Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble getting through to your county office, you can also check the California Department of Social Services website or your county's DPSS website for updates on Summer EBT distribution dates. Some counties post their specific distribution schedules online. Also, the benefits are good for a full year from when they're issued, so don't panic if you don't get them right away - you won't lose them! My kids are also eating me out of house and home this summer break, so I totally feel everyone's pain here 😅

Thanks everyone for all this helpful info! I'm new to CalFresh and this is my first summer with kids in the program. I was getting worried because I hadn't heard anything yet, but it sounds like they're still rolling out by county. My kids just finished their first week of summer break and I'm already seeing the grocery budget take a hit! 😅 Does anyone know if there's a way to track when your specific county will distribute? I'm in Riverside County if that helps. Really appreciate this community sharing their experiences - makes navigating all this so much easier for us newcomers!

Welcome to the community! Congrats on getting approved for CalFresh - that's a huge relief! Just to clarify what others have mentioned, the "extra" benefits your neighbor might be referring to could be several things: 1. **CalWORKs** - This is cash assistance (not food stamps) that you apply for separately. It's totally different from CalFresh but you can get both if you qualify. 2. **Summer EBT** - Since your kids are 7 and 10, if they get free school meals, they should automatically get extra food benefits during summer break. This usually shows up on a separate card. 3. **WIC** - If you have kids under 5 or are pregnant/breastfeeding, this provides additional food benefits for specific items like milk, eggs, cereal. Definitely report those after-school care costs someone mentioned - that could bump up your CalFresh amount! And don't forget to check if you're eligible for CalWORKs too since you have two kids. The application process is more intensive but the cash benefits can really help with rent and other expenses. Good luck and feel free to ask more questions - this community is super helpful!

Hey Ethan! Congrats on getting approved - I know how stressful that waiting period can be! Your neighbor might also be thinking of the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) if she's an immigrant who doesn't qualify for regular CalFresh, or possibly getting benefits from multiple programs stacked together. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're working and have very low income, you might qualify for the Earned Income Disregard which can help you keep more benefits even as your income goes up slightly. Also, if anyone in your household has a disability or is over 60, there are additional deductions available. Since you mentioned your kids are 7 and 10, definitely keep an eye out for the Summer EBT cards - they usually arrive in the mail around May/June if your kids qualify through their school's free lunch program. It's about $40 per month per child for the summer months. The after-school care expense someone mentioned is definitely worth reporting! That $250/month could potentially increase your monthly benefits. When you call, ask them to also review all your other expenses to make sure you're getting the maximum amount you're eligible for.

I'm also a single household still waiting for my COLA notice! This thread has been so helpful - I was getting worried that something was wrong with my case. Based on everyone's experiences, it sounds like I should expect around $22-25 increase which would be amazing. My current benefit is $216 so getting close to $240 would really help with these crazy grocery prices. I'm going to try calling that customer service number (1-877-847-3663) if I don't get my notice by Friday. It's reassuring to know they're sending them out in batches and that the increase will load automatically on October 1st even if the notice gets delayed. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice!

Hey everyone! I'm a single-person household too and just wanted to say this thread has been incredibly helpful while I wait for my notice. I've been checking my BenefitsCal account and mailbox daily with no luck yet, but reading about everyone's experiences has put my mind at ease. Currently getting $185/month, so if the increase is around $22-25 like others have reported, that would bring me to around $207-210 which would be such a relief with food costs being what they are. I'm definitely going to call that customer service number (1-877-847-3663) if I don't hear anything by this weekend. Also planning to look into updating my utility costs since I moved earlier this year and my bills have definitely gone up. Thanks to everyone for sharing their amounts and experiences - it's so helpful to know we're all in the same boat waiting for these notices!

Just wanted to share my experience - I switched to EBTedge about 3 months ago after reading horror stories like these. The setup was super straightforward, took maybe 10 minutes. You'll need your current EBT card and PIN to register. The freeze feature has become second nature now - I literally freeze it the moment I walk out of any store. One tip I learned the hard way: if you're shopping at multiple stores in one trip, don't freeze between stores if they're close together. I got paranoid and kept freezing/unfreezing and the system temporarily locked me out for "suspicious activity" - had to call customer service to get it resolved. Now I just unfreeze when I start shopping and freeze when I'm completely done for the day. The peace of mind is worth it though. My benefits load on the 15th and I sleep so much better knowing my card is protected!

I can't believe I'm just learning about this EBTedge app now! I've been so worried about skimming after hearing all these stories. My sister had $450 stolen from her card last summer and it took months to get it back. I'm definitely downloading this tonight before my benefits load next week. Quick question - when you freeze the card, does it affect being able to check your balance at the store? Sometimes I need to see how much I have left while I'm shopping to make sure I don't go over. Also, has anyone tried using it at farmers markets that accept EBT? I shop there regularly and want to make sure the freeze/unfreeze works at those smaller card readers too. This thread has been so helpful - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! It's scary how common benefit theft has become but at least now I know there's something I can do to protect myself.

on a totally diff note - have u tried the food banks?? they got way better stuff now than they used to. i go to the one by the methodist church and they give fresh produce n even meat sometimes. good backup plan if benefits ever get reduced.

I'm really glad I found this thread because I was starting to panic about the same rumors! My mother-in-law keeps sharing scary posts on Facebook about benefit cuts and it's been keeping me up at night. Reading through everyone's responses here has been so helpful - especially the clarification from the nonprofit workers about there being no confirmed cuts right now. I think I'm going to take the advice about calling my caseworker directly to get official information instead of worrying about social media rumors. And I definitely need to look into those medical deductions for my daughter's dietary restrictions - I had no idea that was even possible! Thank you all for sharing your experiences and knowledge. This community is such a lifesaver for getting real information instead of just panic-inducing rumors.