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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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Thanks everyone for all this information! I'm definitely going to check out the Saturday market this weekend. One more question - does anyone know if the Market Match tokens expire? Like if I don't use them all in one visit can I save them for next time?
Great question about the tokens. At most markets, the Market Match tokens or vouchers are valid for that market day only, but some markets allow you to use them throughout the current market season. It varies by location, so definitely ask the market manager when you get them. Also, since you're new to CalFresh, remember you can use your regular EBT benefits at farmers markets too (not just the Market Match part). Some vendors sell bread, honey, plant starts for growing your own food, and even meat and eggs that you can buy with your regular CalFresh benefits.
lol everyone saying farmers market but nobody mentioned the ONE grocery store that does it... smart and final on march lane does a produce match on wednesdays only. its not as good as market match (only $5 match) but its something if u cant do weekends
THANK YOU!! I had no idea Smart & Final did this! That's actually much closer to me than the farmers market and I shop there sometimes anyway. Do you know if you need to sign up for it somehow or do they just automatically give the match when you use your EBT card on produce?
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this happened to my neighbor and they got their benefits back in like 3 weeks. make sure u dont use the same pin as before when u get ur new card! those thieves sometimes hit the same person twice
3 weeks sounds like forever when you have no food money :( But I'm glad to hear they eventually got it back. I'll definitely use a completely different PIN. Thanks for the tip!
Just to follow up on this thread with some important information: As of January 2025, California has enhanced protections for CalFresh recipients who experience benefit theft. The state now requires county offices to process theft claims within 7 business days. Additionally, if you're experiencing a food emergency while waiting, you can request an immediate emergency allotment (typically 25% of your monthly benefit) to help bridge the gap. Also, there's a new option to freeze/unfreeze your EBT card through the BenefitsCal app or website, which can help prevent unauthorized transactions when you're not actively using your card. If you believe your information was compromised at a specific retailer, include that in your police report as it helps with the broader investigation into skimming rings.
Thank you for this update! I just downloaded the BenefitsCal app and found the freeze option. That's going to be so helpful. I'm going to the county office tomorrow morning with all my paperwork to request the emergency allotment too. I really appreciate everyone's help - this community has been amazing during such a stressful time.
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I went thru this same confusion last year! Called my worker and they explained P-EBT was only for specific timeframes during the pandemic. Frustrating because the info online isn't always clear. But on the bright side, when I called, my worker reviewed my case and found I wasn't getting credit for my full rent payment which actually increased my regular CalFresh amount by $67/month! So sometimes these questions lead to finding other benefits you're missing out on.
That's encouraging to hear! I think I'll call and have them review our case too. We've had some changes in expenses I haven't updated them about, so maybe that could help increase our current benefits.
ACTUALLY my kids just got P-EBT cards in the mail like 2 weeks ago!!! But its money from like 2021-2022 that was super delayed. The worker told me they're still sending out old benefits but not approving new ones. So confusing!!!
yep thats what happened with my niece too. they just took forever to send the money from before
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Has anyone who already received their P-EBT 0.3 gotten the full amount? I'm worried they'll prorate it or something. My neighbor in Victorville (also San Bernardino County) said she only got half of what she expected last week.
That's concerning. I wonder if they're splitting the payments for some reason? I really hope not - we're counting on that money for our summer food budget with the kids home from school.
There have been some reports of split payments for P-EBT 0.3, but that's actually by design. For families with multiple eligible children, they sometimes split the issuance over two payment dates to prevent technical issues with large deposits. Your neighbor should receive the second half within 5-7 business days of the first payment. This is mentioned in the fine print of the notification letters.
One more important thing to note: If you've moved since your child's school last updated their records, or if your CalFresh address isn't current, you should call the P-EBT helpline at 877-328-9677 right away. The deadline to request address changes for this issuance is May 20th, 2025. After that, any misdirected cards or benefits might take significantly longer to resolve.
Thank you for this information! I checked my BenefitsCal account and our address is current, but I realized my daughter's school might have our old address. I'll contact them tomorrow to make sure everything matches up.
Taylor Chen
To answer your question about the specific form - it's called the "EBT-2259 - Statement of Facts for EBT Theft Claim." You can download it from the CDSS website or get it from your county office. Make sure to include as much detail as possible about where you last used your card and when you noticed the benefits were missing. Regarding store safety, there are a few things to watch for: - Inspect card readers for any loose components or anything that looks like it was attached - Cover the keypad when entering your PIN - Avoid stores that have had multiple reports of skimming (you can actually check this on the CDSS website) - Use the EBT Mobile app to freeze/unfreeze your card when not in use (new feature added in 2024) And yes, the new cards will be a standard blue design similar to bank debit cards, without the obvious California imagery or "EBT" displayed prominently. They'll still identify as "California SNAP" on the back in small print as required by federal regulations.
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Keith Davidson
•wait we can freeze our ebt cards now?? how do u do that? i didn't even know there was an app
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Samantha Howard
Thanks everyone for all this helpful information! I've learned so much from this thread. I downloaded the EBT Mobile app mentioned above and found the freeze feature - super easy to use. I'm going to start freezing my card between shopping trips. Also bookmarked the EBT-2259 form just in case. Still think it's ridiculous we have to wait until 2026 for basic security features that regular bank cards have had for years, but at least it's finally happening. Fingers crossed none of us have to deal with theft again before then!
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