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I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago when I got custody of my nephew. The custody agreement is absolutely your most important document - that's what proves legal responsibility and residency. I uploaded that along with his birth certificate and a letter from his school through BenefitsCal. My benefits went from $192 to $378 per month, which was incredible! The process took about 11 days and my existing benefits continued without any interruption. Since your son was previously on his mom's case in another county, definitely mention that specific detail in your change report. The county workers are used to handling these cross-county situations and they'll coordinate the removal automatically once you provide that information. One thing that really helped me was calling my caseworker first to give them a heads up that I'd be submitting a household change. It seemed to flag it in their system and maybe helped with processing time. Also, take screenshots of everything you upload - just in case you need to reference confirmation numbers later. The relief of having adequate food benefits for both of you will be so worth getting this paperwork sorted out quickly!
This is such helpful information, thank you! The increase from $192 to $378 sounds amazing - that would really take the pressure off our food budget. I love the idea of calling my caseworker first to give them a heads up about the household change. That seems like such a smart way to potentially speed up the process. I'll definitely take screenshots of everything I upload too - better safe than sorry! It's really reassuring to hear that they handle the cross-county coordination automatically once you mention it. I was worried that might be a complicated part of the process, but it sounds like they're experienced with these situations. Thanks for sharing your experience with your nephew - knowing that others have successfully navigated this exact situation gives me so much confidence!
I just went through this same process when I got custody of my daughter earlier this year! The custody agreement you have is definitely the most important document - that alone proves legal responsibility and residence. I uploaded that plus her birth certificate and a letter from her doctor's office showing my address through BenefitsCal. My benefits increased from $203 to $389 within about 10 days, which was such a relief for our grocery budget. Your existing benefits won't be interrupted at all - they just recalculate based on your new household size. Since your son was on his mom's case in another county, definitely mention that in your change report. The workers handle that coordination between counties automatically once you give them those details. One tip that really helped me: call your caseworker first to let them know a household change is coming. It seemed to help with processing speed. Also keep copies/screenshots of everything you submit. The peace of mind of having adequate food benefits for both of you will be so worth it!
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Emma, I really hope your county office visit went well today and that you were able to get emergency housing assistance for you and your kids. This thread has been incredible to read - seeing so many community members share detailed, practical advice from their own experiences and professional knowledge shows how much people care about helping families in crisis. I wanted to add one more resource that might be helpful as you work toward permanent housing - Sacramento has a "Family Unification Program" (FUP) through the housing authority that specifically helps families who are at risk of losing their children to foster care due to housing issues. Since you mentioned you're facing homelessness with your 7 and 9 year olds, this program provides both housing vouchers and supportive services to keep families together. It has much shorter wait times than regular Section 8 because it's considered child welfare prevention. Also, if you weren't able to get help today or need additional support, the Sacramento Self-Help Housing nonprofit (916-341-0593) has emergency assistance funds that can sometimes help with hotel costs while you wait for county assistance to process. Please update us when you can - everyone here is genuinely invested in seeing you and your children get the help you need. You're clearly a strong advocate for your family, and with all the resources people have shared here, I'm confident you're going to find a path forward. Sending strength to you and your kids!
Nia, thank you for mentioning the Family Unification Program - that's such an important resource that I hadn't heard of before! The fact that it specifically prevents family separation due to housing issues and has shorter wait times than regular Section 8 could be a game-changer for families like Emma's. The Sacramento Self-Help Housing nonprofit number is also great to have as a backup option. I've been checking this thread throughout the day hoping to see an update from Emma about how her county office visit went. This community response has been absolutely amazing - the level of detailed, practical advice from people who have lived through similar situations and professionals who work in the system is incredible. Between all the programs mentioned (CalWORKs emergency assistance, Rapid Re-Housing, Continuum of Care, Emergency Family Shelter, etc.) and practical tips about documentation, timing, and advocacy, Emma has such a comprehensive roadmap for getting help. Really hoping she was able to get emergency housing sorted today and that she and her kids are somewhere safe tonight. Emma, if you see this, please know that so many people are pulling for your family!
Emma, I hope everything went well at the county office today! I've been following this thread and I'm amazed by how much helpful information everyone has shared. I wanted to add one more thing that might help - if you're having trouble getting through to any of the phone numbers people have mentioned, try calling right when offices open (usually 8 AM) or right after lunch (around 1 PM). Those tend to be the best times to actually reach a person instead of getting stuck in phone queues. Also, I know someone mentioned 211 earlier, but I wanted to emphasize how helpful they can be. They have operators available 24/7 who know about local resources and can often provide phone numbers for programs that aren't widely advertised. If you're ever stuck or need help navigating between different programs, they're a great resource to call. Really hoping you and your kids found a safe place to stay tonight. You're doing an amazing job advocating for your family, and with all the resources people have shared here, I'm confident you'll find a path to stable housing. Please update us when you can - this whole community is rooting for you!
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Hi Summer! I'm relatively new to EBT myself (got my card about 2 months ago) and I totally understand your confusion - the system is definitely not intuitive at first! I wanted to add one more option that's worked really well for me: Costco and Sam's Club ATMs. If you have a membership or know someone who does, their ATMs typically don't charge fees for EBT cash withdrawals and they're usually less crowded than bank ATMs. Also, I learned that you can actually check which specific ATMs near you are EBT-compatible by calling 1-888-EBT-PENN (1-888-328-7366) - they have an automated system that lets you enter your zip code and it'll give you a list of nearby fee-free options. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier is that your first transaction of the day at any ATM will usually tell you both your food balance and cash balance, so you don't have to guess which benefits you can withdraw. The learning curve is steep but you're already getting such great advice from everyone here. This community has been a lifesaver for navigating all the little details that no one explains when you first get approved!
Hi Oliver! Thanks for sharing your experience as someone who's also relatively new to this. The Costco/Sam's Club ATM tip is brilliant - I actually have a Costco membership that I barely use, so that could be a perfect option for me! And wow, that 1-888-EBT-PENN number sounds incredibly useful for finding fee-free ATMs by zip code. I'm definitely calling that tomorrow along with the regular EBT customer service line. I love that tip about the first transaction showing both balances - that would have saved me so much confusion earlier! It's so reassuring to connect with someone else who recently went through the same learning process. Between all the advice in this thread from people at different stages of using EBT, I feel like I have a complete roadmap for navigating the system effectively. This community really is amazing for helping newcomers figure out all these details that aren't explained anywhere else. Thanks for sharing such practical tips!
Hi Summer! Welcome to the EBT community! I see you've gotten incredible advice already, but I wanted to share one more resource that really helped me when I first started navigating the system. If you're having ongoing issues with ATM compatibility, you might want to try downloading the "Allpoint" app - it's an ATM locator that specifically filters for surcharge-free ATMs that accept EBT cards. I've found it more reliable than some of the other apps mentioned for finding ATMs that actually work with EBT. Also, just wanted to add that many Rite Aid pharmacy locations have ATMs that are EBT-friendly with reasonable fees, and they're often in more convenient neighborhood locations than the bigger banks. The whole EBT system definitely has a learning curve, but you're asking all the right questions and this community is fantastic for ongoing support. Don't feel overwhelmed by all the information - just try one or two suggestions at a time and you'll quickly figure out what works best for your specific situation and location!
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This thread is exactly what makes me love this community! @Dmitry Petrov, I'm so happy you got your card activated and were able to get groceries for your kids today. That feeling of relief must have been incredible after all that waiting and stress. As someone who's been on CalFresh for about 2 years now, I remember my own activation confusion - I actually called the wrong number at first (some random customer service line I found online) and wasted an hour before realizing my mistake! The real number is definitely the one everyone mentioned: 1-877-328-9677. One thing I'd add for future reference is that if you ever move, make sure to update your address with both your county office AND the EBT customer service line. I learned this the hard way when my replacement card got sent to my old address and I had to wait another week for a new one. Also, don't be surprised if some cashiers seem unfamiliar with EBT procedures - I've found that explaining "it's like a debit card" usually helps them understand the process better. Welcome to the program and to this amazing community! 🙌
@Ryan Kim That s'such a helpful tip about updating your address with both the county office AND the EBT customer service line! I wouldn t'have thought about needing to do both separately. And you re'so right about explaining it as like "a debit card to" cashiers - that s'a really practical way to help them understand the process. As someone brand new to this community and the CalFresh program, I m'constantly amazed by all the real-world tips people share here that you just don t'learn anywhere else. Your experience with calling the wrong number first actually makes me feel better - it sounds like almost everyone has some kind of learning curve story when they re'getting started! Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us newcomers. This community really is such an incredible resource! 😊
Reading through this entire thread as a new community member has been so educational! @Dmitry Petrov, I'm thrilled you got your card activated and could feed your family today - what a relief that must have been after such a long wait for approval. I just wanted to add one more tip for anyone else who might find this thread: if you're ever at a store and your EBT card isn't working, don't be afraid to step aside and call that customer service number (1-877-328-9677) right from the store. I've had to do this a couple times when there were technical issues, and the representatives can often troubleshoot the problem immediately or at least tell you if there's a system-wide outage. Most stores are understanding about EBT technical difficulties. This community is absolutely amazing - seeing everyone share their experiences and practical tips shows what a supportive space this is for people navigating CalFresh. As someone still learning the ropes myself, threads like this are incredibly valuable. Welcome to the program, Dmitry, and don't hesitate to ask if you run into any other questions! 💙
@Hugh Intensity That s'such practical advice about calling customer service from the store if there are technical issues! I never would have thought of doing that, but it makes perfect sense - getting help in real-time when problems come up could save so much hassle. As a complete newcomer to both this community and CalFresh, I m'honestly overwhelmed by how much helpful information everyone has shared in this thread. It s'like getting a masterclass in all the things they don t'tell you in the official paperwork! @Dmitry Petrov, your original question has created such a valuable resource for other families who will inevitably go through the same activation confusion. Thank you to everyone for being so welcoming to newcomers and creating such a supportive environment where we can learn from each other s'experiences! 🙏
Zara Khan
As someone who's been navigating the grocery budget game for a while, I'd suggest starting with a "trial run" approach before committing to any memberships. Here's what worked for me: I spent my first month shopping at different stores to compare prices on the same items - like a gallon of milk, loaf of bread, dozen eggs, etc. I made a simple spreadsheet tracking prices at Walmart, Safeway, local stores, etc. This gave me a baseline to see if Costco's bulk pricing would actually save me money after factoring in the membership fee. Also, many libraries have free guest passes to Costco that let you shop for one day (you pay a 5% surcharge but no membership fee) - perfect for testing it out! You could try this approach to see if their prices and portion sizes work for your situation before investing in a full membership.
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TommyKapitz
•@Zara Khan This is such a methodical and smart approach! I love the idea of creating a spreadsheet to compare prices on basic items across different stores - that would give me real data to work with instead of just guessing. And wow, I had no idea libraries offered free Costco guest passes! That s'an amazing way to test it out without any commitment. The 5% surcharge is totally worth it to see if their bulk sizes and prices actually make sense for my situation. I m'definitely going to check with my local library about this - what a great resource tip! Thank you for such a practical and data-driven strategy. This kind of systematic approach is exactly what I need as someone who s'new to managing a grocery budget on CalFresh.
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James Johnson
Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works at a grocery store and sees CalFresh customers every day! One thing that might help you decide is to think about your transportation situation too. Costco locations are often in more suburban areas and you might need a car to get there easily, plus you'd need a way to transport bulk items home. If you're relying on public transit or walking, smaller local stores might be much more practical for regular shopping trips. Also, I've noticed that many of our CalFresh customers do really well with our weekly sales - we rotate different staples on deep discount each week (like rice one week, pasta the next, etc.) and they stock up during those sales cycles. It's like getting bulk pricing without needing a membership or buying huge quantities all at once. Most grocery stores have apps now that show you the weekly ads in advance so you can plan around the best deals!
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Natasha Orlova
•@James Johnson This is such an important point that I hadn t'really considered! I actually don t'have a car and rely on public transit and walking for most of my errands. You re'absolutely right that getting to Costco and then hauling bulk items home on the bus would be a real challenge. The weekly sales cycle approach you mentioned sounds much more manageable for my situation - I can easily walk to a few different grocery stores in my neighborhood and plan my shopping around their sales. I love the idea of downloading store apps to see the weekly ads in advance. That way I can stock up on staples when they re'on sale without having to buy enormous quantities or worry about transportation. Thanks for the insider perspective from someone who actually works in grocery retail - it s'really helpful to get that practical viewpoint!
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