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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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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!
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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.
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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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Sorry, didn't mean to ask something that gets asked all the time! I'm new to all this and my worker didn't really explain much when I got approved - just sent a letter with my benefit amount.
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The whole program is a scam to make us dependent on government handouts. They deliberately make it confusing so people give up applying. My sister works in a school and says half the cards never even reach families because they get lost in the mail or sent to old addresses. They should just increase regular CalFresh benefits instead of creating these complicated new programs every year that barely work.
P-EBT was actually created as an emergency program during COVID to ensure children who normally received meals at school could still access food when schools were closed. It's since been extended to help address ongoing food insecurity. The program has actually been quite successful overall, distributing over $2.2 billion in food assistance to California children in previous phases. The implementation certainly has room for improvement, but the program itself has helped millions of families put food on the table. For families who don't qualify for regular CalFresh (due to income limits), P-EBT is often their only food assistance option.
Update: I finally got through to someone helpful! Called the P-EBT specific number (877-328-9677) that was suggested here and after waiting about 45 minutes, I spoke with someone who actually knew what they were talking about. She confirmed my kids ARE in the system and eligible. The cards for our county are being mailed out next week! The three categories thing was just about how they're prioritizing card distribution. She also said to make sure our address is updated in both the school system AND on the ca.p-ebt.org portal. For anyone else dealing with this confusion, definitely use the P-EBT specific number instead of the regular CalFresh line. The regular CalFresh workers don't seem to have accurate info about P-EBT at all!
Great news! I'm so glad you got accurate information. This is exactly why I suggested the dedicated P-EBT line - they have direct access to the P-EBT database and actual training on the program. Regular CalFresh workers are only trained on SNAP/CalFresh benefits and often give incorrect information about P-EBT. Make sure to activate the cards as soon as you receive them. The benefits don't expire for at least a year, so you can use them gradually if needed.
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not to be off topic but how do i apply for p-ebt for my 3yr old? we get calfresh but nobody ever told us about p-ebt for little kids
You don't need to apply separately if you're already on CalFresh. However, your 3-year-old needs to be attending a childcare facility that participates in the federal food program (CACFP). Ask your childcare provider if they participate in this program. If they do, and you're on CalFresh, your child should automatically receive P-EBT when cards are distributed to your area.
Update: Called my daughter's Head Start program this morning and they confirmed they're still participating in the food program this year. The director said several other parents have been asking about P-EBT too, and she thinks the cards are just delayed. She suggested waiting until the end of May before following up with the county. Thanks everyone for your help!
That's great news! The Head Start director is giving you good advice. The P-EBT distribution windows are guidelines, and they often run a bit behind schedule. If you don't receive anything by early June, then it would be appropriate to follow up with the county. Glad you got some clarity!
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THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP US CONFUSED AND UNDERPAID!!! They intentionally make the process complicated so fewer people get the benefits they deserve. I had to fight for months to get my correct benefit amount after they 'lost' my verification documents THREE TIMES. And now they just cancel extra benefits with barely any notice???
for real!! so true. my friend had to submit her pay stubs like 5 times last year cuz they kept saying they never got them even tho she uploaded them online with confirmation numbers and everything
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at my county office! They confirmed what several of you said - the extra supplement ended in May. The worker actually was really helpful and went through all my expenses with me. Turns out I've been undercounting my housing and childcare costs. She said my regular benefits should increase by about $80/month after she processes the updated information, which doesn't completely replace the supplement but helps a lot. Thanks everyone for your advice!
That's great news! So glad you were able to get some of the benefit back through proper expense reporting. This is exactly why it's so important to report ALL qualifying expenses. For anyone else reading this thread, remember that even things like child support payments and certain educational expenses can count as deductions for CalFresh calculations.
Makayla Shoemaker
P-EBT is being sent out in LA county based on first name. My kids are K and P and havent gotten theres yet. Your A-name kid got it first cause of the alphabet. But your baby wont get one period since its only for school kids. Just to save you the worry of waiting!
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Savannah Vin
Thanks everyone for your help! I totally understand now - P-EBT is just for school kids who get free/reduced lunch, not for babies. We'll stick with WIC and regular CalFresh for the little one. Learning something new every day about these benefit programs! 👶🏻
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