Congratulations on your new baby! Yes, you should definitely get an increase for your second child. CalFresh benefits are calculated based on household size, so each additional person (including babies) increases your maximum benefit amount. The increase won't be as much as when you first added your 3-year-old because of how the benefit formula works, but you should still see a decent bump - probably around $120-180 more per month based on what others have shared. Make sure to report the change within 10 days of the birth and have your baby's birth certificate ready. You can try calling during off-peak hours (like mid-morning on weekdays) to avoid the longest wait times. Don't give up - that extra money will really help with all the new baby expenses!

Congratulations on your new baby! You should definitely see an increase in your CalFresh benefits. Each person in your household counts toward the benefit calculation, so adding your newborn will bump up your monthly amount. Based on what others have shared here, you're probably looking at an extra $120-180 per month. I'd recommend calling first thing in the morning (like 8:30am) or right after lunch around 1pm - those tend to be less busy times. Have your baby's birth certificate ready and mention any childcare costs for your 3-year-old since that can also affect your benefit amount. The increase should be backdated to when you report the change, not when they finally process it, so don't delay! Good luck getting through to them.

This is such a stressful situation! I had something similar happen with my regular CalFresh card last year. One thing I learned is that you should also file a report with your local police department for mail theft - having that police report number can actually help speed up the replacement process when you call EBT customer service. The police might not be able to do much about it, but at least it creates an official record. Also, if you have any security cameras or neighbors with cameras that might have caught someone taking mail from your box, mention that to the police too. Mail theft is a federal crime so they do take it seriously even if it doesn't always lead to arrests. I hope you get this sorted out quickly - it's so unfair that people steal from families who need these benefits!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! As someone new to navigating P-EBT, this is exactly the kind of situation I worry about. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening - I had no idea there were so many steps you could take beyond just calling the customer service line. The tip about taking a screenshot of your Informed Delivery email is brilliant, and I never would have thought to file a police report for mail theft. It's really unfortunate that this seems to be such a common problem. I'm definitely going to be extra vigilant when my family's P-EBT card is supposed to arrive. Thank you for sharing your experience and I hope you get everything sorted out quickly!

Based on all the comments here, it seems there's no general extra benefit for October, but there are several possibilities for what your neighbor might be referring to. The most important takeaway is to make sure you're maximizing your regular benefits by reporting: 1. All allowable deductions (childcare, excess medical costs for elderly/disabled household members, child support payments) 2. Utility costs separate from rent (Standard Utility Allowance) 3. Any changes in housing costs 4. Accurate household size and income Also look into local resources that can supplement CalFresh: - Market Match programs at farmers markets - Food bank distributions - CalFresh Healthy Living workshops with incentives If you haven't had a comprehensive review of your case in a while, it's worth connecting with your worker to see if there's anything you're missing that could increase your regular benefit amount.

Just wanted to add - if you're having trouble getting through to your worker, you can also visit your local county office in person. I know it's a hassle with kids, but sometimes they can do a quick review right there and catch things you might have missed on your application. Also, if you have any medical expenses for yourself or your kids (even copays, prescriptions, or over-the-counter stuff a doctor recommended), make sure to report those too. Even small amounts can add up and potentially increase your benefits. Good luck getting this sorted out!

Based on everything you've shared, especially about changing from biweekly to weekly pay and the timing coinciding with your Medi-Cal update, I think we've identified some likely causes. Here's what I recommend doing: 1. Use Claimyr or keep trying to reach your caseworker 2. Ask specifically about your income calculation method in the system 3. Request they check if your payment frequency is correctly coded 4. Ask them to review any system notes from when you updated your Medi-Cal information 5. Request a written explanation of each benefit change If they can't resolve it immediately, follow the advice about requesting a state hearing. The good news is this sounds fixable, and you may be eligible for restored benefits once they correct the error.

I'm dealing with something similar but mine seems to happen around the same time each month rather than every 6 weeks. After reading through all these responses, I'm wondering if there's a widespread issue with how the system handles income calculations when people have non-standard pay schedules. @StormChaser - definitely try that Claimyr service that @Zainab Ibrahim mentioned. I've been meaning to try it myself since I can never get through either. Also, make sure to ask your caseworker to pull up your "income conversion method" in their system - that seems to be a key thing based on what @Miguel Castro said about weekly vs biweekly pay issues. One more thing - if you do get back benefits, they should include interest if the error was on their end. Don't let them shortchange you on that either!

Thank you for this clear explanation! I checked my transaction history and that's exactly what happened - my September benefits came at the end of August. I wish they would make this clearer when they do early deposits. At least now I know what to expect around holidays.

I'm new to CalFresh and this thread has been super helpful! I just want to add that if anyone else is confused about their deposits, you can also check your benefit letter or log into your county's online portal. Mine shows a calendar view of when my benefits will be deposited each month, which has been really useful for planning my grocery budget. Also, I learned that if you ever think there's an error with your deposit amount, you have to report it within 90 days or you might lose the right to get it corrected. Just thought that might be useful info for others navigating this system!