Can't reach California CalFresh? Claimyr connects you to a live DSS agent in minutes.
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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!
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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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UPDATE: I checked the portal and my daughter IS approved!! Thank you all for the help. Says the card should be mailed next month. Such a relief!
Great news! Make sure you activate it right away when it arrives - the instructions will come with the card. And keep it even after you use all the benefits because they sometimes add more later in the year!
That's awesome news Ruby! So glad you were able to get it sorted out. The P-EBT portal is definitely the way to go - saved me so much stress when I was trying to figure out my son's benefits last year. Once you get the card, you'll be able to use it just like a regular EBT card at grocery stores. The $48 per month really does add up and helps a lot with the grocery budget. Hope your card arrives quickly!
This is such great news Ruby! I'm so happy you got it figured out. I'm actually new to this whole P-EBT thing - my kids just started getting free lunch this year and I had no idea about these benefits until I saw your post. Definitely going to check that portal tonight to see if we qualify. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info, especially about the website and phone number. This community is amazing!
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Just to follow up - once you report your pregnancy (after 7 months along) and after your baby is born, make sure to update your CalFresh case. For a household of 3 in 2025, the maximum CalFresh benefit is around $770/month instead of $425. Also, since housing costs affect CalFresh benefits, if your rent does increase, report that too! Higher rent can sometimes qualify you for higher CalFresh benefits because it reduces your "net income" in their calculations. This is called the "excess shelter deduction.
Wow, that would be almost double what I get now! I had no idea the rent increase might actually help with getting more food benefits. This gives me hope that we might be able to make things work. Thank you so much for all this information!
I was in a similar situation last year and ended up applying for everything at once through BenefitsCal.com - you can apply for CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medi-Cal all in the same application. Made things way easier than doing separate applications. The CalWORKs Housing Support Program ended up being what saved us from eviction.
That's really encouraging to hear! I'm going to apply through BenefitsCal tonight. Can I ask how long it took to get approved for the Housing Support Program after you applied for CalWORKs? I'm hoping they can help before my rent increase kicks in next month.
@Ella Harper It took about 3-4 weeks from when I submitted my CalWORKs application to when they approved me for the Housing Support Program. But here s'the key - I had to specifically ASK about it during my eligibility interview! The worker didn t'mention it automatically. Once I asked, they fast-tracked the housing assistance part because I was facing eviction. Make sure to mention your urgent situation pregnant (+ rent increase + toddler when) you apply - they have emergency procedures for cases like yours.
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UPDATE: My benefits are back! Logged into the app this morning and everything is showing correctly now. For anyone else with this issue, looks like it was just a temporary glitch with the app display. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great news! Thanks for updating us. This confirms it was indeed related to the system maintenance they've been doing. Glad it resolved quickly for you!
mine too!! everything back to normal 👍
So glad to see this got resolved! This is actually pretty common during WIC system updates - I've seen this happen in Orange County too. For future reference, the CA WIC program usually posts updates about planned maintenance on their main website (mywic.ca.gov), so you can check there if you see weird app behavior. Also worth noting that even when the app shows zero, your physical WIC card should still work at authorized stores during these glitches. The card connects to a different part of the system than the mobile app display.
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I just want to thank everyone for all the detailed explanations! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I was so confused when I first got that mail about P-EBT, but now I understand it's separate from CalFresh and tied to the school lunch program. Based on what everyone shared, it sounds like I need to: 1. Check if our school filled out that meal application (or if it's a CEP school) 2. Verify our address is correct with the school 3. Wait a bit longer since some counties are still processing 2025 cards 4. Call the P-EBT helpline if nothing comes in the next few weeks It's frustrating that the program isn't more straightforward, but at least now I know what to expect. Really appreciate this community for breaking it all down in terms that actually make sense!
You've got a great plan! Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me - when I called our school, I asked specifically to speak with someone in "Nutrition Services" or "Food Services" rather than just the main office. They were way more knowledgeable about P-EBT eligibility and could actually look up my kids' status in their system right away. The main office staff seemed confused about the whole program and kept transferring me around. Also, if your school does have universal free lunch, make sure to ask if they still required that meal application form - seems like every district handles it differently!
One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that P-EBT benefits can also be used for online grocery pickup/delivery at participating stores like Walmart, Amazon Fresh, and some Safeways. This was really helpful for us since we don't always have time to go grocery shopping in person with work schedules. Also, if you're having trouble getting through to the P-EBT helpline, try calling right when they open (usually 8am) or during lunch hours when call volume might be lower. I've had better luck getting through around 12:30pm than in the mornings or late afternoons. And just to echo what others said - definitely save all the paperwork that comes with the cards! There's usually a pamphlet with store locations and online retailers that accept P-EBT, plus information about what you can and can't buy. Super useful to keep in your wallet or purse for reference.
Thanks for the tip about online grocery shopping! I had no idea P-EBT cards worked for pickup and delivery - that's going to be a game changer for our family. Do you know if there are any extra fees when using P-EBT for online orders, or does it work just like a regular debit card? Also really appreciate the advice about calling times. I was dreading having to sit on hold for hours, but I'll definitely try calling around lunchtime if we need to follow up about our cards.
Sophia Gabriel
Just wanted to add my experience - I was in a similar situation last year with my 3-year-old. Got a P-EBT card out of nowhere and was super confused. Turns out it was totally legitimate! I called the number on the back of the card and they confirmed we qualified because we were already getting CalFresh benefits. Used it without any issues and it didn't affect our regular benefits at all. The customer service rep told me that lots of families don't realize they qualify for these additional benefits. Definitely use it - you earned it and it's there to help feed your family!
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Nora Brooks
•That's really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same thing! I was definitely overthinking it. It's crazy how they don't explain these programs better - so many people probably miss out on benefits they're entitled to just because the whole system is so confusing. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Ellie Simpson
I'm so glad you asked this question! I was in the exact same boat a few months ago - got a P-EBT card for my 4-year-old who doesn't go to daycare and I was terrified it was some kind of mistake. After reading all the responses here and doing some research, I can confirm it's 100% legitimate. The P-EBT program has been extended to cover young children in CalFresh households even if they don't attend school or daycare. I've been using mine for groceries with zero issues and it hasn't affected my regular CalFresh benefits at all. The hardest part was getting past my anxiety about using it, but once I did, it was such a relief to have that extra help with food costs. Don't let that money go to waste - your family deserves that support!
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NebulaKnight
•Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's such a relief to hear from so many people who were in the same situation. I think I'm going to go ahead and use the card this weekend. You're right about not letting the money go to waste - groceries are so expensive right now and this will really help stretch our budget. I appreciate everyone taking the time to explain how this all works!
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