Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else in a similar situation - I'm also in LA County and had to add my daughter when she was 6 months old. The worker I spoke with was really helpful and processed the change within 2 days. My benefits went from $194 to $465 for a household of 2. One thing that helped me was having all my documents ready before I called: baby's birth certificate, proof of my income, and receipts for childcare expenses. Also, don't let them tell you that you need to wait for your next recertification - household composition changes should be processed immediately! Good luck mama, your baby definitely deserves to be counted for those benefits.

As someone who went through this exact situation 6 months ago, I can't stress enough how important it is to act quickly! My daughter was 7 months when I finally learned I could add her to my CalFresh case. The increase was substantial - went from $281 to $516 monthly for our household of 2. A few tips that made my experience smoother: 1) Use the BenefitsCal online portal if possible - it's often faster than calling, 2) When reporting the household change, also update any changes in your expenses (childcare, medical costs, etc.), and 3) Keep records of when you submit everything in case there are delays. The system should have caught this when you first applied, but don't let that discourage you from getting what you're entitled to now. Your 8-month-old has been part of your household this whole time and deserves to be counted for benefits. You've got this!

Just wanted to add that if you're struggling with rent increases, you might also want to look into tenant rights resources in your area. California has some protections against excessive rent increases, and there are tenant advocacy organizations that can help you understand your rights. Some counties also have rent stabilization programs or just cause eviction protections that could be relevant to your situation. It won't directly help with paying rent, but knowing your rights can sometimes buy you time to get the other assistance programs in place. You can search for "[your county] tenant rights" or contact your local legal aid society for free advice.

I went through this exact confusion when I first got CalFresh! Your friend probably heard about how some people use their CalFresh savings (the money they don't have to spend on food) to help with other bills like rent, but that's not the same thing as EBT directly paying for housing. The card itself only works for eligible food items. Since you're already getting CalFresh, you should definitely look into CalWORKs if you have kids - that program can provide cash assistance that CAN be used for housing costs. Also check if your county has any emergency rental assistance still available from COVID relief funds. Some counties still have money left over and shorter wait times than the regular housing programs. Good luck mama, I know how stressful sudden rent increases can be!

This thread has been absolutely incredible and should definitely be pinned! I'm a relatively new CalFresh recipient (about 4 months) and I travel to visit my mom in Oregon every couple of months, usually for about 10-12 days at a time. Reading through all these experiences has made me realize how close I've been to potentially triggering that 14-day fraud flag without even knowing it existed! The lack of clear communication about these policies during enrollment is honestly shocking. Like everyone else has mentioned, they tell you your benefits "work in all 50 states" but completely omit these crucial details about fraud prevention measures. It feels like they're setting people up to fail rather than providing the information we need to use our benefits responsibly. I'm definitely going to set up that BenefitsCal account and establish travel notifications as a standard practice before any future trips. The Claimyr service recommendation is also incredibly valuable - I've had my own frustrating experiences with EBT customer service hold times, so knowing there's actually a way to reach a human being is a game-changer. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences and practical solutions. This community discussion has been more educational than anything I received through official channels. I'm absolutely sharing this thread with other recipients I know because this kind of knowledge could prevent so much unnecessary hardship for families. The fact that we're all learning critical policies through community forums instead of proper government guidance really highlights how much the system needs improvement!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm a brand new CalFresh recipient (just got my card 2 weeks ago) and I'm supposed to visit my aunt in Utah for 3 weeks this summer. Reading through everyone's experiences here literally just prevented what could have been a complete disaster - I had zero knowledge about the 14-day automatic fraud flag rule! It's honestly shocking that this critical information isn't explained during the enrollment process. They tell you "benefits work in all 50 states" but completely leave out these important security measures that could strand you without food money. The fact that we're all learning these essential policies through community forums instead of official guidance is really concerning. I'm calling my caseworker tomorrow to set up those BenefitsCal travel notifications before my trip. Also definitely looking into that Claimyr service - the thought of actually being able to reach EBT customer service without endless hold times sounds amazing! Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences and solutions. This community knowledge is doing the job that should be happening officially. I'm bookmarking this thread and sharing it with other new recipients I know because this information could save families from getting stranded while just trying to visit loved ones. The education happening in this thread is better than anything I got during my official enrollment!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's absolutely unacceptable that you've been waiting 34 days with zero response from your worker! Reading through all these suggestions, I think the multi-pronged approach is definitely the way to go. I was in a similar situation last year and what finally worked was hitting them from multiple angles at once: I called the state complaint hotline (1-877-847-3663) to file a formal complaint about being past the deadline, emailed my county's social services director directly, AND contacted my assemblymember's constituent services office all on the same day. Within 48 hours I had three different people calling me back! It's ridiculous that we have to escalate to this level just to get basic communication, but the squeaky wheel approach really works when you're dealing with overwhelmed county offices. Also, when you do finally get someone on the phone, make sure to ask them to put a "priority flag" on your case and get the supervisor's direct number for future issues. Don't let them make you feel like you're being unreasonable - feeding your family is a basic need and timely processing is your legal right!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare - it's absolutely infuriating when you're struggling to feed your family and can't even get basic communication from the people who are supposed to help you! Since you're now 34 days past your application date (well beyond the legal 30-day processing timeline), you have every right to escalate this aggressively. Based on all the great advice in this thread, I'd recommend hitting them with a coordinated approach: 1) Call the state CalFresh complaint hotline at 1-877-847-3663 first thing tomorrow morning and file a formal complaint emphasizing you're past the deadline with zero worker contact, 2) Email your county's social services director directly with a detailed timeline of all your call attempts, and 3) Contact your assemblymember's constituent services office - they have staff who specialize in cutting through exactly these bureaucratic delays. Also try calling your county's main switchboard at 8:00 AM sharp and ask for the "CalFresh duty supervisor" rather than your assigned worker. The combination of state pressure, county leadership involvement, and elected official intervention usually gets results within 24-48 hours. Document everything and don't let them make you feel like you're asking for too much - timely processing of food assistance is your legal right, not a favor! Your family deserves so much better than this runaround.

I'm going through my first SAR7 process right now and this whole thread is both terrifying and incredibly helpful! Reading about everyone's struggles makes me realize I need to be way more proactive. I'm definitely bookmarking all these phone strategies and backup options. Quick question though - for those who've successfully gotten through, how long did it typically take to actually resolve the issue once you reached a human? I'm trying to prepare myself mentally for how long this whole process might drag out. Also, has anyone tried the online chat or messaging features through BenefitsCal itself, or is calling really the only reliable way to reach someone? Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community support is amazing when the official system fails us so badly! 🤞

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and it's so frustrating! One thing that worked for my neighbor was calling the county's main switchboard number (not the CalFresh direct line) and asking to be transferred to "eligibility services" or "social services" - sometimes this bypasses the overwhelmed CalFresh phone system. Also, if you have any old notices or letters from CalFresh, check if there's a worker name listed - you can sometimes call the main number and ask to be connected directly to that person's voicemail. They usually call back within 24-48 hours. I know it's maddening when your kids need food and the system is failing you. Have you also checked if your county has walk-in hours? Some counties have specific days/times where you can show up without an appointment for urgent issues like benefit interruptions. Hang in there - you're doing everything right and shouldn't have to jump through these hoops just to feed your family! 💜