Can't reach California CalFresh? Claimyr connects you to a live DSS agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the DSS
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the DSS drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
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!
Really made a difference
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.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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i think yr neighbors lying to u... there isnt any $10 extra that i know about... CalFresh always playing games with our benefits lol
The $10 emergency supplement is real, but it's only being distributed in certain counties that declared a state of emergency due to the coastal flooding (13 counties as of February 2025). It's also only for households that already receive the maximum benefit amount for their size. The California DSS website has the official announcement if you want to verify this information.
I had the EXACT same issue!!! I was so confused because my mom got the extra $10 but I didn't get anything. I spent TWO DAYS trying to get through to someone at the county office. When I finally talked to a worker, they explained that my mom gets the maximum benefit amount already (she's a household of 1 with very low income), but I don't get the maximum for my household size (I'm a household of 4). The worker said that if there's an emergency declaration in MY county, I'd actually get a bigger increase (like $200 more) to bring me up to the maximum. But since I'm in Riverside County, we don't have the emergency declaration active right now anyway. It's so confusing how CalFresh does these things without clearly explaining to everyone! They should send letters explaining who gets what and why.
That makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one confused by this! It's so frustrating when they implement these things without proper communication. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Just got off the phone with them! Used that Claimyr service someone suggested and got through in about 20 minutes instead of hours. Filed the claim and they said because the transactions were so obviously fraudulent (NY while I'm in CA), I should hear back within 10-15 business days. Fingers crossed! Also filled out the police report online and got a confirmation number to add to my claim.
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does anyone know if we get less benefits if we have money in savings? i deposited my tax refund last month (about $1200) and now im worried that made my benefits go down
CalFresh doesn't count your savings or bank account balances when determining eligibility or benefit amounts in most cases. Assets/resources are not counted for most households. Your benefits are primarily calculated based on income, household size, and allowable deductions. A tax refund also doesn't count as income for CalFresh purposes. So your deposit shouldn't have affected your benefits at all.
UPDATE: I finally got through to my county office this morning! Turns out there were TWO problems: 1. They miscalculated my income based on that one week I worked extra hours (they thought that was my regular pay) 2. Somehow my utility deduction got removed during my SAR7 processing The worker fixed both issues and said I should get the correct amount (plus back benefits for this month) within 10 days. She also updated my case notes to prevent this from happening again. For anyone else with suddenly lower benefits, definitely call and speak to a real person! The worker told me several people have had similar issues this month because of changes to their processing system.
see i TOLD everyone it was a system problem!!
HA! I knew it! ALWAYS CALL AND QUESTION THESE THINGS! They make "mistakes" constantly and most people just accept the lower amounts without fighting back. GOOD FOR YOU for advocating for yourself!!!
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I heard from my cousin in sacramento that they're gunna do somthing for the summer months only bc of kids being home from school needing more food. not sure if its true tho
That's likely referring to the Summer EBT program, which is different from emergency allotments. Summer EBT provides additional benefits for families with school-aged children who would normally receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year. It's a federal program that California does participate in. The benefit is typically $120 per eligible child for the summer period, loaded onto either your existing EBT card or a separate card.
UPDATE: I finally got through to a CalFresh worker this morning (after trying different times of day). They confirmed there are NO plans for emergency allotments in California for 2025. However, the worker was very helpful about the Medical Nutrition Deduction! She sent me the CF 31 form and explained exactly what documentation I need. Apparently, I can claim the price difference between regular foods and gluten-free alternatives as a medical expense. She did say I need to track these expenses for at least a month before submitting the form. Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions!
That's great news about the Medical Nutrition Deduction! One additional tip: create a simple spreadsheet showing the regular product price vs. gluten-free price for each item. This makes it much easier for the worker to quickly verify and approve the deduction amounts. And take photos of price tags in stores when possible - these can serve as additional evidence of the price differentials.
So glad you got through! When you track those expenses, don't forget to include EVERYTHING - gluten-free bread, pasta, flour, crackers, cereals, etc. It all adds up! And definitely save all receipts and take pictures like the other person suggested.
Nathaniel Mikhaylov
One more thing - make sure you're aware of your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). It should be listed on your approval notice. If your income ever goes above that amount, you have to report it within 10 days, even before your SAR7 is due. A lot of people miss this and end up with overpayments.
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Melody Miles
•I don't remember seeing anything about an IRT on my approval notice. I'll have to look for it when I get home. Is this another form I need to fill out?
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Eva St. Cyr
The IRT isn't a form - it's a specific income amount that's calculated for your household. If your monthly income ever exceeds that amount, you must report it within 10 days, even if it's not time for your SAR7 yet. It should be clearly stated on your approval notice, usually in bold or highlighted. For a household of 2 in 2025, it's typically around 130% of the Federal Poverty Level, which would be approximately $2,450/month. But your specific IRT might be different based on your situation.
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Melody Miles
•Got it, thank you! So even if I'm not due to submit my SAR7, if my income goes above whatever my IRT is, I need to report it right away. I'll definitely check my approval notice for that number.
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