Can't reach California CalFresh? Claimyr connects you to a live DSS agent in minutes.
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Using Claimyr will:
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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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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.
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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!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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UPDATE: I followed the advice here and it's starting to work! Called EBT customer service with the right terminology and they immediately knew what to do about the theft claim. Then I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned to actually get through to a supervisor at my county office. The supervisor confirmed there was an error in my income reporting - apparently during my last recertification, they accidentally entered my previous employer's QUARTERLY tax reporting as my MONTHLY income! No wonder it was showing $3,700! She said she's correcting it right away and will process an underpayment claim since I've been receiving reduced benefits due to their error. Thank you everyone for the help!
Great news! Make sure to get something in writing about the correction. They should send you a Notice of Action confirming the income change. Also ask specifically when you can expect to receive any underpayment benefits, as those are typically issued separately from your regular benefits. Glad to hear it's getting resolved!
So glad to see your update! This is exactly why I always tell people to escalate to supervisors - frontline workers often don't have the full picture or authority to make corrections. The quarterly vs monthly income mix-up is unfortunately super common, especially after recertifications. For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues: Dylan's experience shows why it's crucial to 1) use the specific terminology mentioned by QuantumQuasar, 2) escalate to supervisors when needed, and 3) don't give up! The system has problems but there are people who can and will help when you reach the right person. Dylan - definitely follow up on that underpayment claim timeline. In my experience, those can take 30-45 days to process, so don't panic if it doesn't show up immediately. Keep checking your EBT balance and BenefitsCal for updates!
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Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I'll definitely keep my kids' old P-EBT cards just in case, but now I know to watch for new P-EBT 4.0 cards coming hopefully this spring/summer. I'm going to double-check with the school that they have our current address too. This has been really helpful!
You're welcome! That's a good plan. Also, if you don't receive the P-EBT 4.0 cards by late summer 2025 and you believe your children qualify, there will likely be a way to request replacement cards through the P-EBT website. They usually set up a portal for families who didn't receive their cards or who need replacements. But checking your address with the school now is definitely the best first step to avoid any issues.
This thread has been super helpful! I'm in a similar situation - got P-EBT 3.0 cards for my two kids last year but wasn't sure what to expect with 4.0. One thing I wanted to add for anyone reading this: if you moved during the school year, make sure to update your address with BOTH your old school district AND your new one. I learned this the hard way when we moved mid-year and almost missed out on benefits because there was confusion about which district was responsible for issuing our cards. Also, keep all your P-EBT cards even if they're at zero balance - I've heard of people getting surprise deposits months later for missed benefits. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here!
That's such a good point about updating addresses with both school districts when you move! I hadn't thought about that complication. It makes sense that there could be confusion about which district handles the card issuance. Thanks for sharing that tip - it could save a lot of headaches for families who relocate during the school year. I'm also glad to hear I'm not the only one keeping the old cards just in case. Better safe than sorry with these benefits!
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I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress! As a newcomer to this community, I'm learning a lot from reading everyone's experiences. It sounds like you got great advice and I'm relieved to see your update that it's getting resolved. I'm keeping this thread saved for reference since I'm still pretty new to navigating CalFresh myself. The tip about Claimyr seems really useful - I had no idea services like that existed. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge here, it's so helpful for those of us who are still learning the system!
Welcome to the community! I'm relatively new here too and this thread has been so educational. It's amazing how supportive everyone is with sharing their experiences and practical solutions. The Claimyr service recommendation was a game-changer - I never would have known about tools like that without this community. It really shows how much we can help each other navigate these complicated systems. Definitely saving this thread as well for future reference!
I'm so glad you were able to get this resolved, Clarissa! As someone who's been through similar CalFresh issues, I can totally relate to that panic when your card suddenly stops working and you have a family to feed. It's really frustrating how these system glitches happen during routine updates, but at least now you know what to do if it ever happens again. The Claimyr service sounds like a lifesaver - I'm definitely bookmarking that for future reference. Thanks for sharing your experience and the solution, it's going to help so many other families who might face this same issue. Hope everything goes smoothly when you pick up your emergency card tomorrow!
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I work at a local community center and we see this exact situation almost daily. Here's what's helped other families: 1) If you have kids under 18, contact your school district's family liaison - many have direct contacts with county workers for emergency situations. 2) File a complaint with the California Department of Social Services if your benefits were wrongfully discontinued - you can do this online while waiting to reach someone by phone. 3) Most importantly, go to your county office IN PERSON if possible. They can't hang up on you and often have same-day emergency assistance available. Bring ID, any paperwork you have, and specifically ask for "immediate needs assistance" for your children. Don't let them schedule you for next week - emphasize this is an emergency food situation.
This is incredibly helpful advice! I had no idea about the school district family liaison option - that could be a game changer since my kids are in elementary school. Going in person makes total sense too, I was so focused on trying to get through by phone that I didn't even think about just showing up. Thank you for taking the time to share all these practical steps, especially about the "immediate needs assistance" - I'll use those exact words when I go tomorrow morning.
@Zainab Ahmed I went through this exact nightmare 6 months ago when my benefits suddenly stopped. Here's what finally worked: 1) Call the state CalFresh hotline at 1-877-847-3663 instead of your county office - sometimes they can see issues the county can't. 2) If you can't get through by phone, use the "Contact Us" form on the MyBenefitsCalWin website and mark it as URGENT - they responded to mine within 24 hours. 3) Most importantly, if your benefits were cut without proper notice, you can get emergency replacement benefits while appealing. Ask specifically for "replacement benefits pending appeal" when you do get through to someone. Don't give up - you and your kids deserve to eat while this gets sorted out!
Juan Moreno
Thanks everyone for explaining! I was getting excited but I don't qualify since I'm not homeless, elderly or disabled. It's too bad they don't consider single working parents for this program. I totally get what that one person said about it being for people who can't prepare meals, but honestly after working double shifts sometimes I PHYSICALLY can't stand up to cook either! Anyway, at least now I know what my neighbor was talking about. Appreciate all the responses!
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Amy Fleming
•You're welcome! While you may not qualify for RMP, there are other time-saving options that work with CalFresh. Many grocery stores now offer pre-prepared meals that are EBT eligible - things like rotisserie chickens, pre-made sandwiches, and deli salads. Also, some meal kit services like Fresh EBT Kitchen now accept CalFresh payments. Not quite the same as fast food, but might help on those exhausting days when cooking isn't possible.
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Niko Ramsey
Another option for working parents that might help - some grocery stores like Whole Foods and Safeway have hot food bars and prepared food sections where you can use EBT. You can get things like hot soup, pizza slices, fried chicken, etc. It's not as convenient as drive-through but it's faster than cooking from scratch and usually cheaper than restaurant prices. Just make sure the items are meant to be eaten at home (not restaurant-style dining). I've used this when I'm too exhausted to cook but still need to feed my kids something decent!
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Ethan Scott
•This is such helpful advice! I had no idea grocery stores had hot food that you could buy with EBT. I always thought it had to be cold/uncooked food only. Do you know if places like Walmart or Target have similar options? Those are closer to where I live than Whole Foods. Also, is there a way to tell which hot foods are EBT eligible vs which ones aren't when you're shopping?
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