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 post questions about your issues.
- 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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Lol my kids card had $300 on it right from the start but we're in Clovis district not Fresno maybe that's why?? Different areas get different amounts i think
ur so lucky!! fresno always gets the short end of the stick fr 😒 typical
The difference isn't about Clovis vs Fresno - it's about when your child's card was issued and which benefit periods it included. Some cards issued earlier in the cycle included retroactive benefits, which is why the initial amount was higher. The monthly ongoing amount should be similar for qualifying students regardless of district.
To summarize what others have said: - The $120 is just your first partial payment - Monthly reloads will happen automatically (typically $195-210 for Fresno elementary students) - No action needed except having activated the card initially - Benefit amounts are based on school participation in National School Lunch Program - Payment dates vary by the first letter of the student's name (I is usually around the 11th-13th of each month) You can call the P-EBT hotline at 877-328-9677 to confirm your specific details, but be prepared for long wait times. The information should also be in the material that came with the card.
Thank you! This is really helpful. I'll hang onto the card and watch for the reload around the 11th. Really appreciate everyone's help here!
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Just wanted to add - make sure you're ready for the interview part. They'll call you (sometimes from a blocked/unknown number) after you submit your application. If you miss the call, it can delay your benefits by WEEKS. Keep your phone with you at all times after applying.
They're required to schedule the interview with you in advance. If they didn't and just called randomly, you should file a complaint. I've gone through this three times and they always send me a letter or text with the interview date/time. But yes, absolutely answer that call when it comes!
Thank you everyone for the helpful info! Going to apply today through BenefitsCal. Sounds like we'll probably get around $600-750 which would be life-changing for our grocery budget honestly. Will make sure to document everything clearly and answer when they call for the interview!
Great decision! One last tip: after you're approved, you'll get a plastic EBT card that works like a debit card. Many farmers markets in San Diego County offer "Market Match" which doubles your CalFresh dollars (usually up to $10 per visit) when buying fresh fruits and vegetables. It's an amazing way to stretch your benefits and get healthy food.
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The P-EBT system IS pretty unfair. My sister gets CalFresh and her kids automatically got P-EBT cards with like $1,200 on them last year, while my kids who aren't on any benefits but still need food got nothing. And I'm paying the same taxes that fund these programs! I think they should either expand eligibility or create something for families just above the cutoff. There's so many working families struggling with food costs that get zero help.
You make a valid point about the "cliff effect" where families just above income limits get no assistance. This is actually a recognized problem in public benefits design. Some states have started implementing sliding scale benefits that gradually phase out rather than having a hard cutoff, but California hasn't fully adopted this approach for food assistance programs yet. It would make much more sense.
try the calfresh again! i got denied then my friend told me to apply again and tell them about all my bills and i got approved the 2nd time. make sure u tell them EVERYTHING u pay for
I'm definitely going to reapply with all this new information about deductions! Seems like there's a lot more to it than just reporting income. Really appreciate everyone's suggestions.
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Update: Just checked my EBT account this morning and the extra payment finally showed up! Got $71 extra. Seems like they're definitely rolling them out slowly over several days. Thanks everyone for confirming this was actually happening!
nice! glad u got it
Good to hear! I was about to suggest calling them if it didn't show up by next week.
I finally got through to someone at the county after waiting 1.5 hours on hold! They told me I didn't get the extra payment because we're already receiving the maximum benefit amount for our household size due to our very low income. So apparently if you're already at the max, you don't get the inflation adjustment. Just wanted to update in case anyone else was confused like me.
Oh that makes sense! Sorry you didn't get extra but good you're already getting the maximum amount! I think we got some because we're not at the max (my husband works part-time).
Arjun Kurti
I don't understand why they're replacing benefits on the cash side. That doesn't seem right to me. CalFresh and CalWORKs are totally different programs with different funding sources. Are you sure you weren't already getting cash benefits and just didn't realize it? You might want to double-check your eligibility letter to make sure you understand what benefits you're approved for. Also, not filing a police report was definitely a mistake. They usually require that for any theft claims. You got lucky they replaced it at all without one.
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Raúl Mora
•This is actually standard procedure in California. When CalFresh benefits are stolen and need to be replaced, counties often issue the replacement as a cash benefit because of limitations in the EBT system for backdating food benefits. It's an administrative workaround that most counties use, not an indication that OP is on CalWORKs. You're right that they technically should require a police report, but many counties have been waiving that requirement due to the dramatic increase in EBT theft over the past couple years.
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AaliyahAli
Hey, just wanted to follow up - were you able to use the cash benefits okay? Did anyone give you trouble at the store? I'm curious because my mom just had the same thing happen and she's worried stores won't accept it.
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