobile app, you can check your balance and transaction history throughout the transfer to monitor that everything stays intact 2. Consider setting up text alerts for your account so you get notified when your next benefits are loaded 3. If you need to contact San Diego County, their CalFresh hotline is usually less busy in the early morning or late afternoon The anxiety about potentially losing benefits during moves is totally understandable, but the system really is designed to protect people during these transitions. Your existing $340 should remain accessible throughout the entire process, and any delays with future deposits typically get resolved within a couple weeks at most. Good luck with your transfer - it sounds like you're taking all the right steps by staying proactive about following up!
Thank you @Dmitry Ivanov for those additional tips! The EConnectCA app suggestion is really smart - I hadn t'thought about using that to monitor my balance during the transfer, but that would definitely give me peace of mind to see that everything stays intact. Setting up text alerts is a great idea too. I really appreciate the specific advice about San Diego County s'CalFresh hotline being less busy in the early morning or late afternoon - that s'exactly the kind of practical tip that makes navigating this process so much easier. It s'reassuring to hear the technical explanation about Conduent issuing the cards statewide rather than individual counties. This whole thread has been such a lifesaver for understanding how county transfers actually work versus what I was worrying about in my head. Thanks for sharing your research and experience - it s'really helpful to hear from someone who s'currently going through a similar situation!
I just went through a very similar situation when I moved from Fresno County to Riverside County about 3 months ago, and I can definitely reassure you that your EBT card will NOT be cancelled during the transfer! Your $340 is completely safe. Here's what actually happens: - The EBT card itself is issued by the state, not individual counties, so it stays active statewide - Your existing balance remains accessible throughout the entire transfer process - Same card number, same PIN - nothing changes about your physical card - You can continue shopping normally while waiting for the case transfer to complete The only thing that might be delayed is your next month's benefits deposit while the counties coordinate the transfer, but even then, any delays typically get backdated to your normal issuance date so you don't lose money. My transfer took about 9 days total, and my next benefits were delayed by just 4 days. I was anxious the whole time, but looking back, I worried for nothing! My advice: Get a confirmation number when you follow up with San Diego County, and don't hesitate to call every few days to check your transfer status. Also, take a screenshot of your current balance now so you have a record. The system really is designed to protect people during moves like this - you're going to be fine!
Thank you so much @Mei Wong for sharing your recent experience! This is exactly what I needed to hear. As someone who s'completely new to the CalFresh system, I was really panicking about potentially losing my benefits during the transfer, but hearing from everyone who s'actually been through this process has been incredibly reassuring. Your timeline of 9 days for the transfer with just a 4-day delay for the next benefits sounds very manageable. I really appreciate the practical advice about taking a screenshot of my current balance - I m'going to do that right now! It s'such a relief to know that the system is actually designed to protect people during moves rather than penalize them. Everyone in this thread has been so helpful in explaining how county transfers really work versus what I was imagining in my worst-case scenarios. I feel so much more confident about this whole process now. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for the encouragement!
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I've been dealing with this exact same issue since Monday! The "Invalid credentials" error has been driving me absolutely crazy - I must have tried logging in at least 20 times thinking I was typing something wrong. So relieved to find this thread and realize it's not just me! Just tried the website login that everyone's been mentioning and it worked on the first try - you all are amazing! I also had no idea that grocery stores could check your balance. That's going to be such a helpful backup, especially since this app seems to break every few months. This community has been way more helpful than the 2 hours I wasted yesterday trying to get through to customer service. It's frustrating that we have to become IT troubleshooters just to check our own benefits, but I'm really grateful everyone is sharing solutions here. Bookmarking this thread for sure - seems like we'll probably need these workarounds again! Thanks everyone for saving my sanity and my grocery shopping plans this week.
Welcome to our growing EBT app support community! 😊 Twenty login attempts - wow, you really went through it before finding us! I'm so glad you discovered this thread and got the website login working immediately. It's been such a consistent solution for everyone dealing with this login nightmare. The grocery store balance check has honestly been one of the most valuable things I've learned from this whole mess - it's become my go-to method now because it's so much more reliable than their buggy app! You're absolutely right that this seems to happen every few months with their system updates. It's pretty ridiculous that we've all had to become unofficial tech support just to access our own benefits, but this community has been incredible at crowdsourcing solutions while the official EBT system keeps having meltdowns. Really hope they get their act together eventually, but until then you've definitely found the right place for help and solidarity in dealing with their ongoing technical disasters!
I've been having this exact same problem since Thursday! The "Invalid credentials" error has been so frustrating, especially when I'm certain I'm using the right login info. I was starting to think my account got hacked or something. Just tried the website login after reading through all these comments and it worked perfectly! Also going to try that tip about using my card number instead of username next time. Had no idea grocery stores could check your balance either - that's such a useful backup option that I wish someone had told me about years ago! This thread has been way more helpful than the hour I spent on hold yesterday trying to reach customer service. It's ridiculous that we have to troubleshoot their broken system ourselves, but I'm so grateful everyone is sharing what actually works. Definitely saving this for future reference since it seems like their app breaks regularly. Thanks everyone for the workarounds - you've saved my grocery shopping week!
Zainab Ahmed
Hi Shon! Great question about CalFresh benefits. Yes, your CalFresh benefits do roll over month-to-month - they don't expire if you don't use them all in one month. Your EBT card will accumulate the unused balance, so if you get $200 in January and only spend $150, you'll have $50 remaining plus your February benefits added to your card. However, benefits that are unused for 365 days (one full year) will expire, so it's good to use them within that timeframe. This rollover feature is really helpful for budgeting and meal planning!
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Omar Farouk
•That's really helpful information, @Zainab Ahmed! I didn't know about the 365-day expiration rule. Does that apply to all CalFresh benefits, or are there any exceptions? Also, is there a way to check on your EBT card how old your oldest unused benefits are, so you know if any are getting close to expiring?
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Ava Williams
•@Omar Farouk, great follow-up questions! The 365-day rule applies to all regular CalFresh benefits - no exceptions. Unfortunately, your EBT card balance doesn't show you the "age" of your benefits or which ones are oldest. The system uses FIFO (first in, first out), so your oldest benefits get used first automatically. If you're concerned about benefits expiring, I'd recommend using your EBT card at least once every few months to keep things cycling through. You can always check your current balance by calling the number on the back of your card or checking online through your state's EBT portal.
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