Can't reach California CalFresh? Claimyr connects you to a live DSS agent in minutes.
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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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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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update????? did your benefits show up?
Yes!!! They finally showed up this morning! Took exactly 6 days after activation. Thanks everyone for your help!
My friend had the same problem but she had to contact her worker because her benefits NEVER transferred. Turns out they had some kind of system glitch that affected people who got their cards the same week as the quarterly maintenance or something. Just mentioning this in case anyone else reading has waited more than 7 days - don't just assume it'll eventually work itself out!
This is an important point. While most transfers happen automatically, there was indeed a system issue during the January 12-14 maintenance window that affected some accounts. If anyone received their 3.0 card during that weekend and still doesn't see their balance transferred, they should definitely contact their county worker as they may need to manually reprocess your benefit transfer. Always keep documentation of your previous balance (screenshots of the app or previous receipts showing balance) just in case.
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I think what you might be hearing about is the BenefitsCal system upgrade that happened in some counties? It's not called "3.0" but it did improve the online application process. That might be what people are confusing with benefit amount changes.
yeah this is it^ the systems got upgraded but the actual benefit amounts follow federal guidelines which are the same everywhere...this 3.0 thing is just misinfo spreading on social
Thanks everyone for clearing this up! I feel kinda dumb now, but also relieved I didn't miss something important. I'm definitely going to look into those deductions mentioned because I never submitted my utility bills or updated my rent after it went up. Will try using that Claimyr thing to actually reach someone since calling directly never works. Really appreciate all the responses!
Don't feel bad about asking! The CalFresh system is complicated, and there's a lot of misinformation out there. The maximum benefit for a single person in 2025 is $316/month in California, but most people receive less. Make sure you're documenting ALL your expenses - even a $50 increase in reported expenses can sometimes mean $20+ more in monthly benefits.
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The whole P-EBT system is SUCH a mess this year. I help families navigate benefits as part of my job, and I've seen so many problems - cards sent to old addresses, wrong benefit amounts, activation issues. If you have ANY problems with the cards, document everything and be persistent. Oh, and don't forget - these P-EBT cards are specifically for the kids they're issued to, technically not for the whole family (though obviously in practice, food is food in a household). That's different from regular CalFresh which is for the entire household.
Wait, really? I thought I could use them for general family groceries. Is there any way they can track what we buy specifically for each kid vs. everyone else? That seems impossible to enforce.
In practice, no, there's no way for them to track what specific family member eats what food. The benefits are intended to replace the school meals the children would have received, but realistically, most families just incorporate it into their overall food budget. You won't get in trouble for buying family groceries with it. I just mentioned it because it explains why each child gets their own card rather than it being added to the family's regular CalFresh benefits.
my kids cards came and it had WAY less money then I thought it would? Anyone know how much were supposed to get for each kid??
For the 2025 P-EBT benefits, the amount varies depending on: 1) Whether your child attended school in-person or remotely for parts of the year, 2) How many days your school district reported as eligible days, and 3) Whether your child was enrolled in the free/reduced meal program for the full year. The maximum amount is about $125-$150 per month per child for fully remote students, but most kids who attended in-person school are getting around $45-$65 per month. The benefits should cover eligible months from the previous school year. If you think there's an error, you can file an appeal through the P-EBT website or by calling the P-EBT hotline.
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This happened to me in October. The recertification process is a NIGHTMARE - they made me submit the same verification docs THREE SEPARATE TIMES claiming they never received them! When I finally got to speak with a supervisor, turns out everything had been in my file the whole time but wasn't properly "tagged" in their system. Here's what worked for me: I asked for an "expedited restoration" based on immediate need (I have kids too) and they were able to reactivate my case and issue benefits within 48 hours. Don't leave the office until you have something in writing about when your benefits will be restored. RE: the emergency allotment - in my case, they added it retroactively about a week after my regular benefits were restored. So while you might not get it Sunday, you should still receive it eventually if you get your case sorted soon.
This gives me hope! I'm going to specifically ask for an "expedited restoration" tomorrow. I can't believe how often they lose documents that were definitely submitted. My kids are going to be so disappointed if we don't have enough food for the holidays.
UPDATE: Just got back from the county office and wanted to share what happened in case anyone faces something similar. It took 3 hours of waiting but I finally got to speak with a worker. Turns out they had ALL my documents the whole time but hadn't "processed" them in the system! The worker was actually really helpful and apologized for the confusion. They reactivated my case on the spot and said my regular benefits should load onto my EBT card within 24-48 hours. For the emergency allotment, she said it might not come on Sunday with everyone else's, but that it would be added within 7 days after my case was reactivated. She also provided me with information about a local food bank I can use in the meantime. The lesson I learned: ALWAYS keep proof of submission for everything, and don't assume they've actually reviewed what you've sent. And sometimes you just have to show up in person to get anything resolved.
I'm so glad you got this resolved! This is unfortunately a common issue with county processing - documents get received but not properly indexed in their system. For future reference, whenever you submit documents, call a few days later to confirm they were not only received but properly processed and associated with your case. Thanks for updating us on the outcome!
So typical of them! Glad you got it fixed though. This exact same thing happens to SO many people during recertification. The system is broken. But at least you'll get your benefits soon!
Andre Lefebvre
NOBODY MENTIONED THIS YET - if she's really out of food right now, check if your county has emergency food banks! My benefits got delayed for 2 months during recertification (still mad about it!) and the food bank saved me. They usually don't even ask for much paperwork for emergency situations. Google "[your county] emergency food assistance" and you should find options while waiting for her card!!!!!
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StarStrider
•Thank you! I'll definitely look into local food banks. At this point we need immediate solutions while sorting out her card and benefits.
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Jamal Anderson
Just to follow up with specific information for Alameda County: Alameda County Social Services Agency: 510-263-2420 or 1-888-999-4772 For same-day EBT card replacement, yes, Alameda County offices can issue cards on-site at their Oakland and Hayward self-sufficiency centers during business hours (M-F, 8:30am-5pm). Your daughter would need to bring photo ID. For the Authorized Representative form, here's the direct link: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/entres/forms/English/SAR80.pdf And the Alameda County Community Food Bank has a helpline at 1-800-870-FOOD (3663) or 510-635-3663 for immediate food assistance.
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StarStrider
•You are incredible! Thank you so much for all this specific information. We'll head to the Oakland office tomorrow morning with her ID, and I'll have her fill out that AR form. The food bank number is also super helpful - calling them now. Really appreciate your help!
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