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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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I've been using CalFresh for about 18 months and can absolutely confirm your benefits will be available right at midnight on your load date! I actually work similar hours and do my grocery shopping around 1am pretty regularly. Just wanted to share a couple quick tips that have saved me stress: First, if you have smartphone, definitely download the ebtEDGE app (California's official EBT app) to check your balance in real-time - it updates the second your benefits hit. Second, since you mentioned having hungry kids and being down to your last $7, consider prioritizing shelf-stable items like rice, pasta, canned beans, and peanut butter that can stretch far and fill them up. Walmart's Great Value brand is really budget-friendly for basics. Also, their self-checkout is super reliable for EBT transactions at that hour. Hope your shopping trip goes smoothly tonight - the stress of running low on benefits with kids is so real, but you've got this!
This is such helpful advice! I'm new to CalFresh and just learning about all these tips and resources. I had no idea there were official apps to check your balance - that's going to be such a game changer for me. Your suggestion about prioritizing shelf-stable foods is really smart too, especially when you're trying to make benefits stretch with kids to feed. I'm definitely going to look into that Great Value brand at Walmart since I'm still figuring out how to shop efficiently on a tight budget. Thanks for sharing your experience and for the reassurance - it's so comforting to know there are people in this community who understand what it's like to navigate these challenges!
I've been on CalFresh for about 6 months now and can definitely confirm that benefits are available at midnight, not 6am! I was in a similar situation a few months ago - down to my last few dollars with kids to feed and stressing about whether I could shop right after midnight. I ended up going to a 24-hour grocery store at 12:15am and my card worked perfectly. The key thing is making sure it's actually your assigned load date (based on your case number). Since you mentioned your benefits load on the 10th, you should be good to go at midnight tonight. I'd recommend calling the EBT customer service line at 1-877-328-9677 right at midnight just to double-check your balance loaded before heading out - gives you peace of mind and saves a potentially wasted trip. Also, Walmart's self-checkout is super reliable for EBT at that hour. Hope your shopping trip goes smoothly and you can get your kids fed! The stress of running low on benefits is so real but sounds like you've got a solid plan.
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I'm dealing with this exact same situation! My benefits have always come on the 1st but now they're telling me the 8th. Like so many others here, I never got any notice about this change and I'm really struggling to make it through the week with no food money. What's been helping me is reaching out to local churches - even if you're not religious, many have food pantries or community meal programs. I also discovered that some community centers have "little free pantries" (like little free libraries but with food) where you can take what you need. I wanted to add another resource that saved me this week - if you have a smartphone, there are apps like "Flashfood" and "Too Good To Go" where grocery stores and restaurants sell their surplus food at major discounts. I got $40 worth of groceries for $12 yesterday through Flashfood. It's so frustrating that they made such a huge change without proper communication. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel less alone though. We're all just trying to feed our families and shouldn't have to scramble like this because of their poor planning. Thanks to everyone sharing resources - this community is really helping people get through a tough situation!
Thank you so much for mentioning the Flashfood and Too Good To Go apps! I just downloaded both and can't believe I didn't know about these before. Getting $40 worth of groceries for $12 sounds amazing, especially when you're stretched this thin. I'm also going to check out those little free pantries at community centers - that's such a great resource to know about. You're absolutely right that we shouldn't have to scramble like this because of their poor communication. It really does help knowing we're all going through the same thing and can share these practical solutions with each other. This community has been a lifesaver during this stressful transition week!
This is happening to me too! My benefits were always on the 1st but just found out they've been moved to the 5th. No notice at all and I'm completely out of groceries right now. I just wanted to add another resource that's helping me get through this week - many local Facebook community groups have people posting about free meals or extra food they're giving away. Search for "[your city] community" or "[your city] mutual aid" groups. I found someone yesterday who had extra produce from their garden that they were happy to share. Also, if you have any plasma donation centers near you, they usually pay decent money for first-time donors (like $50-100 for your first few donations). It's not ideal but it could help bridge the gap until your new benefit date. The fact that so many of us never got proper notice about such a major change is really unacceptable. At least we have each other to share resources and get through this mess together!
Thank you for sharing about the Facebook community groups and plasma donation idea! I never thought to search for mutual aid groups on Facebook - that's such a smart way to connect with neighbors who might have extra food to share. The plasma donation suggestion is really practical too, even though it's not ideal like you said. Every little bit helps when you're trying to make it through the week. It's incredible how many resources we're all discovering and sharing with each other because of this situation. You're absolutely right that it's unacceptable how many people didn't get proper notice about such a major change. At least this community has become a place where we can help each other navigate through this mess!
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As someone who just joined this community and is waiting for my CalFresh application to be processed, this entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea that setting up the mobile app could involve so many potential technical hurdles. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that most registration issues stem from system-side problems rather than user error, which is both frustrating and reassuring. The variety of potential issues is remarkable - verification flags from name changes, ZIP+4 code mismatches, incorrect birthdates in their database, account locks from authorized representatives, and even timing issues with new card activations. These are all things I never would have thought to check on my own. I'm definitely bookmarking the Claimyr service recommendation that multiple people have mentioned - the idea of getting through to a real person in 10 minutes instead of waiting hours on hold (or getting disconnected) sounds amazing. And knowing about ConnectEBT as a backup option is really valuable. Thanks to everyone who shared their detailed troubleshooting experiences and solutions. This community is incredibly helpful for preparing newcomers for these system quirks. When my benefits get approved, I'll be much better equipped to handle any app registration issues that might come up!
Welcome to the community! Even though you're still waiting for approval, you're being incredibly smart by learning about these potential issues ahead of time. This thread really has become like a comprehensive troubleshooting guide that none of us had when we first started! It's wild how many technical problems can happen on their end that seem completely random from our perspective. I'm also relatively new here (got my benefits about 3 months ago) and had to deal with a similar ZIP code verification issue that took forever to resolve. The Claimyr service really is as good as everyone says - I used it last month for a different problem and it saved me so much time and frustration. You'll definitely be in a much better position than most of us were when we first tried setting up the apps. Good luck with your application approval!
I'm brand new to this community and CalFresh - just got my EBT card approved yesterday! This thread has been absolutely incredible to find. I was literally about to download the EBT Edge app thinking it would be super straightforward, but wow, there are so many potential issues I never would have anticipated! Reading through everyone's experiences, it's really eye-opening how most of these registration failures are actually technical problems on the county's end rather than something we're doing wrong. The verification flag issue from name changes that @StarStrider dealt with is particularly interesting since I'm planning to get married later this year and will definitely need to update my information. I'm definitely saving all the troubleshooting tips from this thread - the Claimyr service for getting through to real people faster, ConnectEBT as a backup app option, and being extra careful about ZIP+4 codes and making sure all my info matches exactly what's in their system. It's so helpful to have this roadmap before attempting registration! Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences and solutions. This community seems amazing for helping newcomers navigate all these system quirks that you'd never think of on your own. I feel way more prepared now to tackle the app setup process!
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I completely understand your concerns about security - identity theft is terrifying and it's smart to be cautious! I was in the same boat when my caseworker first mentioned the BenefitsCal portal. What helped me was learning that it's actually operated directly by the California Department of Social Services, not some third-party company, and uses the same encryption standards as other government sites. I'd recommend starting with the website version (BenefitsCal.com) on your laptop rather than the app, especially with an older phone. You can begin by just logging in to check your benefit balance without uploading anything sensitive. Once you're comfortable with the interface, try uploading a non-critical document first (like a utility bill) to see how the confirmation process works. When you do upload your SAR7, make sure you're on secure home wifi, take screenshots of every confirmation page, and save that confirmation number! Most people see their documents show as "received" within 24-48 hours. The peace of mind from instant confirmation beats worrying whether mailed documents got lost. The time savings is huge too - digital submissions typically process in days rather than weeks. Just take it one step at a time and you'll probably wonder why you waited so long to switch!
This is really helpful advice! I appreciate how you broke down the security aspect - knowing it's run directly by the state department does make me feel more confident about it. The idea of starting with just checking my balance and then testing with a utility bill is perfect. I've been so anxious about this but everyone's step-by-step approaches are making it seem much more manageable. I think I'll try logging in this weekend just to get familiar with the interface before my SAR7 is due. Thanks for taking the time to explain the process so clearly!
I was exactly where you are about 8 months ago - super worried about putting my personal info online after hearing so many scary stories! What finally convinced me was when my caseworker explained that the BenefitsCal system actually tracks your documents better than the old paper methods. Here's what made me feel more secure: I started by just creating an account to check my benefit balance, didn't upload anything at first. Once I got comfortable with how the site worked, I tried uploading one simple document (a rent receipt) just to test the process. Seeing that confirmation number pop up immediately and then being able to track the document status was actually really reassuring! For your SAR7, definitely use the website on your laptop - it's way more reliable than the app. Make sure you're on your home wifi, not public, and screenshot everything. The website will give you a confirmation number right away, and you can check back in a day or two to see if it shows as "received" in your account. I've now submitted 3 SAR7 reports digitally and it's honestly so much less stressful than worrying about whether my mailed forms got lost. The processing time is way faster too. You've got this!
This is exactly the kind of reassurance I needed to hear! I love that you started the same way I'm thinking of doing - just checking the balance first to get comfortable. The tracking aspect you mentioned is actually a huge plus that I hadn't thought about. With mailed documents I'm always wondering "did they get it?" but being able to see the status online would eliminate that anxiety. I'm feeling much more confident about trying this now, especially knowing that so many people had the same initial worries but ended up having good experiences. I think I'll create my account this weekend and start with just exploring the interface. Thanks for the encouragement!
StarGazer101
UPDATE: Finally got through to someone at the county office today! Used both the Claimyr service someone recommended here (which actually worked!) and mentioned AB-158 like another person suggested. The supervisor I spoke with said my case was \
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Chloe Robinson
That's amazing news! So glad the combination of Claimyr and mentioning AB-158 worked for you. This thread has been so helpful - I'm dealing with a similar situation right now where my benefits were skimmed last week. Going to try both of these strategies tomorrow. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops when we're the victims of theft, but at least there are ways to navigate the system. Thanks for sharing your update and keeping us posted on what worked!
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