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.

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.

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.

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.

One more tip about preventing future skimming: Always check card readers before inserting your EBT card. Look for loose parts, unusual colors/materials, or anything sticking out. Cover the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN, as thieves often use tiny cameras to capture PINs. Also, the new ebtEDGE app now lets you set up purchase alerts so you're notified immediately of any transactions. That way, you can freeze your card and report suspicious activity before your entire balance is drained.

just updating - my friend had this happen last month and she got her benefits back in like 6 days! way faster than when it happened to me last year. i think theyre getting better at handling these cases since its happening so much. just stay on them and keep calling!!

Happened 2 me twice last yr. The county gave me replacement $$ but took almost 2 weeks. Make sure u tell them u have no food so they mark it URGENT. also change where u shop, someone at that store might be stealing card #s

UPDATE: I finally got through to the county using the Claimyr service mentioned above. They took my fraud report, deactivated my old card, are sending a new one with expedited shipping, and put a note on my account about the fraud attempt. The worker also told me my recertification next month won't be affected at all. Just wanted to update everyone in case someone else has this problem!

To answer your question from earlier, Summer EBT is usually automatically provided if your children qualify for free/reduced school meals. The school should provide the information to the state, and then benefits are loaded onto a card (either your existing EBT card or a separate one).\n\nBased on all the replies here, you should:\n\n1. Call about expedited CalFresh benefits (using that call service someone mentioned to avoid the wait)\n2. Check with local churches and community organizations \n3. Make sure your school has your current information for any summer programs\n4. Call 211 to get connected to all available resources in your specific area\n\nHang in there - the first month is the hardest while waiting for benefits to start.

Thank you so much for this summary! I'm going to start with calling about expedited benefits tomorrow using that Claimyr service. I just checked and my county has a 211 website too so I'm looking through that now. It feels so overwhelming but this helps a lot to have steps to follow.