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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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I've been using these programs for about a year now and wanted to share a few more resources that might help! The California Department of Social Services has a "Store Locator" tool on their website that's pretty up-to-date for 2025. You can search by zip code to find participating stores near you. Also, if you have kids in school, sometimes the school nutrition programs have partnerships with local stores - my daughter's school sent home a flyer last fall with a list of nearby participating markets. One thing I learned the hard way - some stores require you to buy a minimum amount (like $5) of produce before the matching kicks in, while others will match even $1 purchases. The farmers markets are usually more flexible about small purchases. Also, if you're shopping with kids, the matching programs work great for letting them pick out fruits they're excited to try since you're getting more bang for your buck! My kids love going to the farmers market now because they know they can choose extra treats like berries or stone fruits that would normally be too expensive.
This is so helpful! I didn't know about the store locator tool on the CA DSS website - that sounds way better than calling around to different stores. And the tip about school partnerships is really smart, I'll check if my kids' school has any info like that. The minimum purchase thing is good to know too, I would have been confused if I tried to buy just one apple and it didn't work! Really love the idea of letting kids pick out special fruits they normally can't afford - my 8-year-old has been asking about trying dragon fruit forever but it's always so expensive. This might be our chance! Thanks for sharing all these practical tips from your experience.
I'm new to CalFresh and just found out about these veggie programs - this thread is incredibly helpful! I had no idea there were so many different stores and markets that participate. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the farmers markets might be the most reliable option, even though I was initially worried about them being more expensive. The automatic matching at stores like Food 4 Less sounds really convenient too. One question - does anyone know if the program works for frozen California-grown vegetables too, or is it just fresh produce? Sometimes frozen is more practical with kids since it doesn't go bad as quickly. Also wondering if there are any apps that help track which stores near you participate, since it seems like the participating locations change pretty frequently. Thanks to everyone for sharing so much useful information!
Welcome to CalFresh! Great question about frozen veggies - from what I've experienced, most programs only cover fresh produce, but it varies by location. Some farmers markets have vendors who sell frozen items from their farms and those might qualify, but regular frozen vegetables from grocery stores usually don't since they're processed and may not be 100% CA-grown. You could always ask at the customer service desk when you shop! As for apps, I haven't found a good one that tracks participating stores, but I bookmark the CA DSS store locator page on my phone and check it before shopping trips. The farmers markets really are more reliable - don't worry about them being expensive since you're getting double the value anyway! Plus the produce is usually super fresh.
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As someone who's been through this exact situation, I want to echo what everyone else has said - report it NOW! I made the mistake of waiting a few months thinking I needed the divorce papers first, and ended up with a $400 overpayment that took forever to sort out. The county really doesn't care about your legal marital status, just who's actually buying and cooking food together. When I finally called, the worker was super understanding and just had me explain when we stopped sharing groceries. They sent me a simple form to fill out about our living arrangement and food situation - nothing invasive or complicated. The whole thing was resolved in about 10 days. Trust me, it's way less stressful to deal with this now than to worry about owing money back later. You're being smart by asking these questions upfront!
Wow, a $400 overpayment sounds like a nightmare to deal with on top of everything else going on during a separation! That's exactly what I was worried about happening if I waited too long. It's so helpful to hear from someone who learned the hard way - definitely motivates me to make that call tomorrow instead of putting it off any longer. The 10-day resolution timeframe you mentioned is really encouraging too. I keep being surprised by how straightforward everyone is saying this process actually is compared to what I was imagining. Thanks for sharing your experience, even the tough parts - it really helps to know what to avoid!
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread! As someone who's new to navigating CalFresh rules, this has been incredibly educational. The distinction between legal separation and CalFresh household separation based on food purchasing is something I never would have understood without reading all these real experiences. It's really reassuring to see how supportive this community is - people sharing their actual experiences, an eligibility worker taking time to provide official guidance, and everyone encouraging prompt reporting to avoid overpayments. This is exactly the kind of practical information that's so hard to find elsewhere. I'm bookmarking this thread in case I or anyone I know ever faces a similar situation. Thanks again to everyone for being so generous with your knowledge and experiences!
I completely agree - this thread has been such a valuable resource! As someone who's also relatively new to understanding CalFresh rules, I've learned so much just from reading everyone's real-world experiences. The fact that an actual eligibility worker jumped in to clarify the 10-day reporting rule and confirm that food purchasing arrangements matter more than legal marital status was incredibly helpful. It's amazing how this community comes together to share practical knowledge that you just can't find in official handbooks or websites. I'm definitely saving this thread too - the step-by-step advice about what information to have ready when calling, the reassurance that this is a common situation workers handle regularly, and all the tips about documentation make this so much less intimidating than it seemed at first. Thanks to everyone who took time to share their experiences and help others navigate this process!
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UPDATE: Finally got it working! Ended up having to call the county (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it actually got me through in about 25 minutes). The worker said my account was locked because of too many login attempts with the wrong password. She unlocked it and helped me set up a new password WITHOUT special characters. Reinstalled the app again and now it's working! Thanks everyone for your help. FYI my benefits did post correctly - the problem was just accessing them.
So glad it worked for you! Yeah the no special characters thing is weird - they should tell people that somewhere! Glad you got it figured out before grocery shopping day.
This is such a helpful thread! I'm bookmarking this for future reference since it sounds like these app issues are pretty common. Quick question - when you called using Claimyr, did they charge you anything for the service? I'm always skeptical of third-party services but if it actually works and gets you through faster, it might be worth it for situations like this where you really need access quickly.
Great question! I was wondering the same thing about third-party calling services. It's good to be cautious about these things, especially when dealing with government benefits. @2d28c942809c since you mentioned using Claimyr, could you share if there were any costs involved? Also curious if they required any personal information beyond what you'd normally give to the county office. Always want to make sure these services are legitimate before recommending them to others who might be in desperate situations like this.
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Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I'm going to accept the job and make sure I document all our expenses carefully on the next SAR7. I'll try calling the county to get a calculation with our specific situation, and if I can't get through, I might try that Claimyr service that @profile5 mentioned. Really appreciate all the advice!
Good luck with the new job! One last tip: keep ALL your pay stubs and receipts for rent and childcare. If you submit everything with your SAR7, they're more likely to process your case correctly the first time. And remember that if your income goes over the IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) listed on your last approval notice, you need to report that within 10 days, not wait for your next SAR7.
Just wanted to add that your health insurance premiums that are deducted from your paycheck DO count as a deduction for CalFresh purposes! This is often overlooked but can make a real difference in your net income calculation. Also, make sure to report any utilities you pay separately from rent - if you pay electric, gas, water, or trash separately, there's a standard utility allowance that gets added to your shelter deduction. With your rent at $2,200 plus utilities, you'll likely qualify for the maximum shelter deduction which could keep you eligible even with the higher income. Don't give up hope!
This is really good info about the health insurance premiums! I had no idea those counted as deductions. @LunarLegend do you know if dental and vision premiums that come out of my paycheck also count, or is it just medical? And for the utility allowance - we pay electricity and gas separately from rent but water/trash is included. Would that still qualify us for the standard utility allowance or do we need to pay all utilities separately?
Zachary Hughes
I'm so glad you posted this question because I was literally in the exact same boat last year! We bought our first house and I was convinced we wouldn't qualify for CalFresh anymore. Turns out homeownership has ZERO impact on eligibility - it's all about income and household size. What actually helped us was that our mortgage payment counted as a housing expense deduction, which meant we qualified for MORE benefits than when we were renting! For a family of 6, you could potentially get a really substantial amount of assistance. The application process was easier than I expected too - just make sure you have all your mortgage documents, utility bills, and income verification ready. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about needing help either. Buying a house is a huge financial commitment and using available resources to feed your kids while you adjust is just smart parenting. You've got this!
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Dmitry Sokolov
•Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's incredible how many people have been in this exact situation. I'm starting to realize that being "house poor" is way more common than I thought, especially with how expensive homes have gotten. The fact that our mortgage payment actually helps us qualify for MORE benefits instead of hurting us still blows my mind! I really appreciate everyone here being so supportive and not making me feel guilty about needing help. You're absolutely right that it's just smart parenting to use available resources to make sure our kids are fed while we adjust to these new expenses. This whole thread has completely changed my perspective and given me so much confidence going into the interview. Can't thank this community enough!
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Henrietta Beasley
I just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - when you go to your interview, don't be surprised if they ask about any equity you might have in the house. I was worried about this too, but the caseworker explained that home equity doesn't count against you for CalFresh eligibility. They're really only looking at your monthly cash flow - income vs expenses. With 4 kids and a new mortgage, you're exactly the kind of family this program is designed to help! Also, if you haven't already, you might want to check if your county has online document upload options. Some let you submit paperwork digitally before your interview which can speed things up. Wishing you and your family all the best - you're taking all the right steps to make sure your kids are fed while you get established in your new home!
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•This is such an important point about home equity not counting against you! I was actually worried they might look at our home's value and think we had too many assets, but it makes perfect sense that they focus on monthly cash flow instead. That's really what matters when you're trying to feed your family day-to-day. I'll definitely check if our county has online document upload - that sounds like it could save a lot of time. Thank you for mentioning this! It's amazing how many details there are to this process that I never would have known about without this community sharing their experiences. Every bit of practical advice helps so much right now.
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