Can't reach California CalFresh? Claimyr connects you to a live DSS agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the DSS
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the DSS drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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Wow, what a stressful situation! I'm so glad you were able to get it resolved quickly. This exact same thing happened to my sister a few months ago - she accidentally locked her card thinking she lost it, then panicked when she couldn't unlock it at the store. It's such a relief to know that the phone system actually works when the app fails. I'm definitely saving that customer service number in my phone now just in case. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's really helpful to know what to do if this happens to any of us!
That's so smart to save the number ahead of time! I wish I had thought of that before this happened. It really is one of those things you don't think about until you're in the middle of it. Your sister probably felt the same panic I did - there's nothing quite like standing there with a cart full of groceries and no way to pay! Really grateful for this community and how everyone jumped in to help with solutions.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that stress! As someone who's been on CalFresh for a while, I've learned to always keep that customer service number handy - 1-877-328-9677. The app can be really unreliable, especially during peak times. One thing that's helped me is to always test my card before doing big shopping trips, just a quick balance check to make sure everything's working. Also, don't feel embarrassed about this - it happens to more people than you'd think! Store employees see EBT issues all the time and most are very understanding. Glad you got it sorted out and your kids got their groceries!
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Thank you so much for checking and letting us know! I'll keep an eye on the website. At least knowing they're planning to announce something soon helps with the uncertainty.
I'm in the same boat as everyone here - been checking my P-EBT card weekly and nothing yet. My kids qualify for free lunch and we got our last payment back in October. It's really frustrating not knowing when to expect the next one, especially when you're trying to stretch your grocery budget. I've been following this thread and it sounds like we just have to wait for the state to make an official announcement. At least it's reassuring to know that the benefits are retroactive, so we're not actually losing money - just getting it in bigger chunks instead of monthly like CalFresh. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and keeping each other updated. This community has been more helpful than any of the official hotlines!
I totally agree! This community has been way more helpful than trying to navigate the official channels. I'm new here but dealing with the same P-EBT confusion - my daughter qualifies for free lunch and I've been checking our card constantly since hearing rumors about April payments. It's such a relief to hear that the benefits are retroactive because I was worried we were missing out on months of support. The uncertainty is the worst part when you're trying to budget groceries for the family. Thanks for keeping everyone updated @Louisa Ramirez - having someone actively checking the CDSS website saves us all time!
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my sister in law got her p-ebt 4.0 today too. shes in sanger unified. her kids got like $420 each! why is everyones amount different?? feels random
The P-EBT 4.0 amount varies based on several factors. The base calculation is $8.28 per school day, but the exact amount depends on: 1. How many school days your child was eligible for free/reduced meals 2. Whether your school reported any COVID-related absences or remote learning days 3. Whether your child's attendance record shows extended absences Schools in different districts might have had different numbers of qualifying days, which explains the variation in benefit amounts. The $420 amount suggests those children had more qualifying days than the $380 some others are reporting.
Has anyone tried calling the P-EBT hotline? I tried yesterday and was on hold for 2.5 HOURS before getting disconnected!!! This is ridiculous!
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when I needed to reach EDD last year. it actually worked pretty good. haven't tried for PEBT but might be worth a shot if you're desperate to talk to someone
Anything is better than getting disconnected after hours on hold! How does it work exactly? Do they just call for you?
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Congratulations on your new baby! Yes, you should definitely get an increase for your second child. CalFresh benefits are calculated based on household size, so each additional person (including babies) increases your maximum benefit amount. The increase won't be as much as when you first added your 3-year-old because of how the benefit formula works, but you should still see a decent bump - probably around $120-180 more per month based on what others have shared. Make sure to report the change within 10 days of the birth and have your baby's birth certificate ready. You can try calling during off-peak hours (like mid-morning on weekdays) to avoid the longest wait times. Don't give up - that extra money will really help with all the new baby expenses!
Thanks for the congrats and the helpful info! The $120-180 range sounds about right based on what others have said. I'll definitely try calling mid-morning - hadn't thought about timing it that way. Really appreciate everyone's advice on this thread, it's been so much more helpful than trying to navigate the county office phone system!
Congratulations on your new baby! You should definitely see an increase in your CalFresh benefits. Each person in your household counts toward the benefit calculation, so adding your newborn will bump up your monthly amount. Based on what others have shared here, you're probably looking at an extra $120-180 per month. I'd recommend calling first thing in the morning (like 8:30am) or right after lunch around 1pm - those tend to be less busy times. Have your baby's birth certificate ready and mention any childcare costs for your 3-year-old since that can also affect your benefit amount. The increase should be backdated to when you report the change, not when they finally process it, so don't delay! Good luck getting through to them.
Thanks for the timing tips! I never thought about calling right after lunch - that's really smart. I'll try that today since mornings are crazy with the baby and toddler. Really hoping I can get through soon because formula prices are no joke! Everyone here has been so helpful with the realistic expectations about the increase amount.
Nia Williams
Hey Aisha! Just wanted to add that if you do get approved for RMP, definitely download the FreshEBT app on your phone. It shows your balance in real-time so you can check before ordering at restaurants. Super helpful when you're trying to budget for meals during those crazy double shift weeks! The app also has a store locator feature that sometimes shows participating restaurants, though it's not 100% complete. Good luck with getting your account set up properly!
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StarSeeker
•The FreshEBT app is a great suggestion! I just downloaded it after reading this thread and it's really user-friendly. One thing I noticed is that it also sends you notifications when your benefits are loaded each month, which is super helpful for planning. @Aisha Abdullah - since you mentioned working double shifts, you might also want to look into meal prep on your days off if the RMP doesn t'work out right away. Some stores like Costco and WinCo have really good deals on bulk items that can stretch your CalFresh dollars further for quick meals you can grab between shifts.
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Hattie Carson
Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been using RMP in LA County for about a year now. One thing I learned the hard way - even if you're eligible and your card is properly coded, some restaurants have daily limits on how much you can spend with EBT. For example, some Subways cap it at $20 per transaction. Also, during busy times (like lunch rush), their card readers sometimes glitch and show "declined" even when you have funds. Don't get discouraged if this happens - just try again or ask them to manually enter the card. The program really is a lifesaver when you're working crazy hours and can't make it to the grocery store!
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