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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!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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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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Since you're in Alameda County, you should also check with Bay Area Community Services (BACS). They offer homelessness prevention services and might be able to provide emergency funds or connect you with resources before you reach the eviction point. Also, if you're facing potential eviction, contact Centro Legal de la Raza or Eviction Defense Center ASAP - they provide free legal help for tenants and can sometimes help negotiate payment plans with landlords. As others mentioned, while following up on your CalFresh application is important, it won't directly solve your housing issue since those benefits are specifically for food. That said, getting those food benefits approved will free up whatever money you do have for rent.
UPDATE: Called 211 and they referred me to Season of Sharing. Filled out their application yesterday and they said they'll get back to me within 3 days. Also contacted my landlord and explained the situation - surprisingly he was understanding and said as long as I can pay at least half the rent by the due date, he'll give me until the 15th for the rest. I also checked my CalFresh application status online and it says they're missing income verification from me. Going to upload my pay stubs today. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions!
Great news on multiple fronts! That's exactly why checking your application status is so important - those missing documents could have delayed your benefits for weeks more. Make sure you upload clear photos of ALL pages of your pay stubs, including the year-to-date totals. That's a common reason they reject verification documents. And remember to follow up in 2-3 business days if you don't see your application status change after uploading.
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Thanks for all the responses everyone! I feel a lot better knowing it's normal for the cards to arrive at different times. I'll just keep checking the mail for my 1-year-old's card. I activated my son's card yesterday and was surprised by the amount on it! For anyone else wondering, there was $391 loaded on it for summer 2024 benefits.
That's exactly the amount my kid got too! I think it's $120/month for June, July, and part of August. Did anyone get a different amount? I'm wondering if it's the same for all ages.
make sure u spend the money!!! they expire after like a year if u dont use them i think
That's partially correct. The P-EBT benefits won't expire for one year from the date they were issued. However, if the card remains inactive (never activated) for 274 days, it will be canceled. So make sure to at least activate the card within that timeframe, even if you don't use the benefits immediately.
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Dont forget you gotta spend the p-ebt within like a year i think or the benefits expire!!! My sister lost like $300 cuz she didnt know and just set the card aside
Oh wow, I had no idea they expire! Thanks for the heads up - definitely don't want to lose any benefits. I'll make sure we use them.
Just to clarify a common confusion - P-EBT benefits don't expire after a year of issuance like some think. It's 274 days of inactivity that triggers expiration. So as long as you use the card at least once every 9 months, your benefits will remain. And since your child was born in 2021, they'll qualify for the full school-year amount if they're in a qualifying program now. The P-EBT amount for 2025 was increased to $140/month from the previous $123/month to account for inflation in food costs.
Thank you for this correction! That's a relief about the expiration timeline. And good to know about the increase to $140/month - every bit helps with how expensive groceries have gotten.
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Update on my situation - I finally got through to FTB about my MCTC after using that Claimyr service I mentioned. Turns out they had sent my card to my old address even though I updated it with CalFresh months before. The rep said they can cancel that card and issue a new one to my current address, but it'll take 3-4 weeks. Just a heads up for anyone else dealing with this - make sure they have your current mailing address!
Thanks for the update! I'm definitely going to call tomorrow. Good to know they can reissue it if it went to my old place.
I want to clarify something important: If you're still actively receiving CalFresh benefits, make sure you're clear which office you need to contact. For regular CalFresh questions, contact your county office. For Middle Class Tax Refund questions, contact the Franchise Tax Board at 800-542-9332. These are completely separate programs with different contact points. Also, updating your address with one agency doesn't automatically update it with others - you need to notify each program separately about address changes.
That makes sense but it's frustrating they don't communicate with each other. I'll make sure to call FTB specifically about the MCTC. Appreciate all the help everyone!
Fatima Al-Rashid
Let me clarify the P-EBT vs. EBT Restaurant Meals Program confusion since there's some misinformation here: 1. P-EBT (Pandemic EBT) was created to help families with children who would normally receive free/reduced school meals. These benefits can ONLY be used at retailers that sell groceries. 2. Regular CalFresh EBT has the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) in certain counties, but ONLY for people who are: - 60 years or older - Disabled - Homeless - AND have an active CalFresh case 3. Even if you qualify for RMP with your regular EBT, your P-EBT card follows different rules and cannot be used at restaurants. 4. You can check your P-EBT balance and transaction history at www.ebt.ca.gov or by calling the number on the back of your card. The 2025 P-EBT benefits are specifically designed to supplement grocery purchases, not restaurant meals. Hope this helps!
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Toot-n-Mighty
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! This makes it very clear. I'll stick to using the P-EBT for groceries only and not try to use it at restaurants.
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Sofía Rodríguez
my kid got p-ebt 2 and its confusing cuz the card looks almost the same as my calfresh card!! but ya cant use it at mcdonalds or anywhere like that even tho they might have the ebt sign. i tried once at jack in box and it didnt work. wish they would make it more clear on the instuctions they send!!
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Aiden O'Connor
•You're right - they should make the instructions clearer! The cards do look very similar which creates a lot of confusion. The P-EBT information they mail out doesn't always explain the restaurant limitations very well.
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