California CalFresh
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What exactly is the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable incentive program? Confused about how it works
Just got my EBT card last week after waiting forever for my application to process. The worker mentioned something about a 'fruit and vegetable incentive' but didn't really explain it and I was too nervous to ask more questions. Has anyone used this? Does it mean I get extra money for buying produce? Is it automatic or do I need to sign up for something else? The CalFresh amount they gave me ($229 for just me) is already helping so much but I want to make sure I'm getting all the benefits available.
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P-EBT 4.0 benefits missing for middle schooler - anyone else still waiting?
It's been nearly 3 weeks since my neighbor got P-EBT 4.0 benefits for her elementary school kids, but my 7th grader's card hasn't been loaded yet. We qualified for free lunch all year and got the notice saying we'd receive benefits by end of April 2025, but nothing has shown up. I checked the balance yesterday—still zero. Called the P-EBT hotline twice but keep getting disconnected after 45 minutes of waiting. Has anyone with middle school kids experienced delays? Should I be contacting the school instead of the P-EBT line? Really counting on these funds for summer groceries.
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I work with a nonprofit that helps families access benefits. P-EBT 4.0 distribution for middle school students is scheduled April 20-May 15. If nothing arrives by May 20th, I'd recommend reaching out to your school district's nutrition services office first, as they can confirm if your child's eligibility information was correctly submitted. The state hotline is overwhelmed right now with so many families calling about the new distribution.
This is super helpful! I'll wait until May 20th before really worrying. Good tip about contacting the school district's nutrition services instead of the general P-EBT line.
I just checked the P-EBT website and they posted an update yesterday - there's apparently a processing delay specifically affecting 7th and 8th graders in some districts due to a data transfer issue. They say benefits will still be issued but may be delayed until late May for affected students. Might explain what's happening with your kid's benefits.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I couldn't find this update on the website. Really appreciate you letting us know about the data transfer issue. That makes me feel much better knowing it's a known problem they're working on.
EBT benefit theft with no claim number offered - anyone else experiencing this?
I just had the most frustrating experience trying to report stolen CalFresh benefits from my EBT card. Someone somehow drained $745 from my account last week at stores I've never been to. When I called the EBT customer service line today (waited 1.5 hours!), the rep told me they're 'out of claim numbers' for benefit theft and can't process any new claims right now! Has anyone else heard of this? How can they just be 'out of numbers'? My family is literally going hungry while they're giving me bureaucratic nonsense. The rep said to try again in a few days, but we need groceries NOW. Has anyone successfully reported benefit theft recently or found a workaround? This seems totally illegal to deny claims because they ran out of claim numbers!
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Just to give you some hope - I had benefits stolen last month ($875) and although it took almost 10 days to get the claim processed, they did eventually restore the full amount. The key was persistent follow-up and getting my county worker involved directly when the EBT customer service wasn't helping. The EBT card system really needs better security. Until then, remember to: 1. Change your PIN regularly 2. Check your balance frequently 3. Consider transferring benefits to your bank account if possible (though this has its own risks) 4. Never respond to texts/emails about your EBT benefits - they're all scams
10 days is a long time to wait when you have hungry kids, but I'm glad you eventually got your benefits back. I didn't know you could transfer benefits to a bank account - I'm going to look into that option too. Thanks for the security tips!
update?? did u get thru to anyone yet??
YES! Finally got through this morning. You guys were right - I called my county office directly instead of the EBT line and spoke to a real person after about 45 minutes on hold. They took my claim and said they're processing an emergency replacement that should be available within 3 days. They also said they've never heard of being "out of claim numbers" so that first rep was definitely giving me incorrect info. Thanks everyone for your help!
CalFresh benefits split between old and new county EBT cards - accidentally cut up old card!
Help!! I recently moved from Alameda to San Bernardino County and reported my change of address for CalFresh. I got my new EBT card from San Bernardino with my regular monthly benefits loaded, but I just realized that my supplemental benefits ($189 extra) are still being loaded onto my old Alameda County EBT card!! The problem is I cut up that old card thinking everything would transfer automatically! 😭 Has anyone dealt with this before? Can I get that money transferred to my new card somehow? Or did I just lose all those benefits by destroying the card? I'm freaking out because that extra money really helps feed my kids between paychecks. Should I call San Bernardino or Alameda county office about this?
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i think your cutting the card messed things up cause the system mighta tried to transfer everything but the card wasnt active no more???? anyone else think thats what happened?
That's not how it works. Cutting up the physical card doesn't deactivate the account. The benefits are tied to the account number, not the physical card. When you request a replacement, they simply send a new card that accesses the same account. The issue here is that there are two separate accounts (one for each county) rather than a complete transfer of benefits to the new county account.
UPDATE: I called the EBT customer service line and they're sending me a replacement for my old Alameda card! They said my supplemental benefits are still there (phew!!). They're mailing it to my new address and I should get it in 7-10 business days. I also called San Bernardino County and asked about the ICT form someone mentioned. The worker said they did submit it but these things can take time to process fully. She suggested I use up the benefits on both cards, and by next month everything should be consolidated on my new card. Thanks everyone for the help!!
Great news! Just make sure to keep both cards until you're 100% certain all benefits have been properly transferred. Sometimes even after they say it's complete, there can be one more deposit to the old card. Glad you got it sorted out!
Applied for CalFresh on 3rd with two toddlers - will they qualify for P-EBT benefits?
I just submitted my CalFresh application on March 3rd for myself and my two toddlers (ages 2 and 3). While filling out the application, I noticed something about P-EBT benefits for children. I'm new to the whole system and confused about what my kids qualify for. Will my toddlers automatically get P-EBT cards too since they're young children? Or is P-EBT only for school-aged kids? The application was already confusing enough and I couldn't find clear info about this. Anyone know how this works for 2025? Thanks!
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The fruit and vegetable benefit amounts vary by county and implementation phase. The full program rollout with $67/person isn't complete statewide yet. Some counties are still in phase one with lower amounts. The amount also depends on whether you're in the control or test group for the pilot program. It's supposed to be fully implemented by July 2025.
Zane Hernandez
be carful some markets say they do the program but then the machines are broke or the person doesn't know how to use it. happened to me twice now and i got all the way there with my kids just to be told "sorry not today". frustrating!!!
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Nora Brooks
This! I got to the market once and they ran out of tokens. Now I always go early in the day. Most programs have limited funding.
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Aurora St.Pierre
Just wanted to add some important details: The official name is California's CalFresh Healthy Nutrition Incentive Program (HNIP), which includes several initiatives like Market Match, California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP), and GusNIP. For 2025, the program has expanded to more retailers and the match amount has increased in some locations to $15-20. The key is that you need to use your EBT card to make eligible purchases, and the additional benefits are provided immediately during that transaction. These incentives don't count against your regular monthly CalFresh benefit amount and don't need to be reported as income on your SAR7 or recertification.
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Christopher Morgan
AuthorThis is exactly what I needed to know! Especially that it doesn't affect my regular benefits or count as income. I'll try it out this weekend at the farmers market.
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