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CalFresh EBT card skimming protection - EBTedge app vs. BenefitsCal for security?
Has anyone switched to using the EBTedge app for their CalFresh benefits? My neighbor told me her benefits got stolen last month ($875 gone overnight!) and I'm freaking out because I depend on my CalFresh to feed my kids. She said EBTedge lets you freeze your card when not shopping and change your PIN easily. I've been using the BenefitsCal app this whole time but apparently that doesn't have the same security features? Can someone explain how this EBTedge app works? Does it really protect your benefits better? I'm getting my next deposit in 3 days and terrified of losing it to scammers!
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Rumors about CalFresh benefits being cut in 2025 - will my family lose food assistance?
My neighbor just told me that shes heard CalFresh benefits are getting cut in a couple months bc of some budget thing?? We're a family of 4 (me, husband, and 2 kids) living on just my husbands income since I lost my job in December. We get $825/month right now which BARELY covers our food as it is with prices so high. My youngest has food allergies so we spend extra on special foods. I'm freaking out that they might reduce our benefits or take them away completely! Has anyone else heard about this? How much are they cutting and when? Will families like mine be affected or is it just for single people? Really scared about feeding my kids if they cut us off 😥
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im so stressed aobut this 2!! i rely on my EBT for my kids n if they cut it idk what ill do!! my friend said they might make work requirements stricter too for parents?? has anyone heard that??
Work requirements for CalFresh in California currently exempt parents with children under 6 years old, and there have been no announcements about changing this policy. There are always discussions at the federal level about SNAP policies, but any major changes would require legislation and advance notice. California also tends to implement the most flexible policies allowed under federal law to protect families with children.
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 haven't tried food banks before - always felt like they should be for people worse off than us. But maybe I should check them out as a backup. Do they ask for proof of income or anything?
Most food banks don't require income verification - they operate on the honor system! The one I go to just asks you to sign in with your name and how many people in your household. Some have different days for different zip codes but many are first-come-first-served. I was hesitant at first too but the volunteers are really kind and non-judgmental. With your son's food allergies, you might want to call ahead and ask if they ever get specialty items or if they can set aside allergen-free options. Worth checking out 211.org to find locations near you!
Why hasn't Bakersfield received P-EBT 2025 benefits while other counties have?
Anyone else in Bakersfield still waiting for their kids' P-EBT benefits to hit their cards? I've checked BenefitsCal and nothing's showing up, but I'm seeing all over Facebook that families in Sacramento and LA counties already got theirs last week! My neighbor's sister in Fresno got hers too. Is Kern County always the last to get these rollouts? My 3 kids qualify for free lunch at school so they should definitely be getting it. This is so frustrating when grocery prices are through the roof right now. Has anyone local actually received theirs yet?
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is p-ebt even still pandemic related? like covid is over why they still calling it that lol
They kept the name but it's evolved into a permanent summer feeding program. Congress authorized it to continue as Summer P-EBT in the 2025 budget since it was so effective at reducing child hunger. The pandemic might be over but food insecurity isn't, especially with these inflation rates.
Update: Just called the County office and they confirmed Bakersfield cards should start getting loaded next Tuesday! The lady said they're doing it alphabetically by last name, A-M first week and N-Z the following week. Thanks everyone for the help and information!
That's great news! Finally some concrete information. My last name starts with P so looks like I'll be waiting until the second week, but at least now I know when to expect it. Really appreciate you calling and sharing the update with everyone here!
P-EBT benefits missing - never received card after first round in 2020?
Hey CalFresh community, I'm totally confused about the P-EBT situation. I received a P-EBT card way back during the first round when everything started in 2020, but haven't gotten anything since then. My kids still qualify for free school meals, and I keep hearing other parents mention getting additional P-EBT benefits in the years after. Is there a way to check if I have benefits waiting somewhere or if I'm supposed to have received another card? My family could really use the extra food assistance right now with grocery prices being insane in 2025. Do I contact the school, CalFresh office, or is there a special P-EBT department? Any help would be super appreciated!
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Just wanted to share my experience - I was in a similar situation and found out that sometimes the P-EBT cards get delivered but stolen from mailboxes! After calling the hotline, they told me three cards had been issued to my address over the years. I filed a police report for mail theft and they were able to reissue all the cards with the benefits still intact. If you live in an apartment complex or area where mail theft is common, this might be worth looking into. Also, once you get your new cards, consider having them sent to a P.O. Box or asking a trusted neighbor to watch for the delivery. The cards look just like regular mail so thieves don't always know what they're taking, but it's still a huge hassle to deal with.
I'm going through something similar right now! My kids have been getting free school meals since 2020, but I only received that very first P-EBT card. I had no idea there were multiple rounds - this thread is eye-opening. Reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like there's a good chance I have benefits sitting somewhere too. I'm definitely going to try calling the P-EBT hotline tomorrow morning early like Julian suggested. Has anyone had luck getting through on certain days of the week? I'm wondering if there are better times to call to avoid those busy signals that Lauren mentioned. Also, should I call my school district first to make sure they have my current address, or is it better to start with the P-EBT hotline directly? Thanks for all the detailed info everyone - this community is amazing!
This is such great advice, Jordan! I'm definitely going to call my school district first thing Monday morning to verify my address. It's crazy how many people seem to have this same issue - makes me wonder if there's some systemic problem with how these cards are being distributed. I'm really hoping I can recover some of those missing benefits like Vanessa did. The grocery bills have been brutal lately, so even getting back benefits from 2022-2023 would be a huge help for my family. Thanks for the specific timing tips too - Tuesday morning at 8am it is!
This is such great advice about timing the calls! I also wanted to add that if you're still having trouble getting through to the P-EBT hotline even with good timing, you might want to try that Claimyr service that Jade mentioned earlier. I was skeptical at first, but after being hung up on for the 20th time, I gave it a try and they actually got me connected within a few hours. It was a lifesaver! Also, make sure when you do get through that you ask them to check ALL the different P-EBT periods - I almost missed asking about the summer 2023 benefits and would have left money on the table. The representative was really helpful once I got connected and walked me through each period to make sure we didn't miss anything.
CalFresh EBT website constantly in maintenance mode - anyone else locked out?
Is anyone else having problems accessing their CalFresh benefits through the EBT website? Every single time I've tried logging in for the past 3 days, I keep getting redirected to a maintenance page. My benefits were supposed to be loaded yesterday and I need to check my balance before grocery shopping tomorrow. My kids are on spring break and I promised them I'd make their favorite meals... Can't even call the EBT customer service because the line disconnects after 20 minutes on hold. Is this happening to everyone or just me? Getting really frustrated and worried the system is down statewide.
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I'm having the exact same problem! Been trying to access my EBT account for 4 days straight and keep getting that maintenance page. What's really frustrating is that there's no clear communication about when it will be fixed - first they said a few days, then the 15th, now the 17th? My family depends on these benefits and not being able to check our balance makes meal planning impossible. I tried calling the customer service line multiple times but either get disconnected or wait over an hour just to be told they can't help with website issues. This system really needs better communication and backup options for when the main site goes down. At least we're all in this together!
Lucas Lindsey
I got the app set up successfully! One question - will the county worker be able to tell me if I've been assigned an EBT card with chip? My card is pretty old and I'm wondering if I should request a new one that might have better security built in?
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Austin Leonard
California hasn't implemented chip cards for EBT yet, so even if you request a new card, it will still be a magnetic stripe card. The chip card rollout is planned but not expected until late 2025 or 2026 depending on funding. For now, using the EBTedge app with the freeze/unfreeze feature is your best security option. If your current card is damaged or worn though, it's still worth requesting a replacement.
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PixelPrincess
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!
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