


Ask the community...
anyone know if theres emergency food banks that can help while waiting for calfresh to fix their mistakes??
Yes, call 211 in your area to find emergency food assistance. Many food banks offer same-day emergency food boxes specifically for families waiting for CalFresh issues to be resolved. Some even have special hours for families with children. Bring your CalFresh card or case number if you have it - some places prioritize CalFresh recipients who are experiencing benefit delays.
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone this morning! I used that Claimyr service one of you suggested and it worked great - only waited about 25 minutes instead of calling all day. Turns out there was a system glitch affecting people who recertified in April. The worker said about 200 cases in my county alone had the same issue! They fixed it on the spot and my benefits should load within 24 hours. The worker also gave me a direct extension to call if it doesn't show up tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. This community is amazing!
So happy you got it fixed!!! I'm going to try calling again tomorrow. Did they say anything about getting backpay for the days we had to wait extra?
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. Didn't want to spend the money but after trying for 3 days on my own, it was worth it to finally get an answer.
Just a tip - make sure you keep track of your P-EBT balance separately from your regular CalFresh EBT. The easiest way is to download the Connect EBT app (it's free) which lets you check balances on all your cards. That way you can plan which card to use for different shopping trips. I like to use up my P-EBT first since regular CalFresh benefits last longer before expiring.
I've had P-EBT for two years now and honestly they're WORSE than regular EBT cards. Last year they randomly deactivated my kids' cards without telling me and I was standing at the checkout with a cart full of groceries and no way to pay! So embarrassing! Then I had to wait 2 MONTHS for replacement cards. The whole system is a mess!
I'm sorry you had that experience! While the cards function the same at stores, you're right that the administration of P-EBT can sometimes be less seamless than regular CalFresh. For anyone reading this - always keep your original P-EBT card even if you use all the benefits, check your balance before shopping using the Connect EBT app or by calling, and if you do need a replacement, request it immediately as it can take several weeks to process.
Tate Jensen
Good news! I just checked my EBT balance and my benefits finally loaded tonight - about 12 hours late. Maybe check yours again? There might have been a system-wide delay affecting multiple accounts today.
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Collins Angel
OMG just checked and mine loaded too!! Thank you all so much for your help and suggestions. What a relief! I was literally in tears thinking about tomorrow. Now I can go grocery shopping first thing in the morning. I'm still going to try calling them to find out what happened so I don't panic next time.
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