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CalFresh extra allotment missing in LA County for April 2025 - anyone else waiting?
Has anyone else in LA County not received their extra CalFresh allotment for this month? My regular benefits loaded on the 8th like normal, but I was expecting the additional emergency allotment that was announced for April. DPSS website says it was supposed to be issued between April 10-17 due to the recent wildfires, but my EBT balance is still showing just my regular amount. Called the EBT customer service number but got stuck in the automated system. Anyone else still waiting or know when LA County is actually distributing the extra benefits?
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Received EBT card but confused about uploading paystubs - already approved for CalFresh?
So I'm really confused about my CalFresh situation. We applied on June 12th and got interviewed by phone. The worker said they couldn't determine if we were approved yet and would mail us some verification forms. Here's the weird part - we never sent the forms back (life got crazy with my kid starting summer camp), but I just checked our mail yesterday and found an EBT card! We got $530 loaded on the card for our family of 3. I'm currently the only one working as my husband lost his job last month. The approval letter also mentioned something about my husband possibly qualifying for UIB (Unemployment Insurance Benefits?), but there was zero explanation about what that means or how to apply. Do I still need to upload my paystubs and send back those forms even though we already got approved and received benefits? The forms are asking the same questions they already asked during the interview. I don't want to mess up our benefits by not sending something important, but it seems redundant now that we have the card. Anyone dealt with this before?
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Dont trust them AT ALL!!! They did this to me too and then claimed I never submitted my docs even though I HAD PROOF i uploaded them!!! Take screenshots of EVERYTHING and write down the confirmation numbers when you upload. The system is designed to trip you up and cut benefits whenever possible.
thats so true! i always take pictures of everything i send them and screenshots of confirmation pages. better safe than sorry!!
That's really concerning... I'll definitely take screenshots of the confirmation pages. Is there a way to check if they actually received what I uploaded?
To directly answer your questions: 1. You should definitely submit the verification documents they requested, even though you received the EBT card. CalFresh regulations allow counties to issue benefits based on your statements during the interview, but they still need verification documents to continue your benefits beyond the first month or two. 2. The best way to submit your paystubs is through BenefitsCal.com - log in to your account, go to "My Benefits" and then you should see an option to "Submit Verification" or something similar. Upload clear photos or scans of your paystubs. 3. About the UIB mention - this is simply informational. The CalFresh worker noticed your husband is unemployed and is letting you know he might qualify for Unemployment Insurance Benefits. This is handled through EDD (Employment Development Department), not CalFresh. He can apply at edd.ca.gov if he lost his job through no fault of his own. 4. Your benefit amount of $530 for a family of 3 with one income seems in the expected range for 2025, especially if you have significant housing costs or childcare expenses that were reported during your interview. Make sure you keep track of your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) due date, which will be approximately 6 months from approval. This is absolutely critical to continue receiving benefits.
Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! I'll go submit everything through BenefitsCal right away. Do you know if there's a deadline for when these documents need to be submitted? The forms don't have any clear due date.
Generally, verification documents should be submitted within 10 days of the request. Since you already received benefits, I would submit them immediately to avoid any potential disruption. The county may have already set a deadline in their system that could result in a discontinuance notice if you don't submit soon. Better safe than sorry!
Lost my son's P-EBT card - need direct number to replace it ASAP?
Help!! My 8-year-old son's P-EBT card from last month is missing - I've turned the house upside down looking for it. I know there's regular EBT customer service but I've heard the P-EBT cards have a different department/process? Does anyone have the direct phone number to report and replace a missing P-EBT card? I'm worried someone might be using it since there's still about $450 on it for his school meals. Don't want to go through the general CalFresh line if there's a faster way. Thanks in advance for any help!!
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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.
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.
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!
glad u got it sorted!! good thing nobody stole ur benefits!
Last emergency CalFresh allotment coming March 2023 - how to budget after it ends?
Just heard that March 2023 will be the final month for emergency CalFresh allotments in California! My family has been getting the max amount ($1,116 for us) for so long that I'm not prepared to go back to our regular benefit of just $370/month. Has anyone received official notification about the exact date in March when these last emergency benefits will be loaded? And more importantly, how is everyone planning to manage once we're back to regular benefit amounts? I'm freaking out a bit because that's a $746 drop in our monthly food budget and inflation has made everything so expensive.
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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.
Thank you for this detailed information! I just checked my last approval letter and I don't think they included our childcare expenses in the calculation. I need to call them ASAP to get this fixed before the emergency allotments end.
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.
I got a letter last week that said mine would be issued on March 18th in Riverside County. But my sister in LA County was told March 25th. I think it depends on your case number and county. You should check your BenefitsCal account - sometimes they post notifications there before sending letters.
Confused about P-EBT address change process - which phone options to select?
I just moved last month and need to update my address for P-EBT benefits. I tried calling the number on the back of my card but got lost in the automated system. Can anyone tell me which options I need to press to change my P-EBT address? Also, when they ask for my card number, should I enter my regular EBT card number or the P-EBT card? I don't want my kids to miss out on the school benefits because mail is going to our old place. Thanks in advance for any help!
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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!
Thank you so much! I'll definitely update with the school first. I do have regular CalFresh too, so I'll make sure to update both systems. Appreciate everyone's help!
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
If you lost the P-EBT cards, call the same hotline (877-328-9677) but select the option for lost/stolen card instead. They'll ask for your children's information (name, DOB, school) to look up the accounts. They can issue replacement cards to your updated address.
Miguel Diaz
I'm so confused about all of this. I thought the extra CalFresh benefits ended after COVID? Is this something different? My family of 4 gets regular CalFresh but I haven't heard anything about extra money. Should I be looking for something extra on my card too? We're in Inglewood area...
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Dylan Wright
This is different from the pandemic emergency allotments that ended in 2023. This is specifically related to the recent wildfires in certain parts of LA County. If you're in Inglewood (90301-90312), you're not in the affected area for this particular disaster relief, so you wouldn't receive this additional benefit. The regular wildfire-related zip codes are primarily in the northeastern parts of LA County.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
update - mine just loaded this morning!!! check ur accounts everyone
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Giovanni Greco
AuthorJust checked and YES!!! Mine came through too! Extra $245 added to my balance. Such a relief - thanks everyone for the info and support!
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