Update for everyone: I just got off the phone with a supervisor at LA County DPSS (used the Claimyr service to get through). She confirmed the 2-theft policy but said they ARE making exceptions for people with children, seniors, and disabled individuals. You have to specifically request a \

THANK YOU for this update! I'm going to try this hardship review right away. I have 2 kids under 10 so hopefully that helps my case. I wish they'd implement that text verification system NOW instead of making us wait another year+ while our benefits keep getting stolen.

btw if ur worried about making food last til next month check out ur local food bank. the one near me gives out really good produce on tuesdays and thursdays. definitely helps when im low at the end of the month

To answer your follow-up question about updating expenses: Yes, reporting your increased rent and medical expenses could potentially increase your benefit amount. Medical expenses over $35/month for elderly or disabled household members can be deducted, and housing costs are a major factor in benefit calculations. You can submit this information to your county office even between regular reporting periods if the changes would increase your benefits. Use the "Report of Change" form (some counties call it "Change Report Form" or "CW 377.5") to document these expenses and include copies of receipts or bills as verification. This can be done through BenefitsCal online or by mail/fax to your county office.

oh also they mite get rlly small benefits if they get SSI. my grandpa only got like $27 a month on EBT cuz his SSI was too high or somethin. still worth it tho

Update: Thanks everyone for your help! We ended up going to BenefitsCal.com and started the application together. We got about halfway through but then realized we needed more documentation than we had on hand (they couldn't find their most recent Social Security award letters). Going to finish it tomorrow after gathering everything. The website was actually pretty user-friendly! I'm helping them navigate it, but the questions are straightforward. Much better than I expected. Will update again once we finish the process in case it helps others with elderly family members.

Our elementary school sent home a flyer about this last week. The Jan-May 2023 P-EBT is scheduled for distribution in March-April 2025, and benefits will be loaded onto existing 3.0 cards. For anyone who lost their card, you can request a replacement at 877-328-9677. Just a heads up - the replacement takes 7-10 business days, so if you need a new card, request it now before the benefits are loaded. Hope this helps!

wait so this is different from calfresh right? i get regular ebt but my kids still got pebt cards during covid. will they still get this benefit even tho our income went up and we dont get calfresh anymore?

$70 actually sounds high for that income level tbh. My husband makes about $3300 and we only get $42 for our family of 3 🙃 It's basically pointless but I keep it anyway because every bit helps I guess

After reading through the comments, it sounds like you have several action items: 1. Call your county worker to report your medical expenses (both yours and potentially your baby's) 2. Clarify how your boyfriend's overtime is being calculated 3. Make sure all your housing costs are properly documented 4. Continue with your WIC application for additional support When reporting medical expenses, bring documentation if possible. This includes receipts for: - Doctor visit copays - Prescription costs - Medical transportation expenses - Health insurance premiums you pay out of pocket - Medical equipment or supplies All of these can count toward your medical expense deduction if they exceed $35/month. With your HHT condition, I suspect your actual benefit could be considerably higher once everything is properly documented.