Can't reach California CalFresh? Claimyr connects you to a live DSS agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
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
If I could give 10 stars I would
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!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
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!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
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.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
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!
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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im still confused about the different between calfresh and calworks. do we need to protect both the same way?? my worker keeps saying i need to do recertification for my calfresh but i thought i was on calworks??? are they the same thing???
They're different programs but both use the same EBT card. CalFresh is for food only (formerly called food stamps) while CalWORKs provides cash aid. You can be on both programs simultaneously. The same theft protection methods apply to both since they use the same EBT system. You would need to recertify for each program you're enrolled in, but the timing might be different. Check your BenefitsCal account - it should show which programs you're currently on and when recertification is due for each one.
Thanks everyone for all these helpful tips! I've made a protection plan based on your advice: 1. I'll change my PIN the night before deposit day each month 2. I called the county today (finally got through!) and requested an authorized user card for my mom 3. I'll transfer most benefits to her card when they deposit 4. I enrolled in text alerts for all transactions 5. I requested a completely new card with new number to start fresh 6. I saved the theft claim form information just in case I feel so much better knowing I have options if something happens. This community is amazing! ❤️
Great plan! One more tip: when you transfer benefits to your mom's card, do it in smaller chunks over a few days rather than all at once. I've heard of sophisticated thieves monitoring accounts and waiting until right after large deposits or transfers to strike. Spreading it out makes it harder for them to get everything at once.
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my sister lives in oregon and says they get $1200 per kid there for p-ebt!!! why are california amounts so much lower???
That information isn't accurate. Oregon's P-EBT benefit for 2025 is $463 per eligible child, which is actually slightly lower than California's $490. Each state has different rates based on their specific school closures and participation data from previous years. The benefit amounts are calculated at the federal level, not by individual states.
I just got my kids' P-EBT cards yesterday! (We're in Alameda County). They are definitely light blue like someone mentioned. Each card has $490 on it. You need the kid's date of birth and the zip code on file to activate. Just FYI they took about 3 weeks to arrive after I got the text notification.
Thanks for the update! We're in San Diego County so hopefully ours are coming soon. Good to know about needing DOB and zip code for activation.
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Update us on what happens! Also, make sure to document everything - write down who you speak with, case numbers for any service requests, and confirmation numbers. This will help if you need to escalate the issue. In my experience, payment issues are usually resolved within 3-10 business days once you get in touch with the right person.
I finally got through using that Claimyr service! Turns out my direct deposit form had errors - they entered my account number wrong. The worker said they'll reissue the payment within 3 business days. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the help.
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Update: I went to the police station today and filed a report. The officer actually said they've had several similar reports recently and they think there's an organized group targeting EBT cards in our county! He said to definitely appeal with the county and gave me a copy of the police report to bring with me. I also called EBT customer service and enabled the card lockdown feature that someone suggested here. The representative also helped me check for any authorized users (there weren't any) and set up text alerts for all transactions. I have an appointment with a supervisor at the county office tomorrow. Feeling a little more hopeful but still stressed about feeding my kids this month. Thanks everyone for the support and advice!
You're doing everything right! Bring that police report to your appointment tomorrow and specifically mention that the officer confirmed multiple similar cases in your area. That's crucial evidence that you're part of a targeted fraud pattern, not just experiencing random theft. Make sure to use the phrase "systematic fraud targeting" when you speak with the supervisor - it helps frame this as a larger issue that deserves special consideration beyond the standard three-strikes policy.
One other suggestion - when you get your next replacement card, immediately set up the BenefitsCal mobile app if you haven't already. The newest version has a feature where you can temporarily "freeze" your card between uses. It's not perfect protection, but it's another layer of security. You just unfreeze it right before shopping and freeze it again right after. Also, only use the card inside major grocery stores at the register, not at outdoor terminals or ATMs. And if you do social media, make sure you're not accidentally posting photos that show your card or shopping receipts (which sometimes have partial card numbers).
That freeze feature sounds amazing! I already have the BenefitsCal app but didn't know about that function. I'll definitely set that up on my new card. And good point about receipts - I never thought about that. I do sometimes post meal photos so I'll be more careful. Thank you for all these suggestions!
Amara Okafor
The EBT 4.0 rollout has been a mess. My household received our cards weeks apart despite having the same last name and address. The worst part is that the notification letters arrived AFTER the cards for half my family. For anyone still waiting, make sure your address is updated on BenefitsCal and check if you've completed your latest SAR7 or recertification. Sometimes they hold new cards if your case has any pending issues.
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Miguel Hernández
•Good point about the SAR7! I just submitted mine last month and it was processed. Hopefully that means there won't be any issues with my card delivery. Did everyone in your household have to activate their cards separately?
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Yuki Tanaka
One more thing to add - I've seen a few cases where the EBT 4.0 cards were sent to old addresses even though people had updated their info on BenefitsCal. If you've moved in the past year, it might be worth confirming your address directly with the county office. The EBT vendor and county systems don't always sync properly.
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CaptainAwesome
•EXACTLY what happened to me! They sent it to my old address despite me updating my info MONTHS ago. Had to request a replacement and now waiting AGAIN. The whole system is broken!!
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