Just want to add - when you apply, make sure to have all your documents ready! You'll need proof of identity, income (pay stubs for last 30 days), rent receipts or mortgage statements, utility bills, and any medical expense receipts. Having everything organized will speed up the process. Also, if you get approved, your benefits will be backdated to when you submitted your application, so don't delay! Good luck with your application - sounds like you'll definitely qualify with those housing costs and your son being a student.

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I see a lot of good info here! I applied for CalFresh for my family of 4 last month and got approved. We make about $3,400 gross monthly and pay $1,800 in rent plus utilities. The whole process took about 6 weeks from application to getting our EBT card. One thing I learned - definitely apply online through BenefitsCal.com first, then you can upload all your documents there too. Way easier than trying to fax everything. Also, they scheduled my phone interview pretty quickly, and the worker was actually really helpful in making sure I got all the deductions I was entitled to. For anyone nervous about applying - it's really worth it! We're getting $740/month in benefits which has been a huge help with groceries. The hardest part was just gathering all the paperwork, but once you have everything together it's pretty straightforward.

Just checking back - was your sister able to get through to someone about expedited benefits? If she's still having trouble, she should specifically ask for a supervisor and cite the regulations about expedited service timeframes. The exact regulation is MPP Section 63-301.5 if she needs to reference it. Also, the Central California Legal Services office in Fresno (559-570-1200) can advocate for her if the county is not following the expedited timeline requirements.

That's wonderful news about the expedited CalFresh approval! So glad your sister was able to get through and get that sorted out quickly. For the housing situation, I wanted to mention one more resource - the United Way of Fresno has a 2-1-1 helpline that connects people with emergency services. You can call 2-1-1 or text your zip code to 898-211. They maintain a real-time database of available emergency housing, shelter beds, and financial assistance programs in Fresno County. Sometimes they know about smaller programs or have updated info on which places actually have availability right now. Also, if the kids aren't already enrolled, make sure they get signed up for free school meals ASAP - even if they're staying with you temporarily, they should still be able to attend their regular school and get breakfast/lunch there while this gets sorted out.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! This is exactly why I love this community - you all helped me figure out that this was just a rumor and gave me some really practical advice about what I can actually do to potentially increase my benefits. I'm going to call my county office (or try that Claimyr service someone mentioned) to report my increased rent and see if that helps. It's frustrating that misinformation spreads so quickly on social media, but at least we have places like this where people share real facts and experiences. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to respond!

I'm also new here but wanted to share my experience - I fell for a similar rumor last year about "emergency food assistance payments" that turned out to be completely false. It's so frustrating because when you're struggling to put food on the table, any hope of extra help gets your hopes up. What I've learned is to always check the official California Department of Social Services website (cdss.ca.gov) or your county's official site before believing anything you hear through the grapevine. They post all legitimate updates about benefit changes there first. The misinformation on social media is getting really out of hand - I've seen fake screenshots of "official" notifications that look so real it's scary. For anyone reading this who is struggling with food costs like the original poster, don't forget about local food banks and pantries too. They're a great supplement to CalFresh benefits and many don't have income restrictions.

This is absolutely infuriating and I'm so sorry you're going through this! As someone who works with low-income families, I see EBT theft cases way too often. A few additional tips that might help: 1. If you have a smartphone, take photos of any card reader before using it - skimmers often look slightly different or have loose parts 2. Some counties have emergency food assistance programs separate from CalFresh that can help while you wait for replacement benefits - call 211 to ask about local food banks and emergency assistance 3. Document EVERYTHING - save all your call reference numbers, case numbers, and take screenshots of your benefit balance before and after the theft Also, you mentioned you're a single mom - many churches and community centers have emergency food pantries that don't require paperwork and can help immediately. Search for "food pantry near me" or check with your kids' school - many have weekend backpack programs or can connect you with resources. The fact that this is happening to so many people shows this is a systemic problem, not your fault. Keep advocating for yourself with the county office - you deserve to get your benefits back quickly!

I'm new to this community but this post really caught my attention because I just moved to California and got approved for CalFresh benefits last month. I had no idea EBT skimming was such a widespread problem here! Reading through all these comments has been both scary and incredibly helpful. I've been using my EBT card at random stores without thinking twice about security. @NebulaNomad I'm so glad to see from your update that you're getting your benefits replaced! It's terrible that you and your kids had to go through this stress. For anyone else reading this - I found a resource that might help. The California Association of Food Banks has a website (cafoodbanks.org) where you can search for emergency food assistance by zip code. They also have a text service - you can text your zip code to 877-877 to find nearby food banks. This could help bridge the gap while waiting for replacement benefits. Also wanted to mention that some Walmart and Target locations now have newer card readers with better security features - might be worth asking customer service which terminals are the newest if you have to shop at larger stores. Stay safe everyone!

Just wanted to add my experience to this thread - I had the exact same login issues yesterday and was panicking because my recertification interview is scheduled for Friday. After reading through all the helpful comments here, I decided to try the Claimyr service that @Javier Mendoza mentioned. It actually worked! I got connected to my eligibility worker within 30 minutes and was able to confirm that my SAR7 was received and my interview is still on schedule. The worker also mentioned that they're putting extra staff on phones this week because of all the calls from the website outage. For anyone still worried about deadlines or missing documents, I'd definitely recommend trying to get through by phone rather than waiting for the website. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions!

This thread is so reassuring! I've been dealing with the same login issues since yesterday and was starting to panic about my upcoming recertification deadline. Reading everyone's experiences and solutions has been incredibly helpful. It's frustrating that the county doesn't communicate these system-wide problems better - a simple notice on their homepage would save so many people from unnecessary stress and worry. I'm definitely going to try some of the suggestions mentioned here, especially taking screenshots when the system is working and setting early reminders for deadlines. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and looking out for each other in this community!