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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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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.
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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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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.
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?
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.
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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For anyone following this thread with similar questions: 1. Regular CalFresh benefits and P-EBT are completely separate programs with separate funding sources and eligibility requirements. 2. P-EBT cards must be activated by calling the number on the back of the card (not the regular EBT customer service line). 3. If you've been discontinued from CalFresh but still have a balance, those funds remain available to you until spent or until they expire (typically 365 days from issuance). 4. If your P-EBT card says it's "blocked," this almost always means it needs activation, not that you can't access the benefits. 5. For current P-EBT programs in 2025, eligibility is now determined through school meal eligibility data, not CalFresh participation. Hope this helps clear up confusion for others!
Quick question - my niece got a P-EBT card but doesn't get free lunches at school (we make too much). Is this a mistake or is there some other reason she'd qualify?
UPDATE: Both cards worked at the store! I'm so relieved. I was able to buy groceries with both my remaining CalFresh balance and the new P-EBT card after activating it. Thank you everyone for your help. This forum has been way more helpful than any of the official government websites or phone lines!
awesome!! glad it worked out for u! ya this place is super helpful ive learned so much more here than from my caseworker lol
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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!
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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.
Abigail Patel
I called my kids school today and they said not all P-EBT cards are being sent at the same time. Apparently they're rolling them out over a 4-6 week period and prioritizing by school district. so if u haven't gotten yours yet, that might be why
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Caleb Bell
•This is correct. The California Department of Social Services has stated they're distributing the 2025 P-EBT cards in phases. If you had P-EBT previously, the new benefits should be loaded onto your existing card. If this is your first time, new cards are being mailed on a rolling basis. You can check your status at the BenefitsCal portal or by calling the P-EBT helpline at 877-328-9677, though wait times are extremely long right now.
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Sydney Torres
Just a quick tip for everyone new to P-EBT: these benefits work a lot like CalFresh but have a few key differences: 1) P-EBT benefits last for 9 months from the issue date before they expire (CalFresh is 12 months) 2) You can use P-EBT at the same stores that accept CalFresh/EBT 3) P-EBT is specifically for households with children who would normally receive free/reduced school meals 4) Unlike regular CalFresh, you don't need to submit any SAR7 reports or recertification for P-EBT 5) P-EBT doesn't count against public charge rules for immigration Hope this helps!
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Alfredo Lugo
•This is so helpful! I had no idea the benefits expired after 9 months - definitely good to know. And I was worried we might need to do some kind of reporting like with other benefits. Huge relief that we don't have to deal with that paperwork!
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