my neighbor gets almost $800 for her and her 2 kids but she doesnt work at all so thats probably y yours is less. my amount changes all the time depending on how many hours i get at my job. some months i get $600 sometimes $500 its so annoying to predict

After reading through everything, it sounds like you might qualify for more benefits if they include your childcare expenses. The $200/week after-school program ($800/month) is definitely a deductible expense that would lower your countable income. Just remember that when you call tomorrow: 1. Be prepared with documentation of the childcare costs 2. Ask for a detailed breakdown of how they calculated your benefit 3. If they did miss the childcare expense, request a benefit adjustment going back to your application date 4. If you have any receipt or proof you mentioned the childcare during your interview, have that ready Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

btw make sure u activate it RIGHT AWAY!! my neighbor waited like 2 weeks and then couldnt remember what PIN they chose when setting it up...huge hassle to reset it

Update: My 12-year-old's P-EBT card finally came in the mail today! Both kids got the same amount ($958). Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance that I just needed to be patient. For anyone else waiting, they really are sending them in batches even within the same household.

anybody know if theres a way to get more calfresh? i got 3 kids and $640 a month doesnt even last 3 weeks with how expensive everything is now

I still CANNOT believe they ended these benefits when inflation is this bad! My grocery bill has nearly DOUBLED since 2020 but my benefits went back to the pre-pandemic amount!! The government doesn't care if people go hungry!! Does anyone know if there's a petition or something we can sign to bring back the emergency allotments??

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - since she's had her ID stolen/kept by the ex-boyfriend, she should also ask about the CalFresh Identification Verification process. They can use alternative methods to verify her identity, including:\n\n- School records (if she can contact her school)\n- Prior benefit history if she was ever on benefits with your mother\n- Birth certificate requests (the county can help with this)\n- Collateral contacts (people who can verify who she is)\n\nThe county is required to help with this process. Don't let them turn her away just because she lacks ID. And if she's having trouble getting through to anyone on the phone, definitely try the Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier - getting a real person on the phone makes all the difference with these situations.

This is excellent advice. I'd also add that she should request an emergency replacement EBT card if she previously had one that the boyfriend is keeping. DPSS can cancel the old card and issue a new one on the spot at some offices.

I work as a benefits counselor (not for the county), and I'm seeing this issue CONSTANTLY in 2025. The reality is that county offices lost a lot of staff after COVID and never fully recovered. That said, you still have rights. Here's what you should do: 1. Request expedited service if your household income is very low compared to your rent/utilities (sounds like you qualify) 2. Call the county AND submit a message through BenefitsCal specifying that you're facing a food emergency 3. If no response in 2 business days, contact your county Board of Supervisors office 4. You can also file a formal Civil Rights complaint if you believe the delay is discriminatory in any way Remember that when your benefits are eventually approved, they should be backdated to your application date. Make sure they don't just start from the approval date.

Quick update? Did you get anywhere with this? I'm curious because I'm having the exact same issue but with Alameda County and wondering if any of these strategies actually worked for you.