Isaac, I'm so sorry you're going through this - I can totally relate to that panic when you get an overpayment notice! I went through something similar about 6 months ago with a $1,100 overpayment from unreported income changes when I picked up extra shifts at my second job. Reading through all these amazing responses, I can see you've gotten incredible advice! I just wanted to add one small thing that helped me: when you call tomorrow morning, ask about their "Income Averaging" policy. Some counties will look at your average income over the entire benefit period rather than month-by-month, which can sometimes reduce the overpayment amount if your overtime was truly sporadic. In my case, even though I had a few high-income months from overtime, my average monthly income was still within the eligibility range, so they reduced my overpayment by about $200. It's worth asking about! Also, I see several people mentioned calling right at 8 AM - this is so true! I finally got through on my third try by calling at exactly 8:00 AM and asking immediately for "Overpayment Collections." The whole conversation took about 25 minutes, and I walked away with a $30/month payment plan that I could actually afford. You've got such a solid plan now thanks to everyone's advice here. The fact that you're being proactive instead of ignoring this puts you in such a better position. Your kids are lucky to have a dad who tackles problems head-on like this. You're going to get through this!

Isaac, I can't even imagine how stressful this must be for you right now! I'm a single mom of two and the thought of getting an overpayment notice like that makes my stomach turn. Reading through all these responses has been so educational - I had no idea there were so many options available if this ever happens to me. I don't have personal experience with overpayments, but I wanted to chime in with something that might help: I've found that when dealing with any county office, it really helps to get the name and direct phone number of whoever you speak with. That way if you need to follow up or if there's any confusion later, you can ask for that specific person instead of starting over with someone new each time. Also, I've learned from other benefit situations that counties sometimes have "Client Advocate" programs or ombudsman services that can help navigate complicated situations like this. It might be worth asking if your county has something like that when you call tomorrow. You're being such a responsible parent by tackling this head-on instead of ignoring it. Your kids are so lucky to have a dad who works this hard to solve problems the right way. This community has given you such an amazing roadmap - I have total confidence you're going to find a solution that works for your family's budget. Please keep us updated on how your call goes! We're all rooting for you!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been locked out of my EBTEDGE account for two days now and was starting to panic about how I'm going to manage my grocery budget this week. The security questions are the worst - I set mine up almost 6 months ago and honestly have no clue what I answered back then. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief though! I had no idea about the automated phone balance check at 1-877-328-9677 or that you can do balance inquiries at grocery stores without buying anything. That's going to save me so much stress while I work on getting my account reset. Based on all the success stories in this thread, I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow morning - it sounds like exactly what I need to avoid those horrible hold times with the county office. It's honestly ridiculous that we need third-party services and community forums just to access our own benefits, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing what actually works instead of the useless official resources. This thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate government websites! Thanks everyone for creating such a supportive space where people share real solutions that work.

This thread is absolutely incredible - I'm bookmarking it immediately! I'm currently dealing with the exact same EBTEDGE lockout nightmare and have been so frustrated trying to get help through official channels. The security question system is such a joke - who remembers what they answered 8+ months ago?? Reading through all these real solutions has given me so much hope though. I had NO idea about the automated phone balance check at 1-877-328-9677 or that you can check your balance at grocery store self-checkouts without buying anything - those are going to be lifesavers while I sort this out! Definitely trying Claimyr tomorrow based on everyone's success stories here. It's honestly infuriating that we need third-party services and community knowledge just to access our own benefits, but I'm so grateful for spaces like this where people actually help each other with solutions that work. This has been 1000x more useful than any official government resource I've tried. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share what actually works - this community support makes dealing with these broken systems so much more manageable!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful for this incredibly helpful thread! I'm also in a similar situation - my CalFresh benefits ended about 3 months ago when I got a new job that pays slightly more, but I still have my EBT card and have been wondering about exactly this. Reading through all these success stories, especially the multiple positive experiences at the California Science Center, has given me the confidence I needed to try this program. What really stands out to me is how welcoming and understanding museum staff seem to be - they clearly get that the program is about accessibility, not creating obstacles. I love how this discussion has grown into such a comprehensive resource with tips about library museum passes, Bank of America's Museums on Us program, and other discount options I never knew existed! As families managing tight budgets, having access to this kind of community knowledge is invaluable. To the original poster - it sounds like you're going to have an amazing weekend at the Science Center! Based on all these experiences, I'm feeling confident enough to plan some museum visits with my own kids this month. Thank you for asking the question that so many of us needed answered! 🌟

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to add my voice to this incredibly supportive discussion! I'm in a very similar situation - my CalFresh benefits ended about 4 months ago due to a job change that bumped me slightly over the income limit, but I've kept my EBT card. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so encouraging, especially all the positive stories about the California Science Center specifically! It's clear that the Museums for All program is working exactly as intended - removing financial barriers to educational experiences rather than creating more hoops to jump through. What I find most reassuring is how consistently positive people's experiences have been at larger, established museums. The staff training seems to focus on accessibility and welcoming families, which is exactly what these programs should be about. I'm definitely planning to take my kids to the Science Center next month based on all these success stories. The space shuttle exhibit sounds incredible! And thank you to everyone who shared additional resources like library museum passes and the Bank of America program - I had no idea these options existed. To the original poster - you should feel completely confident about your weekend plans. Your kids are going to have an amazing time, and you're using a program designed specifically for families like ours! Hope you have a wonderful visit! 🚀

I'm having the exact same login issues since Tuesday morning! Was starting to panic thinking I'd been locked out or hacked somehow. This thread has been such a relief - knowing it's a statewide system problem and not just me going crazy with my password. I was particularly worried because my semi-annual report is due next month and I wanted to get started on it early. Thanks to everyone for sharing the helpful resources, especially that EBT customer service line at 877-328-9677. I'm going to try calling them tomorrow to check my balance while we wait for this to get fixed. Really appreciate @Miguel Silva for keeping us updated on what the county office said about Friday being the target fix date. It's so frustrating when these systems fail right when we need them, but this community support makes all the difference!

I'm also experiencing this exact same login issue since Monday! I was getting so worried thinking my account had been compromised or something. This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's such a relief to know this is a widespread system problem affecting people across the state and not just me somehow forgetting my own password. I was particularly stressed because I have my recertification appointment coming up next week and wanted to review my case information beforehand. Thank you @Miguel Silva for sharing the update from your county office that this should be resolved by Friday, and thanks to @Amina Toure for explaining that the backend systems are separate so our benefits should still process normally. I'm definitely going to try calling that EBT customer service line at 877-328-9677 tomorrow to check my balance. It's so frustrating when these systems fail right when we need access most, but this community support has been amazing in helping everyone navigate through this technical nightmare!

Wow, what an incredible thread! @ac0944eb9a44 I'm so thrilled to see you got approved - congratulations! 🎉 Your experience is going to be such a lifeline for other people going through this confusing process. I'm actually day 15 into my own CalFresh application and had no idea about any of this EBT card timing stuff. I would have absolutely freaked out if a card showed up with $0 on it! Thanks to everyone sharing their knowledge here, especially @f4ad134a031c for the professional insights and @8279860bb01f for the social worker perspective. The fact that there's no automatic notification system for document requests in 2025 is honestly mind-blowing. I'm definitely going to be checking that Message Center religiously now - can't believe how easy it would be to miss something important buried in there. This community is doing such amazing work filling the information gaps that the official system leaves. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been more helpful than anything I found on the official CalFresh website. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space for people navigating this maze!

This entire thread has been such an education! @ac0944eb9a44 huge congratulations on getting approved - what a rollercoaster that must have been! Your story perfectly illustrates everything that's wrong with how this system communicates with applicants. I'm currently on day 12 of my own CalFresh application and honestly had no clue about the EBT card vs benefits timing issue. I would have been devastated to get a card with $0 thinking something went wrong with my application. The fact that they don't include ANY explanation with the card about this process is just cruel - people are already stressed about being able to feed their families! What really gets me is how this community thread has more clear, useful information than any official government resource I've found. @f4ad134a031c @c87948ddf282 @8279860bb01f - thank you for sharing your professional knowledge so generously. The tip about checking the Message Center daily is going to save me so much anxiety. It's 2025 and we can get instant notifications for pizza delivery but not for critical food assistance documentation requests? The system really seems designed to make people give up. Thank you everyone for creating this supportive space and sharing your experiences - it's making this overwhelming process feel much more manageable!