Also make sure your income is under the IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) or they'll cut you off! For a household of 3 in 2025 it's around $3,700 I think. Did you make more than your IRT in any month?

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with something similar! I'm self-employed doing home tutoring and my recertification has been pending for almost a month now. Reading through all these responses is really helpful - I didn't know about the 30-day processing timeframe or that I could request expedited services if my benefits expire. I've been panicking thinking I'd have to start over. Going to try sending a message through BenefitsCal today and document everything like Anastasia suggested. It's reassuring to know this delay is somewhat normal for self-employment cases, even though it's stressful when you have kids depending on these benefits.

Thank you all so much for the advice! We're going to try this plan: 1. She'll apply for WIC this week (already made appointment) 2. She'll apply for the Pregnant Woman Only CalWORKs program and specifically ask for that 3. Once she gets CalWORKs, apply for CalFresh as a separate household I'll let you know how it goes. Really grateful for all the detailed explanations about these confusing rules!

Just wanted to add that if she runs into any issues with the CalWORKs application, she can also contact her local legal aid organization. Many counties have advocates who specialize in helping people navigate benefit applications, especially for pregnant women. They know all the rules and can sometimes even attend appointments with you or make calls on your behalf. In my experience, having an advocate involved really speeds things up and makes sure workers apply the correct policies. Also, keep copies of everything - applications, denials, approvals - because these cases can get complicated and you might need to reference things later!

Just an update on my situation - I finally got through this morning by calling right at 8am. Waited 25 minutes but finally talked to someone. Turns out they implemented some new verification system in January that flagged a bunch of accounts for "review" but they're behind on processing them. The worker manually pushed mine through. You should ask if yours got caught in the same verification backlog.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! My benefits were supposed to load on the 15th but nothing came through. I've been calling that same number for days with no luck. Reading through all these comments, it sounds like there's a widespread problem with their new verification system. I'm going to try calling at 8am tomorrow and also look into that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it's frustrating but at least I know I'm not alone in this. @Emily Nguyen-Smith I hope you get your benefits sorted out soon, especially with kids to feed. This system is broken and they need to fix it ASAP.

Update: mine just showed up in the app! Check yours now maybe

Glad you got it sorted out! This happens way more often than it should. For future reference, if you ever need to check your benefit status quickly, you can also text your EBT card number to 511-411 and get your balance info that way - sometimes that updates faster than the apps do. It's saved me from panicking a few times when the systems are being slow to sync up.

Thank you everyone for the info! Sounds like there's no extra coming (bummer but good to know). I checked my case number and the last digit is 7, so I'll get September benefits on the 7th. Really helps with my planning. And no, I don't have school kids so guess I won't get that summer program either. I'll just have to stretch what I get even further this month.

Hey Kingston! I totally get the tight budget struggle - food prices are absolutely crazy right now. Since you're getting benefits on the 7th, you might want to check out some of the local food banks in your area to help stretch things until then. Many don't require any paperwork and can really help fill the gaps. Also, if you shop at stores that accept EBT, try to look for manager's specials on meat and produce - you can often find good deals and freeze what you can't use right away. Hang in there!