As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! @Liam Sullivan, congratulations on getting your recertification approved - I can only imagine the relief you must have felt after weeks of anxiety. What really stands out to me is how this discussion captures both the human side of navigating CalFresh (the stress, the uncertainty, the fear of not being able to feed your family) and the practical realities of a system that seems to work differently for everyone. The fact that you submitted everything properly three weeks in advance and still had to endure weeks of not knowing is really telling about how much transparency is lacking in the process. I'm taking notes on all the advice shared here - submitting early through BenefitsCal, checking regularly, calling right at 8am if needed, setting up text notifications. It's unfortunate that families have to become experts in navigating bureaucracy just to access basic food assistance, but I'm grateful this community exists to share that knowledge. The county-by-county inconsistency that multiple people mentioned is particularly frustrating. It seems like such a fundamental fairness issue that your experience with the same program can vary so dramatically based on geography. Thanks to everyone who contributed their experiences and advice - this thread is going to be a valuable resource for anyone facing CalFresh recertification anxiety!

This thread has been such an incredible resource! As someone completely new to CalFresh, I'm amazed by how much practical wisdom has been shared here. @Liam Sullivan, huge congratulations on getting approved - your journey from panic to relief really shows how nerve-wracking this process can be even when you do everything right. What really resonates with me is how you submitted all your documents three weeks early and still had to endure that awful waiting period of not knowing. It highlights just how much the system lacks basic communication about timelines and status updates. The fact that BenefitsCal doesn't have a simple progress tracker in 2025 seems like such an obvious gap. I'm taking detailed notes on everyone's advice here - the early submission strategy, checking BenefitsCal daily, the 8am calling tip from @Anita George, and even the Claimyr option from @Fatima Al-Qasimi for when phone calls become absolutely necessary. It's honestly wild that accessing basic food assistance requires becoming an expert in bureaucratic navigation, but I'm so grateful this community exists to share that hard-won knowledge. The $85 reduction in benefits due to income increase is tough, but you're absolutely right that it beats losing everything entirely, especially with grocery prices being what they are these days. Thanks for coming back to update everyone - it gives real hope to others waiting in that stressful limbo period!

This is incredibly helpful information! I had no idea about the Bringing Families Home program or the MFG exemption. I'll write these down to discuss during my interview. Thank you so much for taking the time to share all this.

Hey Javier, I'm in a similar situation with rent increases and waiting for benefits. One thing that helped me was contacting my local Community Action Agency - they often have emergency rental assistance funds that move faster than county programs. Also, if you're in a city with rent stabilization laws, document everything about your rent increase (date of notice, amount, etc.) because some cities require 30-60 days notice for increases over certain percentages. The Tenant Protection Act might apply to your situation too. Don't forget to ask your CalFresh worker about the Homeless Assistance Program if you end up facing actual eviction - it can sometimes provide immediate help with first month's rent if you have to move. Good luck with your interview next week!

As someone completely new to both CalFresh and this community, I'm so grateful I found this thread! I just had this exact same heart-stopping experience yesterday - called the EBT line like I normally do and heard absolutely nothing about future deposits. Being only two months into receiving benefits, I immediately assumed I'd somehow screwed up my case or missed some critical paperwork. The panic was real! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a lifesaver. @ce65d8d68218's insight about the system updates as an eligibility worker was incredibly helpful, and seeing how @513d690470b8's situation went from panic to relief really calmed my nerves. I had no clue about BenefitsCal.com as an alternative - just checked and my benefits are showing as pending there too! It's crazy how a simple technical glitch can cause so much stress when you're still figuring out how all these systems work. This community is amazing - the way everyone jumped in to help and share their knowledge shows what a supportive place this is. Thank you all for making what could have been a really stressful week into a learning experience instead!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful I stumbled across this thread! I literally just experienced this exact same panic attack yesterday when I called the EBT line and heard nothing about future deposits. I've only been receiving CalFresh for about 6 weeks now and immediately thought I must have done something wrong or missed some important notice. The anxiety was overwhelming! Reading through everyone's experiences here - especially @ce65d8d68218's professional explanation about system updates and seeing @513d690470b8's journey from panic to relief - has been such a huge comfort. I had no idea about BenefitsCal.com as an alternative way to check! Just logged in and sure enough, my benefits are there showing as "pending issuance." It's incredible how a simple technical glitch can cause such stress when you're new to navigating these systems and don't know what's normal. This community is exactly what I needed - people who actually understand the stress and have real solutions to share. Thank you everyone for being so helpful and welcoming to newcomers like me!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who's been navigating the benefits system for a while, I wanted to add that it's also worth checking if your local community college or adult education center offers free classes on benefits navigation. Many of them have counselors who specialize in helping people apply for multiple programs at once and can walk you through the paperwork step by step. They often know about local resources and programs that even some caseworkers might not mention. Plus, if you're interested in job training or education while on GR, some programs don't count as "income" and can actually help with your long-term employability. The combination of GR, CalFresh, and educational support can really help create a pathway out of poverty rather than just temporary assistance.

Yes, LACCD (Los Angeles Community College District) definitely has these resources! Most of their campuses have what's called EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services) and CalWORKs programs that provide benefits navigation help, counseling, and support services specifically for low-income students. They can help you apply for benefits AND figure out how to pursue education without jeopardizing your assistance. Regarding education and GR - you're absolutely right that this can be tricky! In LA County, if you're enrolled in an approved education or training program (like at a community college), you may be exempt from some of the GROW work requirements. The key is getting the program "approved" by your GR caseworker beforehand. Financial aid like Pell Grants typically doesn't count as income for GR purposes, but work-study earnings might. I'd recommend contacting the EOPS office at your nearest LACCD campus - they're experts at helping people navigate exactly this situation. Places like East LA College, LA City College, and LA Trade Tech all have strong programs for students receiving public benefits.

I'm really new to this community and the CalFresh system, so this situation sounds absolutely terrifying! The fact that your card can just randomly get canceled while your case is still active and you have benefits available is such a scary system flaw, especially when you have kids depending on those benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like this is unfortunately more common than it should be. The consistent advice about calling your county office early in the morning (right when they open at 8am) seems to be the key to getting through quickly. I'm definitely making a note of that tip along with asking about emergency phone lines specifically for EBT issues. It's somewhat reassuring that your benefits are still there and will transfer to a new card, but I can't imagine how stressful it must be to not be able to feed your family while waiting for this to get resolved. I really hope you were able to get through to your county office and get a replacement card today! Please update us when you can - it would be really helpful to know how the resolution process went since this seems to be an ongoing system issue that could affect any of us. Sending positive thoughts that you can get groceries for your kids soon!

I'm brand new to this community and just got approved for CalFresh last month, so reading about your situation is really eye-opening and honestly pretty scary! The fact that cards can just randomly get canceled even when your case is active is something I had no idea could happen. From reading through all the responses here, it sounds like calling your county office directly first thing in the morning (right at 8am) is your best bet for getting through quickly. Several people mentioned this strategy worked much better than calling the general EBT customer service line or trying later in the day. I'm also taking notes on the suggestion to ask about emergency EBT phone lines - apparently some counties have separate numbers for urgent card issues that can bypass the regular wait times. And if phone calls don't work, going to the county office in person early in the morning seems to be the most reliable way to get a same-day replacement card. It's at least reassuring that your $178 in benefits are still there and will transfer to your new card automatically. But I can't imagine how stressful this must be when you need to buy groceries for your kids right now. Really hoping you get this resolved today! Please keep us updated on what happens - as someone new to the system, it would be really helpful to know how these situations typically get resolved. Hang in there!