my benifits just posted! check your accounts everyone! it was like 6 hours later than normal but they came through

Just wanted to jump in here since I've been dealing with CalFresh for about 4 years now. This type of system delay happens more often than it should, unfortunately. What I've learned is to always check both the BenefitsCal portal AND the EBT app/website because sometimes they show different information. Also, if you're really worried about running out of food before benefits hit, some food banks don't require you to wait for your benefits to run out completely - they understand that system delays happen. The Salvation Army and local churches often have emergency food assistance too. It's frustrating that we have to deal with these technical issues when families are depending on these benefits, but at least it sounds like this was just a temporary glitch and not a bigger problem with people's cases.

That's great news! Just a heads-up for everyone reading this thread - if you're struggling with internet costs after ACP ended, many providers have their own low-income internet programs. Comcast has Internet Essentials ($9.95/month), AT&T has Access ($10/month), and Spectrum has Internet Assist ($17.99/month). The speeds aren't amazing but they're better than nothing. You typically need to be on CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or SSI to qualify.

I'm so glad you got that sorted out with your caseworker! The miscommunication around utility allowances happens way too often. For anyone else dealing with similar confusion - it's always worth asking your caseworker to explain exactly HOW they're calculating your benefits. They should be able to walk you through which deductions you're getting and why. Also, if you're having trouble reaching your caseworker by phone, you can also try going to your local office in person early in the morning - sometimes that's faster than sitting on hold for hours!

UPDATE: I called this morning right when they opened and asked for a theft claims specialist (as suggested here). I specifically mentioned I needed an "urgent review based on household hardship with minor children" and got transferred to someone who actually seemed to know what they were talking about! She found my EBT-2259 form in the system, said it hadn't been processed yet, but that she would expedite it due to having children in the household. She said I should see the replacement benefits within 3 business days! I also applied for Emergency Expedited Services as a backup. Will update again when/if I get my benefits replaced. Thank you all for the advice!!!

That's amazing news! So glad you were able to get through to someone who actually knew what they were doing. The specific language really does make a difference - "urgent review based on household hardship with minor children" is way better than just saying it's an emergency. Fingers crossed you get your benefits back within those 3 days! And smart move applying for Emergency Expedited Services as backup too. Thanks for updating us - this thread is going to help so many people dealing with the same issue.

btw if ur really desperate and cant wait for bureaucracy check out the local churches too, they often have food pantries that dont ask questions or need appointments

I'm so glad you found that message in BenefitsCal! This is exactly why I always tell people to check every single section of that website - they hide important stuff in the weirdest places. Once you upload those pay stubs, your benefits should be restored pretty quickly, usually within 24-48 hours if it's just a verification issue. Make sure to keep copies of everything you upload and take screenshots showing the submission was successful. If your benefits don't get restored within a few days after uploading, that's when you'll want to call or visit in person to follow up. You've got this! And remember, if this was just missing documentation, you should be able to get those missed weeks of benefits restored once it's all sorted out.

For future reference, if your benefits are showing as 'pending' beyond your regular issuance date, you can also check BenefitsCal.com for any notices or tasks that might be waiting for you. They've improved the portal quite a bit in 2024-2025, and many notices that used to only go through postal mail now show up in your online account as well. This is especially useful for seeing if they need any verification documents from you.

This is really helpful information from everyone! I'm dealing with the same issue - my April benefits have been showing as pending since the 2nd. I'm in San Bernardino County and my normal issuance date is the 15th, so I'm not quite at my regular date yet, but seeing "pending" instead of just waiting for the normal deposit date made me nervous. It sounds like this is a system-wide processing delay rather than individual case issues. I'm glad to hear some people's benefits have already loaded - gives me hope mine will come through soon too. Does anyone know if different counties process at different speeds, or is this all handled at the state level?