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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
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Update: Thank you all for your responses! I showed this thread to my godmother, and while she still insists "they used to do it back in the day," she's now convinced it won't happen with my application. I think I've calmed her fears enough that she's not going to kick me out, lol. My phone interview is scheduled for next week, so hopefully everything goes smoothly from here!
Glad to hear it worked out! Good luck with your interview. Just be honest about your situation, have your verification documents ready, and you should be fine. The CalFresh workers are generally pretty helpful.
Great to hear you got it sorted out! Your godmother probably was remembering something real from decades ago - the old welfare system was much more intrusive back then. But today's CalFresh is totally different. For your phone interview, just have your ID, proof of where you're staying (maybe a letter from your godmother), and any income documentation ready. Since you're new to California, they might ask about your move from Tennessee, but that's totally normal. The fact that you properly closed your SNAP case in TN before applying in CA shows you're doing everything right. Hope your interview goes smoothly and you get approved quickly!
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So glad you got it figured out! The system errors happen way too often. Did they say anything about giving you an extra month of benefits since they messed up so bad? sometimes they do that if you ask
No, they didn't mention anything about extra benefits as compensation. Should I call back and ask about that? I wasn't sure if that was something they even did. The stress of not knowing how I'd buy groceries when we get back home was pretty intense.
You can definitely ask about supplemental benefits for the administrative delay! It's called "restorative payments" or "replacement benefits" and they're supposed to provide them when their error causes you to miss benefits you were entitled to. Document the stress and any additional costs you incurred (like having to buy expensive convenience store food, etc). Some counties are more willing to approve these than others, but it's worth asking since this was clearly their system error, not anything you did wrong.
Absolutely ask about it! When I had a similar system error delay last year, I had to specifically request the supplemental benefits but they did approve them. They gave me an extra $200 to cover what I had to spend on more expensive food during the gap. The key is to mention that their error caused you financial hardship - especially with having a young child to feed. Don't let them brush you off, this is a legitimate entitlement when it's their mistake!
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just curious did both ur cards come in the same envelope or separate ones? my kids got theirs in different envelopes but on same day
They came in separate envelopes about 3 days apart. Each envelope had the normal card plus what seems like a duplicate. Very strange.
I had this exact same issue last month! My 7-year-old got two Summer EBT cards with $120 each. I called the P-EBT hotline (it took forever to get through) and they confirmed it was a system error. They deactivated one card and told me to destroy it. The rep said this happens when kids are in the system multiple times due to school changes or data entry errors. Definitely call - they were really helpful once I got through, and now I don't have to worry about getting hit with an overpayment later.
Thanks for sharing your experience! It's reassuring to hear that the hotline was helpful once you got through. How long did it take you to reach someone? I'm planning to call tomorrow but want to set aside enough time.
It took me about 2.5 hours of calling repeatedly before I got through - I had to redial probably 50+ times. The system kept saying "all circuits are busy" and hanging up. I finally got through around 2 PM on a Wednesday. Once I was in the queue, it was another 45 minutes on hold, but the representative was very knowledgeable and resolved everything quickly. Definitely set aside a whole morning or afternoon if you can!
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Just wanted to add that if you're still waiting, don't panic! I got mine about 2 weeks after my sister got hers and we live in the same zip code. The distribution really is random within each phase. Also, for anyone who's cards might get lost or stolen, you can report them through the EBT customer service line and they'll send replacements. Had to do this last year when my daughter's card never showed up - turns out our mail carrier was having issues. The replacement came within about 10 days. Hang in there everyone!
Thanks for sharing that! It's really reassuring to know the distribution timing can vary so much even within the same area. Good to know about the replacement process too - I never thought about what happens if they get lost in the mail. These days with package theft being so common, it's probably more of an issue than people realize. Definitely going to keep checking my mail carefully for those plain white envelopes everyone's mentioning!
Been following this thread anxiously since I'm in the same boat! Got 2 kids in elementary and we qualify for free lunch but haven't seen our cards yet. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - especially the tip about the plain white envelopes. I've probably been tossing mail thinking it was spam! Going to start checking everything more carefully now. Also good to know about Claimyr if I need to call the hotline. The waiting is so stressful when you're budgeting tight and counting on this help. Thanks for keeping us all updated!
GalaxyGlider
Since no one has mentioned it yet - if you need to check your balance but don't want to use an app, you can always call the number on the back of your EBT card (877-328-9677). I know you mentioned preferring not to call, but it's good to know the option exists if your phone is having issues or you're somewhere without good internet. Just another option to have in your back pocket!
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Andre Rousseau
•that phone system is such a pain tho. takes forever to get thru all the prompts. the app is waaaaay faster
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Amy Fleming
Welcome to CalFresh! I've been using it for about 6 months now and wanted to add a few tips that helped me when I was starting out. Definitely get the Providers app like everyone mentioned - it's been a lifesaver. One thing I wish I'd known earlier: many grocery stores have special sections or sales for EBT users, but they don't always advertise it well. At my local Ralph's they have a discount produce section that's perfect for stretching your benefits further. Also, if you shop at stores like Whole Foods or Sprouts, they sometimes have "EBT eligible" tags on sale items which makes it easier to spot good deals. Oh, and don't be shy about asking store employees if you're unsure whether something is EBT eligible - most of them are pretty helpful about it. The cashiers usually know right away if an item won't go through. Good luck with everything!
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