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my sister works for the county and she says they r SUPER behind right now cuz of staff shortages so thats probs why ur waiting so long
UPDATE: I went to the county office this morning and waited about 2 hours, but it was worth it! Turns out they had been trying to call me for an interview but the number in their system (not BenefitsCal) was wrong - they had transposed two digits. The worker did my interview right there and approved me on the spot since I had all my documents with me. She said my EBT card should arrive in 7-10 days and my benefits will be available as soon as I activate it! So relieved!
Wow, a wrong phone number in their system - that's so frustrating but I'm glad you got it sorted out! This is really helpful to know that their internal system can have different info than BenefitsCal. I'm dealing with a delayed application too and this gives me hope that going in person might be the way to go. Congrats on getting approved!
This is such an important lesson for everyone! The fact that their internal system had different contact info than what you verified in BenefitsCal is a perfect example of why going in person can be so much more effective than trying to navigate the phone system. Your story will definitely help other people who are stuck in similar situations. Glad you got your approval and won't have to stress about this anymore!
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This whole thread is so helpful! I'm new to CalFresh and had no idea about the address syncing issues between different systems. It's honestly shocking that this is such a common problem but they don't warn people about it upfront. Sadie, I'm really glad you were persistent and got it sorted out - that must have been so stressful going weeks without access to your benefits. The fact that you had to get transferred three times just to find someone who could actually help shows how broken the communication is within the system. Thanks for sharing your experience and the update - this is going to help so many people who face the same situation!
Yes, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm also pretty new to navigating CalFresh and had no clue about all these potential system issues. It's really concerning that something as basic as address syncing between databases is such a widespread problem. Three weeks without food benefits is absolutely unacceptable, especially for a family. I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference - so many good tips about verifying addresses across all systems, documenting everything, and knowing about same-day pickup options. Really hope Sadie's replacement card actually arrives Friday and she doesn't have to deal with any more delays!
This is such a perfect example of why the system needs major reform! I'm relatively new to this community but already seeing how these "glitches" disproportionately affect people who can least afford to go weeks without food benefits. The fact that Sadie had to become a detective just to figure out why her replacement card never arrived is absurd. It shouldn't take three transfers and multiple phone calls to discover that the address systems don't sync properly - that's a basic functionality issue that affects people's ability to eat! Really grateful for everyone sharing their experiences and workarounds here. This kind of peer support is invaluable when navigating such a broken system. Fingers crossed your rush delivery actually comes through Friday, Sadie!
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I'm experiencing this exact same problem with my two kids' PEBT cards that arrived this week! It's such a relief to find this thread and realize it's not just me. I've been calling the activation number obsessively for the past two days and getting that same "call back later" message every single time. My kids are asking when we can go buy groceries and I keep having to postpone our shopping trip. I'm definitely going to try Emily's workaround with the regular EBT customer service line tomorrow - that seems to be working for a lot of people here. It's frustrating that this happens every distribution cycle, but at least now I know it's a system capacity issue and not something wrong with my specific cards. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is so helpful during these stressful situations!
I just went through this same nightmare last month with my family's cards! The postponed grocery trips are the worst part - kids don't understand why we suddenly can't go shopping when we planned to. I ended up having to dip into my regular grocery budget while waiting for activation. Emily's workaround definitely seems to be the way to go based on everyone's success stories here. Also, pro tip: if you do get through to activate but then have trouble using the card at checkout, sometimes you need to wait a few hours for the system to fully sync. Don't panic if it gets declined on the first try! Hope you get yours sorted out soon.
I'm going through this exact same issue right now! Got my son's PEBT card yesterday and have been trying to activate it since this morning. Keep getting that frustrating "call back later" message no matter what time I call. It's such a relief to find this thread and realize it's a widespread system problem, not something wrong with my card specifically. I was starting to worry the card was defective or something. Definitely going to try Emily's workaround with the regular EBT customer service line - seems like that's been the most successful solution for people here. It's honestly crazy that this happens every single distribution cycle. You'd think after all these years they'd figure out how to handle the call volume better! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and the helpful tips. Makes this whole stressful process feel a lot less isolating.
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my sister moved from texas last year and got calfresh within 2 weeks! but she had all her paperwork ready and kept calling to check on status. just make sure u have ur ID, proof of income, and something showing ur new address in california. good luck with the move!!
Just wanted to add that if you're job hunting while transitioning to California, you can use a future job offer letter as income verification even if you haven't started working yet. I did this when I moved from Oregon last year - my new employer provided a letter stating my start date and salary, and the county accepted it for my CalFresh application. This can be really helpful if you're between jobs during the move. Also, if you have any medical conditions or disabilities, make sure to mention them during your interview as you might qualify for additional deductions that could increase your benefit amount.
CosmicCadet
UPDATE: I finally got through to a supervisor at my county office. Turns out the worker had entered my medical expenses in the wrong field in their system, so they weren't being counted in the calculation! The supervisor fixed it and recalculated my benefits on the spot. I now qualify for $281/month in CalFresh! She said I can withdraw my appeal since it's resolved. So relieved I don't have to go through with the hearing. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!
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Liam O'Connor
•That's fantastic news! I'm so glad you were persistent and got it resolved. This is exactly why it's so important to understand your rights and the rules. Make sure you keep all your medical receipts organized going forward, as they'll likely ask for verification again at your next recertification. Congrats on getting the benefits you deserve!
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Jasmine Hancock
Congratulations on getting it resolved! Your story is so helpful for others in similar situations. It's really telling that it was just a data entry error in their system - makes you wonder how many people get wrongly denied because of these kinds of mistakes. I'm dealing with a similar issue right now with my recertification and this gives me hope that persistence pays off. Did you have to provide any additional documentation to the supervisor, or were they able to see your medical expenses in the system once they looked in the right place?
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how helpful this thread has been. I'm currently dealing with a CalFresh application myself and reading about everyone's experiences is really eye-opening. @CosmicCadet, your situation sounds almost identical to what I'm going through - I'm also on SSDI and they initially said I made "too much" without considering my medical expenses. Did the supervisor ask you to bring in new paperwork or were they able to pull up what you had already submitted? I'm trying to figure out if I should gather more documentation before I call them. Thanks for sharing your success story - it gives me hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel!
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