


Ask the community...
Update: I asked my sister who works for the school district, and she said the real issue is that they had a problem with the student database for certain schools in Riverside County. They had to manually verify some of the eligibility data, which affected certain last name ranges including R and N. She said all cards should be out by August 10th at the latest, and they're processing about 5,000 cards per day now to catch up.
Glad to hear you got through! For anyone else facing this issue, remember that under California regulations, the county office must provide \
wait is that true about good cause?? my benefits got cut off last year cuz they said i didnt turn in some form but i couldnt reach anyone to tell them i never got the form in the first place
Just got an update from a friend who works at DPSS - apparently the system issue affected people with case numbers ending in 3, 7, and 9 the most. They're processing those accounts manually now, so benefits should appear within 48 hours. Might be worth checking your case number to see if you fall in that group.
My case number ends in 7! That explains it then. Thanks so much for this info - gives me some hope it'll be resolved soon. Really appreciate you sharing this update.
Mine ends in 3!!! Thank you for this info!!!
UPDATE: My benefits just hit my account about an hour ago! For anyone else waiting, looks like they're working through the backlog. Check your balance if you haven't already today.
still waiting on mine 😑 typical LA county making some people wait longer than others
That's great news! Thanks for updating the thread - it helps others know the situation is being resolved. For anyone still waiting, the resources I mentioned earlier are still available if you need emergency food assistance.
Good for you for not giving up! Too many people would have just reapplied and lost those months of benefits. Did they mention anything about expedited service? Since he's elderly with low income he might qualify to get the benefits within 3 days instead of waiting.
They did mention expedited service! They said normally he would qualify, but since we're also getting the backdated benefits, they'll just process everything together. The worker said the EBT card should arrive within 7-10 days, and all the benefits (current and backdated) will be loaded at once. I'm so relieved!
This is a great outcome! Just a tip for the future - make sure your uncle keeps all his medical receipts throughout the year. When it's time for recertification (which will be in 36 months since he's on ESAP), having those medical expenses documented can significantly increase his benefit amount. The deduction threshold changes, but generally if he spends more than $35/month on medical costs, he can get a higher deduction which leads to more CalFresh benefits. Also, he'll only need to complete a simplified SAR7 form once a year instead of the full recertification. The ESAP program really does make things easier for seniors.
Thank you for this advice! I'm creating a file folder for him to keep all medical receipts organized. With his prescription costs and Medicare supplement, he's definitely over that $35 threshold. I'm learning so much about how to maximize his benefits appropriately. This forum has been incredibly helpful!
Ruby Knight
my auntie works for the county and she said they've been getting TONS of calls about this! they're super behind on sending notices bc of staffing issues. she said everyone keeps thinking its a mistake lol
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Diego Castillo
I'm still calling to confirm. Too many times the system screws up and WE pay the price. Last year they overpaid me by $120 and I didn't even realize it until they started taking money OUT of my benefits six months later! The whole system is designed to confuse us!!!
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Nina Chan
•It's always a good idea to verify if you're concerned. If you call, ask specifically about the "2025 Thrifty Food Plan adjustment" - using those exact words will help the worker understand what you're asking about. But the previous posters are correct that this is an expected adjustment being applied to all eligible households.
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