Pay nothing until a live DSS agent is on the phone with you.
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No live agent, no charge.
$9.99 is charged only once a live DSS agent is on the phone with you.
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
Ask the community...
- 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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Lauren Wood
after i got my benefits stolen i started taking ALL my money out the DAY it hits my account!!! its the only way to be safe. my friend works at target and says they see the same people coming in with different ebt cards all the time buying expensive stuff. the system is broken!!!!!
Kylo Ren
•While I understand your concern, withdrawing all benefits immediately isn't necessarily the best approach. The EBT system creates a digital record of withdrawals that helps in fraud investigations. A better approach is to change your PIN frequently and check your balance regularly. Also, CalFresh food benefits can't be withdrawn as cash - they must be used for food purchases.
Dylan Baskin
Thanks everyone for all this information! I called my sister and told her about the 30-day reporting window and the documentation she needs. She's going to try that Claimyr service to get through to her worker today. I'm going to change my PIN right now and will start checking my balance every day. It's really scary to think both food and cash benefits can be stolen so easily. Hopefully the county will help her get at least some of it back. I really appreciate all your responses!
Kylo Ren
•You're welcome! One more tip: when you create your new PIN, avoid using sequential numbers (1234), repeated numbers (1111), or personal dates. Thieves often try these common PINs first. And remind your sister to request a new card entirely, not just a new PIN on her existing card.
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honestly im so tired of this garbage system. every single time i need to recertify its the same bs. impossible to reach anyone. documents mysteriously disappearing. getting different answers from different workers. my benefits got cut off TWICE last year despite me submitting everything on time. then i had to reapply from scratch and go 3 weeks without food assistance. the whole system is designed to make us give up.
Madison King
•EXACTLY!!! It feels intentional at this point! Like they WANT us to miss deadlines so they can cut our benefits and save money. My worker literally told me once "we're understaffed" as if that's MY problem when I can't feed my kids???
Caleb Stone
•While the system definitely has issues, I'd encourage you to request a specific eligibility worker to be assigned to your case. You can ask for this when you finally reach someone. Having the same person handle your case each time can eliminate many of these problems and give you a direct contact for future issues.
Ella Knight
For your specific situation with the mixed case numbers: When you call tomorrow, ask the worker to create a "Case Linkage Note" in the C-IV/CalSAWS system. This creates a permanent reference between your CalFresh and Medi-Cal cases so future workers can see they belong to the same household even though they have different case numbers. Also request an "Expedited Document Review" of your recertification materials given the system error. This puts your documents in a priority queue rather than the standard processing timeline. These specific requests can help prevent delays in getting your benefits reinstated.
These are EXACTLY the kind of specific terms I needed! The worker I spoke with today was helpful but didn't mention either of these options. I'm writing these down so I know exactly what to ask for tomorrow. Thank you!
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Emma Davis
UPDATE: My emergency allotment just posted today (the 21st)! It was 5 days late but finally showed up. For anyone else waiting, hang in there - looks like there really was just a delay.
Ravi Patel
•yay!!! that's great news! gonna check mine now!!
LunarLegend
•Mine came through too! Thanks for updating us!
Glad to hear your benefits came through! For future reference, if delays happen again, you can request an emergency replacement benefit if you're in a crisis situation. You'd need to submit a form stating you have less than 3 days of food available. The county is required to process these requests within 3 business days. Also, everyone should be aware that based on current legislation, emergency allotments are scheduled to end in June 2025, unless Congress extends them again. Start planning ahead for that possibility.
Emma Davis
•I had no idea about the emergency replacement option! And thanks for the heads up about June 2025. That's going to hit a lot of families hard if they don't extend it. My family relies on that extra amount to make it through the month.
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wait is this the same as regular calfresh ebt? my family gets benefits on the 10th of each month but my neighbors kid got a different card and she said it was some school thing??
No, they're actually different programs. Regular CalFresh EBT benefits come monthly on a schedule based on your case number. P-EBT is specifically for eligible schoolchildren during pandemic-related school closures or limited attendance. The cards look similar but P-EBT cards have the student's name (not the parent's) and are specifically for pandemic food benefits. You can have both programs if you qualify.
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I think I understand now - P-EBT isn't a regular monthly benefit but rather special payments for pandemic-related school disruptions. I'll keep the cards in case future payments are approved, but won't expect monthly reloads like I initially thought. Really appreciate all the clarification!
glad u got ur answer! the whole system is super confusing, ur definitely not the only one who thought they were monthly lol
Diez Ellis
wait wut?? u guys getting EXTRA calfresh cause of wildfires?? im in sacramento county and didnt hear anything about this. how do u qualify? and does any1 know if its coming to other counties? my benefits barely cover half the month with these crazy food prices nowadays 😩
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Jenna Sloan
•The wildfire emergency allotments are only for residents of the 7 counties with FEMA disaster declarations (Shasta, Lassen, Plumas, Butte, Tehama, Trinity, and Siskiyou counties). Sacramento County isn't included in this particular disaster relief program. However, if you're struggling with your current benefit amount, I'd recommend submitting a SAR7 or mid-period report if you've had any changes that might increase your benefits - like higher rent/utilities costs, decreased income, or additional household members.
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Christian Burns
Just wanted to update - my emergency allotment just posted to my account about 10 minutes ago (Monday 11:45pm). Looks like they're processing them late tonight. Maybe check your accounts again?
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Heather Tyson
•YES! Just checked and mine came through too! Thank you everyone for the help and saving me from a total panic. This group is amazing!
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