Just to follow up on this thread - for future reference, here's how to verify if a call is actually from the county: 1. Legitimate county calls about CalFresh typically come from: - The automated system (1-844-741-0373) - Your specific county office (check your paperwork for their number) 2. County workers will NEVER ask for: - Your full Social Security Number over the phone - Your EBT card number and PIN - Banking information 3. If you're unsure, hang up and call back using the official number from your notices or the BenefitsCal website Glad you figured out this was legitimate, OP! Make sure to submit that verification document ASAP to avoid any benefit delays.

This is such a helpful thread! I've been getting those automated calls too and never knew if they were legit. It's really frustrating how vague that "This is Cal..." message is - they should definitely be clearer about which program they're calling about. I'm bookmarking this for future reference since it sounds like these calls are pretty common. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I want to echo what everyone else has said - report it NOW! I made the mistake of waiting a few months thinking I needed the divorce papers first, and ended up with a $400 overpayment that took forever to sort out. The county really doesn't care about your legal marital status, just who's actually buying and cooking food together. When I finally called, the worker was super understanding and just had me explain when we stopped sharing groceries. They sent me a simple form to fill out about our living arrangement and food situation - nothing invasive or complicated. The whole thing was resolved in about 10 days. Trust me, it's way less stressful to deal with this now than to worry about owing money back later. You're being smart by asking these questions upfront!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread! As someone who's new to navigating CalFresh rules, this has been incredibly educational. The distinction between legal separation and CalFresh household separation based on food purchasing is something I never would have understood without reading all these real experiences. It's really reassuring to see how supportive this community is - people sharing their actual experiences, an eligibility worker taking time to provide official guidance, and everyone encouraging prompt reporting to avoid overpayments. This is exactly the kind of practical information that's so hard to find elsewhere. I'm bookmarking this thread in case I or anyone I know ever faces a similar situation. Thanks again to everyone for being so generous with your knowledge and experiences!

does anyone know if they backdated payments? like if it takes them 30 days to approve me will i get food money for that whole month or just from when they approve me??

Hey Sean! I'm new to this whole CalFresh thing too and was stressing about similar stuff. Reading through everyone's responses here has been super helpful. I just wanted to add that when I applied last month, they also asked about my rent and utility bills during the interview - apparently these can help increase your benefit amount through deductions. Since you're working part-time, make sure to mention all your housing costs! Also, totally agree with what others said about answering unknown calls - I almost missed my interview because I didn't recognize the number. Good luck with your application!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful to read through! As someone who's been dealing with CalFresh for about two years now, I can unfortunately confirm that these ridiculous wait times are becoming the norm rather than the exception. What really gets me is that they have an automated system that could easily tell callers "we're experiencing a statewide system issue affecting benefits processed between X and Y dates" instead of letting thousands of people sit on hold for hours not knowing what's going on. The fact that @Natasha Romanova had to wait who knows how long just to get that basic information is infuriating. For anyone else dealing with this - definitely try the ebtEDGE app like others mentioned, and if your county has a text alert system for benefits, sign up for that too. Some counties will at least text you when benefits are loaded even if they won't proactively tell you about system issues. @Amina Diop I really hope your benefits show up tomorrow morning! Keep us updated - and don't feel bad about using food banks in the meantime. That's exactly what they're there for and you've already paid into this system through your taxes. You shouldn't have to choose between feeding your kids and missing work because of their broken phone system! 💙

I'm so sorry you're going through this! Reading through all these comments, it sounds like you're dealing with the same statewide system issue that's affecting thousands of people whose cases were processed between the 25th-30th last month. The 5+ hour wait times are absolutely insane but unfortunately seem to be the "new normal" with CalFresh phone support. Since it's apparently a technical glitch they can't manually override anyway, I'd definitely recommend hanging up and just waiting the 24-48 hours they told @Natasha Romanova rather than burning another day on hold. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to hit up local food banks or check if your kids' school has weekend food programs - that's exactly what these resources are for and you shouldn't have to choose between feeding your family and missing work because their system is broken. The ebtEDGE app is definitely easier for checking your balance too. Really hoping your benefits load tomorrow morning! This community has been such a lifesaver for so many of us dealing with these CalFresh nightmares. Keep us posted! 💙

This is absolutely unacceptable - no family should be sleeping in their car while waiting for emergency assistance that was already approved! I work with families in similar situations and have seen this happen too many times. Here's what you need to do immediately: 1) Go to the office when they open and ask specifically for the "Emergency Services Supervisor" - not just your regular worker. 2) Bring all your paperwork and clearly state this is an "immediate homeless emergency with minor children" - these are trigger words that require specific response protocols. 3) Don't leave without either the money loaded on your card or a direct hotel voucher - they have the ability to do same-day emergency issuance. 4) If they give you any runaround, ask for the fair hearing request form right there - just asking for this often gets supervisors involved quickly. Also, while you're there, ask them to print out your case activity log to see exactly what was (or wasn't) processed from your original approval. In the meantime, call your county's Board of Supervisors office - they hate bad publicity about homeless children and can often cut through red tape fast. Stay strong and keep advocating - your children deserve better than this system failure.

I'm so sorry you and your kids are going through this nightmare. Three days sleeping in a car with children is absolutely unacceptable, especially when you were already approved! The advice about going back in person tomorrow is spot on - phone calls clearly aren't working. When you go, be prepared to be persistent and don't let them dismiss you. Document everything: take photos of any paperwork they give you, write down names of who you speak with, and note exact times. If they try to tell you to wait longer, remind them that children are involved and this is an emergency situation. Also, consider reaching out to local news stations - they often cover stories about families failed by the system, and sometimes that public pressure gets faster results than going through normal channels. You're being a strong advocate for your kids, don't give up! Update us when you can - this community is rooting for you. ❤️