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I've been on CalFresh for 5 years now and honestly, June issuances are ALWAYS a mess. It's the end of their fiscal year and their systems go haywire. Almost every June I have some problem with either delayed benefits or incorrect amounts. I've started planning for it by saving a little extra in May just in case. Not helpful for your current situation but maybe for next year!
This is really helpful information! As someone who's new to CalFresh, I had no idea about the June fiscal year issues or that there were specific escalation processes. I've been struggling with getting through to anyone when I have questions about my case. The Claimyr service sounds like a game-changer - I hate spending hours on hold just to get disconnected. And @Tyler Lefleur, thanks for laying out that step-by-step process, I'm definitely saving this thread for future reference!
This is such a relief to read! I'm a new CalFresh recipient in Orange County and was having the exact same panic when my pending deposit didn't show up yesterday. I'm still learning how all this works and thought maybe I did something wrong with my paperwork. It's frustrating that the app is so unreliable - when you're depending on these benefits to feed your family, every little glitch feels like a crisis. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, it really helps newcomers like me understand that these technical issues are normal (even if they shouldn't be!).
Welcome to the CalFresh community! I totally understand that panic feeling - I've been receiving benefits for about 6 months now and I STILL get anxious when the app doesn't work properly. You're definitely not alone in feeling like every glitch is a crisis when you're relying on these benefits. The learning curve is real, but this community has been so helpful for figuring out what's normal vs. what's actually a problem. Glad your benefits came through okay!
I'm new to CalFresh too and this thread is so helpful! I'm in Riverside County and was literally about to drive to the county office tomorrow because I thought my case got closed when the pending deposit didn't show. It's crazy how much stress these app glitches cause when you're already dealing with food insecurity. I wish they would at least put up a notice in the app when they're having technical issues so we know it's not our benefits being cut off. Thanks everyone for sharing - it's good to know this is a known issue and not something I messed up!
Hey Niko! Just wanted to add that when you do report changes, you can also do it online through your county's portal instead of calling - might save you the phone wait times that Alberto's sister experienced. Most counties have online reporting now. Also, pro tip: when using any of those benefit calculators, make sure you're using your NET income (after taxes and deductions) not your gross pay from the raise. A $375 gross increase might only be like $280-300 net depending on your tax situation. This could make your benefit reduction even smaller than the estimates you're getting! Good luck with everything and congrats again on the raise! 🎉
That's such a great point about net vs gross income! I hadn't even thought about that difference. You're absolutely right - after taxes and my 401k contribution, my actual take-home increase will probably be closer to $280-300. That makes me feel even better about this whole situation. And thanks for the tip about online reporting - I'll definitely check if my county has that option. Calling during work hours is always such a hassle. Really appreciate all the helpful advice from everyone here! 😊
Just wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! I got a $400/month raise and was terrified my CalFresh would disappear completely. Turns out I went from $520 to $385 - definitely a reduction but not nearly as dramatic as I feared. One thing that really helped was gathering ALL my documentation before reporting the change - pay stubs, rent receipts, utility bills, childcare invoices, everything. Having it all ready made the process much smoother when I talked to my caseworker. Also, if you have any medical expenses or pay for things like school supplies for your kids, make sure to mention those too as they can sometimes count as deductions. The calculators are helpful for ballpark estimates, but your actual caseworker will be able to give you the most accurate numbers once they plug everything into their system. Don't stress too much - sounds like with your childcare expenses, you'll still get meaningful support even with the raise!
This is really reassuring to hear from someone who's been through the same situation! Your experience going from $520 to $385 gives me hope that it won't be as dramatic as I was imagining. I've been keeping all my paperwork organized already, but I hadn't thought about medical expenses or school supplies - I do buy a lot of supplies for my kids throughout the year. Do you remember if those school supply expenses made a noticeable difference in your calculation? And did you report your income change online or had to call in? Thanks for sharing your experience - it's exactly what I needed to hear!
Hey Ashley! As someone who works in benefits eligibility, I wanted to clarify something about those school supplies and medical expenses you mentioned. School supplies unfortunately don't count as deductions for CalFresh - only specific categories like shelter costs, childcare, medical expenses over $35/month for elderly/disabled household members, and dependent care expenses are allowed. Medical expenses for non-elderly/non-disabled members also don't count unless they're work-related. Just wanted to make sure folks have accurate info when they're preparing their documentation! But you're absolutely right about having everything organized - that definitely makes the process smoother with caseworkers.
So glad everything worked out for you! This is such a common confusion - the SAR7 form can make it seem like you need to report every little thing when really they only want major changes. I made a similar mistake my first year on CalFresh by reporting a $25 gift card my mom gave me for my birthday 🤦♀️ Your experience is actually really helpful for other people who might be overthinking their reporting requirements. And thanks for sharing how Claimyr worked for you - I've been seeing more people mention it lately as a way to actually reach county workers when the phone lines are impossible.
This is such a perfect example of how confusing the CalFresh system can be for people trying to do the right thing! I'm a newcomer here but I've been on CalFresh for about 6 months and I made similar mistakes early on - I reported my library card renewal and even a free bus pass I got through a community program because I thought "changes in resources" meant literally ANY change. What I've learned is that they really only care about things that affect your financial situation in a meaningful way. Discounts, memberships, and small perks are not what they're looking for. It's great that you got it sorted out and your benefits are back on track! Also really helpful to know about Claimyr - I've been struggling to reach my worker too and didn't know this service existed. Definitely bookmarking that for future reference. Thanks for sharing your experience and the resolution!
Anita George
We haven't gotten ANY letter yet... starting to worry again 😕
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Ravi Sharma
Don't worry too much about not getting a letter yet! I'm in the same boat - last name starts with S and I have 2 kids (ages 9 and 11) who qualify for free lunch. No letter or benefits yet but based on what everyone's saying about the N-Z group being this week, we should hopefully see something soon. I called my kids' school yesterday and they confirmed both my children are still listed as eligible for free meals in their system, so at least I know we should be getting it. The waiting is definitely stressful though, especially when you see other families already getting theirs!
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Omar Hassan
•Thanks for sharing this! It's so reassuring to hear from someone else in the same situation. I was starting to think something was wrong with our application since we haven't gotten any notification yet. My last name starts with T so we should definitely be in this N-Z week. Really hoping we both see our benefits loaded by Friday! It's good that you checked with the school - I should probably do the same just to make sure everything is still showing correctly on their end.
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