California CalFresh
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EBT card compromised during county transfer - need emergency replacement before rent due
Just discovered all my CalFresh benefits were drained from my EBT card yesterday! I'm currently in the middle of a county transfer (moving from Sacramento to Alameda) and I'm completely panicking. Do I report the theft to my previous county or new one? Can I handle this over the phone or will they make me come in person? With rent due next week ($2,100) plus my son's birthday on the 15th and holiday expenses, I'm beyond stressed. Had over $750 in benefits that I was counting on for the month. Has anyone dealt with EBT theft during a county transfer? How quickly can they replace the stolen benefits? I'm a single parent and literally don't know how I'll feed my family this month.
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Lost EBT card for my daughter - how to get replacement and check benefits status?
My daughter just moved back in with me and says she lost her CalFresh EBT card last week. I need to help her get a replacement ASAP since she's completely out of food. Also, she's not sure if she's even getting benefits this month because her case was under review or something? What number do I call to get her a replacement card AND check if she's still getting benefits? Is this something I can do for her or does she have to call herself? (She has anxiety about phone calls and I'm trying to help her out
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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!!!!!
Thank you! I'll definitely look into local food banks. At this point we need immediate solutions while sorting out her card and benefits.
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.
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!
CalFresh EBT 3.0 card reload - Did benefits transfer from old card?
Just got this new 3.0 EBT card in the mail last week but my February benefits aren't showing up. My old card had about $387 left that I was saving. Called the EBT customer service number but gave up after waiting 45 mins. Anyone know if they automatically transfer the balance from old cards to these new 3.0 ones or do I have to request it? The letter with the card didn't explain anything about existing balances. Really need those groceries for my kids this weekend!
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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.
When will CalFresh 3.0 arrive in California? Other states already getting it!
Been reading so much about the CalFresh 3.0 upgrades launching in other states with higher benefit amounts and faster processing times. Anyone know if/when California is getting these improvements? My caseworker had no clue what I was talking about when I called last week. My benefits are barely covering half the month with these crazy food prices, and I heard 3.0 increases the monthly amount by like 25%? Really need this to happen in California soon - my recertification is coming up in March and wondering if I should wait to apply if the new system is coming. Anyone have actual info on this?
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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.
CalFresh P-EBT cards finally arrived for my kids in Shasta County - what can we buy?
Super relieved that my three kids' P-EBT cards (we call them sunbucks cards because of the logo lol) finally showed up on Wednesday! We're in Shasta County and our last name starts with B, so I guess they're going alphabetically? Been waiting FOREVER - literally months since they announced this benefit. Has anyone used these cards yet? I'm confused about what we can actually buy with them. Are the rules different from regular CalFresh? Can we use them at farmers markets? Also, do these expire? I don't want to lose any benefits if we don't use them right away. Thanks for any help!
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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.
StarStrider
Anyone else notice how these EBT thefts keep happening right before holidays and rent due dates??? My cousin works for the county and she says they see TONS of "theft" reports at the end of every month. I'm not saying the OP is lying but they investigate these claims REALLY carefully now. If they think ur being dishonest they can terminate ur benefits completely so be 100% truthful about everything
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Sean Murphy
AuthorI completely understand they need to investigate. I have nothing to hide - my benefits were legitimately stolen and I'm freaking out about how to feed my family. I still have my physical card, never shared my PIN, and have no idea how this happened.
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Luca Marino
OMG are u srsly suggesting OP is making this up?? That's so rude! EBT skimming is EVERYWHERE now. There were actual news reports about organized crime rings targeting EBT cards. Not cool to make someone feel worse when they're already stressed!
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Zara Malik
Quick update on the current replacement process: I just confirmed with our local CalFresh office that the rules changed in mid-2025. Now when benefits are stolen electronically (not from a lost/stolen physical card), they can replace up to two months of benefits per federal fiscal year. The process requires: - Police report (required) - EBT-28 form completed in full - Proof of identity - Statement explaining how you believe the theft occurred If your case is still with your previous county, they handle the replacement. If the transfer completed, then your new county handles it. The 10-day processing requirement only starts once ALL documentation is received, so submit everything as quickly as possible.
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Sean Murphy
AuthorThank you for this updated information! My old county worker finally called me back. They're sending me the EBT-28 form by email to complete. I explained my hardship situation and they said they'll try to process it within 5 business days once they receive everything. Keeping my fingers crossed.
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