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Important information for everyone concerned about this change: Your regular CalFresh benefit amount is based on your household size, income, and expenses. If your circumstances have changed since your last certification or SAR7 report, you should contact your county office immediately. Specifically, make sure they have accurate information about: - Your current rent/mortgage amount - Utility costs (you may qualify for the Standard Utility Allowance) - Childcare or dependent care expenses - Medical expenses over $35/month for elderly or disabled household members - Child support payments Each of these deductions can significantly increase your base benefit amount. Don't wait until your next SAR7 or recertification to report these changes if they'll help your benefit calculation.
Has anyone received an official letter from CalFresh about the exact date in March when the emergency allotments will be issued? Some counties seem to be doing it early March, others late March. I need to plan my budget very carefully with this change.
Just went through this headache last week! First, P-EBT and regular EBT are totally different systems even though the cards look similar. Update your address with: 1. Your child's school (most important) 2. P-EBT hotline (877-328-9677) When calling, I selected option 4 then option 2. Waited about 35 minutes. Definitely use the P-EBT card number when they ask, not your regular EBT. Also discovered that if you also have regular CalFresh, you need to update that address separately through your county office or BenefitsCal. The systems don't talk to each other which is so frustrating!
wat if u lost the pebt card? my kids got them last year but i think i threw them out cuz i didnt know wat they were lol
BE CAREFUL using ATMs!! Skimming is everywhere now. I recommend checking your EBT balance EVERY DAY through the app or website. That way you catch fraud immediately. As for your question, did you get a new card number after the skimming? If not, YOU NEED TO! Otherwise they can just steal your replacement benefits too.
can i ask how long it took u to get ur money back after filing the claim??? im on day 9 of waiting and customer service keeps saying "10-15 business days" but i cant pay my rent without that money!!
My county worker told me that u need to have submitted ur SAR7 on time to get the emergency allotment!!!!! I was late with mine last month and she said im not eligible. Has anyone else heard this??
That's not accurate information. The emergency allotment due to the flooding disaster declaration is available to all active CalFresh recipients regardless of reporting status. The only requirement is that you have an active case for the month of May 2025. Your worker might be confusing this with the regular CalFresh rules. If your case is active (even if you submitted your SAR7 late but it was processed), you should still receive the emergency allotment.
Dmitry Petrov
Just a tip - when you receive the replacement P-EBT card, immediately create an online account at connectebt.com to monitor activity. You can set up text alerts for transactions, check balances, and review transaction history. This way, if your card ever gets lost again, you'll know immediately if someone is using it. Also, don't forget to destroy the old card if you find it later, as it will no longer work and could create confusion.
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Liam McConnell
•Thank you for this advice! I didn't realize I could set up text alerts. That would definitely give me peace of mind. I'm going to set that up as soon as we get the replacement card.
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Liam McConnell
UPDATE: I called the P-EBT number (877-328-9677) and after about 45 minutes on hold, finally spoke to someone. They canceled the old card and are sending a replacement. They confirmed no one had used any benefits since I last used it three days ago. The new card should arrive in 7-10 business days. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Giovanni Rossi
•glad u got it sorted!! good thing nobody stole ur benefits!
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