Hey Leslie! Welcome to the community! I just went through this exact same situation in San Diego County about 6 weeks ago, so your post really resonated with me. That 2-month approval wait is absolutely brutal - I totally understand why you're feeling overwhelmed! Everyone here has given you spot-on advice about the card being mailed automatically. Mine took exactly 7 days to arrive, and the PIN came 2 days after that. One thing that really helped me during the waiting period was downloading the "MyUSPS" app so I could track when packages/mail were coming to my address each day. It gave me something concrete to check rather than just anxiously wondering. Also, since you mentioned this is your first time on benefits, I'd suggest starting a simple note in your phone with all the important numbers and dates as you go through this process. I wish I'd done that from the beginning instead of scrambling to find info later when I needed to call about something. San Diego County has actually been pretty good about the timing in my experience. The hardest part is definitely behind you now that you're approved! This community has been such a lifesaver for navigating all the little details they don't explain clearly. You're going to do great, and don't hesitate to come back with questions as you get familiar with everything!

Hey Leslie! Welcome to the CalFresh community! I just went through this exact same process in San Diego County about 4 months ago and totally understand that overwhelming feeling after waiting so long for approval. Everyone here has given you fantastic advice - your EBT card will definitely be mailed to you automatically, no pickup required! Just wanted to add a couple things that helped me during the waiting period: First, make sure to check your mail every day (including weekends) since the card can come any day of the week. Second, the envelope is usually pretty plain and might just say something like "Important Information" from San Diego County, so don't accidentally toss it thinking it's junk mail! My card took 6 days to arrive and the PIN letter came 3 days after that. San Diego County has been pretty reliable with that 5-7 business day timeline from what I've experienced. The activation process is super straightforward - just call the number on the back of the card and follow the prompts. You've already made it through the hardest part with that approval process! This community has been amazing for answering all the questions that come up as you get familiar with the system. Congrats on getting approved and don't hesitate to ask more questions as they come up!

I'm brand new to this community and CalFresh benefits, and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I just experienced something similar last week where my CalFresh showed discontinued with no notice, and I was completely panicking. Like many others here, I had no idea about quarterly system maintenance or data matching processes that could cause these false flags. After reading all the success stories with Claimyr, I decided to try it and was able to get through to a caseworker within an hour - turns out it was just a verification document that got stuck in their system processing queue. The worker fixed it immediately and my benefits were restored the same day. @StarSurfer I really hope you were able to get your situation resolved too! This community is amazing for sharing these practical solutions and real experiences. I'm definitely keeping all this information bookmarked for future reference. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and especially to those like @Chloe Robinson and @Sean O'Brien who came back to update us on their successful resolutions - it really helps build confidence in these solutions for those of us who are new to navigating these systems!

I'm brand new to this community and just joined after finding this thread while researching CalFresh issues. As someone who recently started receiving benefits, this entire discussion has been incredibly educational! I had no idea about quarterly system maintenance causing these discontinuation flags or that services like Claimyr existed to help get through those impossible phone wait times. Reading all the success stories from @Chloe Robinson, @Sean O'Brien, @Mateo Rodriguez and others who got quick resolutions is so reassuring. @StarSurfer I really hope you were able to get your situation resolved for your family! The technical explanations about data matching and income reporting thresholds are invaluable - this kind of information really isn't explained well during the application process. It's both scary and comforting to see how common these system glitches are, but knowing there are practical solutions and such a supportive community makes navigating these complex systems feel much less overwhelming. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and that call service for future reference. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge - this community is amazing!

I'm also completely new to CalFresh - just got approved this week and my deposit date is the 1st! This thread has been incredibly helpful since I was definitely planning to check at midnight like so many others here. It's amazing to see such consistency with that 4-5 AM window across all the different counties everyone has mentioned - from LA to Sacramento to the smaller counties, it all seems to line up perfectly. I've already downloaded the ebtEDGE app based on all the recommendations, and I'm taking notes on the practical tips about calling stores ahead to check their EBT systems and being aware of early morning self-checkout restrictions. These real-world insights are exactly what you don't get from the official paperwork! As someone who's never used government benefits before, reading everyone's detailed experiences has made me feel so much more confident about navigating this system. The community here is incredibly welcoming and informative - thank you all for sharing such valuable knowledge with newcomers like me! Looking forward to my first deposit and putting all this great advice to use. 😊

Welcome to the community! I'm also pretty new to CalFresh (been on it for about 3 months now) and this thread has been so helpful to read through. My deposit date is the 19th and I'm in Alameda County - my benefits consistently show up around 4:15 AM, which lines up perfectly with what everyone else is experiencing across different counties. I made the same midnight mistake my first month too! 😅 The ebtEDGE app has been a game changer for me - much easier than trying to find an ATM every time I want to check my balance. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is that if you're planning to shop at smaller ethnic markets or corner stores, definitely call ahead to make sure they accept EBT. I learned that some of the smaller places in my neighborhood don't participate in the program, which I didn't realize until I showed up with a cart full of groceries! It's so nice to see how welcoming this community is to newcomers. When I first started, I had so many questions about what items are eligible and how everything works, and everyone here has been incredibly helpful. Good luck to all the newcomers on your first deposits!

I'm having the exact same login issues since Tuesday morning! Was starting to panic thinking I'd been locked out or hacked somehow. This thread has been such a relief - knowing it's a statewide system problem and not just me going crazy with my password. I was particularly worried because my semi-annual report is due next month and I wanted to get started on it early. Thanks to everyone for sharing the helpful resources, especially that EBT customer service line at 877-328-9677. I'm going to try calling them tomorrow to check my balance while we wait for this to get fixed. Really appreciate @Miguel Silva for keeping us updated on what the county office said about Friday being the target fix date. It's so frustrating when these systems fail right when we need them, but this community support makes all the difference!

I'm also experiencing this exact same login issue since Monday! I was getting so worried thinking my account had been compromised or something. This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's such a relief to know this is a widespread system problem affecting people across the state and not just me somehow forgetting my own password. I was particularly stressed because I have my recertification appointment coming up next week and wanted to review my case information beforehand. Thank you @Miguel Silva for sharing the update from your county office that this should be resolved by Friday, and thanks to @Amina Toure for explaining that the backend systems are separate so our benefits should still process normally. I'm definitely going to try calling that EBT customer service line at 877-328-9677 tomorrow to check my balance. It's so frustrating when these systems fail right when we need access most, but this community support has been amazing in helping everyone navigate through this technical nightmare!

As someone who's been using EBT benefits for a couple years now, I wanted to share a few additional tips that have helped me avoid fees: 1. Target stores often allow cash back with EBT purchases (up to $40) with no fees - super convenient if you're already shopping there 2. Some Safeway locations have fee-free ATMs specifically for EBT cards, though you'll want to confirm with each location 3. If you're ever unsure about an ATM, the screen will usually display any fees BEFORE you complete the transaction - you can always cancel if you see a charge you weren't expecting Also wanted to echo what others have said about keeping receipts and calling customer service if you get charged unexpectedly. I successfully got a $2.50 fee refunded last year when I was charged at what was supposed to be a fee-free location. The wait time was long (about 30 minutes) but they were helpful once I got through. This thread has been really informative - I learned about several options I didn't know about, especially the credit union CO-OP network and tribal casino ATMs. It's great to see the community sharing practical knowledge that actually helps people access their benefits without unnecessary costs!

This has been such an incredible thread to read through! I'm fairly new to receiving CalFresh benefits and I had that exact same experience at what I thought was a Bank of America ATM - got charged $2.75 and felt so frustrated. Reading everyone's tips and experiences has been like getting a crash course in how to actually navigate this system effectively. I had no idea about so many of these options - the ConnectEBT app, calling 211, cash back at Target and Dollar General, credit unions in the CO-OP network. It's honestly overwhelming how much helpful information isn't provided when you first get your EBT card. I'm going to download all the recommended apps tonight and call 211 tomorrow to see what other fee-free options are available in my area. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge - this kind of community support makes such a difference when you're trying to stretch every dollar and avoid unnecessary fees!