I'm dealing with something similar right now - just got approved for $16/month which honestly felt like a slap in the face after all that paperwork! But after reading through all these responses, I'm definitely keeping my case active. One thing that's helped me is using the WIC office resources even though I don't qualify for WIC - they often have lists of local food resources and know about programs that CalFresh workers don't always mention. Also, if you have any community colleges nearby, a lot of them have "basic needs" programs that include food pantries open to anyone in the community, not just students. And definitely look into that Fresh EBT app someone mentioned - it's been a game changer for finding which stores have sales and which farmers markets do the matching programs. I found out there's a mobile food pantry that comes to my neighborhood twice a month just through that app. The income reporting thing is so important too. I put it off for weeks because dealing with the county office is such a nightmare, but when I finally reported my reduced hours, my benefits went up to $67. Still not huge, but way more workable than the minimum amount. Hang in there!

I'm so glad you posted this because I'm in literally the same boat - got approved for $15 last month and was feeling so defeated about it. But honestly, this thread has been incredible and changed my whole perspective on keeping the benefits active. The thing about automatically qualifying for other programs just by having an active EBT card is huge! I had no idea about the utility assistance and internet discounts. My phone and internet bills are eating up so much of my budget right now. One strategy I've been using is combining my tiny CalFresh amount with the clearance sections at grocery stores. Like I'll use the $15 specifically on marked-down meat or produce that's about to expire, then freeze or cook it right away. It's not glamorous but it helps stretch things further. And yeah, definitely don't sleep on reporting those hour cuts! I know the county office is a nightmare to deal with, but from what everyone's saying here, it really can make a massive difference in your benefit amount. The difference between $13 and potentially $100+ is absolutely worth the hassle of getting through to someone. Thanks for starting this conversation - it's so helpful to hear real experiences from people actually navigating this system instead of just the official government resources that barely tell you anything useful!

I went through something very similar when my younger brother moved in with us from Arizona last year! Here's what ended up working best for our family: We settled on $475/month total - $325 for his share of housing costs and $150 for utilities/internet/household expenses. This gave him a solid shelter deduction for CalFresh while keeping our tax situation simple since most of it was just cost-sharing rather than profit. The key thing that helped us was being upfront with the CalFresh worker during his interview about the family arrangement. We had a simple one-page agreement that laid out what his monthly contribution covered, and they were totally fine with it. No complicated paperwork needed. Tax-wise, since we weren't making any profit (our mortgage and utilities actually cost more than what he was contributing), our accountant said we didn't need to report it as rental income. Just keep good records showing your actual housing costs in case anyone ever asks. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - make sure she gets her own California ID as soon as possible! That was the biggest holdup in his application process. Everything else went pretty smoothly once we had that sorted out. Your niece is lucky to have family looking out for her like this. The whole process is much more straightforward than it seems at first!

I've been lurking here for a while but wanted to jump in since I just went through this exact situation with my sister-in-law who moved here from Nevada a few months ago. What really worked for us was keeping it simple and transparent from the start. We charged her $425/month broken down as $275 for housing and $150 for her share of utilities, groceries, and internet. This amount gave her a good shelter deduction for CalFresh (she qualified for about $250/month in benefits) while being genuinely affordable for her once she found part-time work. For the agreement, we just typed up a one-page document that said "Monthly household contribution: $425 covering shared housing costs, utilities, internet, and household expenses." We both signed it and dated it - nothing fancy, but it satisfied CalFresh verification requirements perfectly. Tax-wise, our CPA said since we're basically just cost-sharing and not profiting, there's no rental income to report. The key was being able to show our actual housing costs exceed what she pays us. One practical tip: help her gather ALL her documents before applying - birth certificate, Social Security card, any ID she has, and bank statements. Having everything ready made her interview go super smoothly. The worker was actually really helpful once she saw we had our paperwork organized. The whole process was way less stressful than I expected! Your niece is going to do great with family support like this.

I went through this exact same situation 6 months ago - had $220 stolen from my EBT card while it was still in my possession. It's absolutely maddening and scary when it happens! Here's what I learned that might help: The skimmers are getting incredibly sophisticated now. They can be paper-thin overlays on card readers that are almost impossible to detect. I got skimmed at a grocery store I'd been shopping at for years - turned out they had been hit by a skimming operation and didn't even know it. One thing that really helped speed up my case was documenting EVERYTHING with timestamps and photos. I took screenshots of my EBT account showing the fraudulent transactions, photographed my card (front and back), and wrote down exactly where and when I had used my card in the days leading up to the theft. Also, when you call the EBT number, ask to speak specifically with the "fraud department" rather than general customer service. They're much more knowledgeable about the replacement process and can walk you through exactly what forms you'll need. My benefits were fully replaced after about 5 weeks, which was faster than I expected based on horror stories I'd heard. The key was staying on top of the process and following up weekly. You've got this - just stay persistent and document everything!

This is such a frustrating situation and you're definitely not alone! EBT card skimming has become a huge problem lately. I had my card compromised twice in the past year - once at a gas station and once at a convenience store. Here's what worked for me: Call the EBT customer service line (1-877-328-9677) early in the morning around 8 AM when call volume is lower. When you get through, immediately say "fraud department" to get transferred to someone who actually knows the process. Don't waste time with general customer service - they'll just put you on hold forever. Make sure you get a case number when you report it, and ask them to email you a confirmation of your fraud report if possible. Also, change your PIN immediately over the phone even before you get your replacement card - this prevents any additional theft while you're waiting. The replacement process is slow but they WILL replace your benefits if you follow the steps correctly. I got mine back in about 6-8 weeks both times. In the meantime, see if any local food banks can help tide you over. Many don't ask questions and can provide emergency food assistance while you're waiting for your benefits to be restored. Stay strong - this theft epidemic is a systemic problem with outdated EBT technology, not anything you did wrong!

I'm glad you're getting some good suggestions here. One last thing to know is that even if it takes time to get the additional cards, P-EBT benefits are retroactive to the eligibility date. So when your children's cards do arrive, they should have the full benefit amount they're entitled to, including for the months you were waiting. Don't worry about losing benefits during this resolution period.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My daughter got her P-EBT card last month but my son who's in the same grade at the same school still hasn't received his. I called our school's main office and they transferred me to the district's food services coordinator who was actually really helpful. She explained that sometimes there are delays when kids have different spellings of their names in different systems (like if the school uses "Michael" but the state records show "Mike"). She was able to verify both my kids were on the submitted list and gave me a reference number to use when I contact the county office. Definitely try the district food services department - they seem to know way more about the P-EBT process than individual school secretaries!

I'm in a similar situation with my kids - last name starts with L and still waiting! It's really helpful to see everyone's experiences here. I didn't realize the cards looked so different this year or that they come in plain envelopes. I'll definitely be checking our mail more carefully and won't throw away anything that looks like junk mail. Thanks for sharing the portal link too - I'm going to check that tonight to see if there's any status update for our family. It's reassuring to know they're actually following the alphabetical order mostly, even if there are some exceptions based on school districts and counties.

I'm also waiting for my P-EBT cards and this thread has been so helpful! My kids' last name starts with N so I'm hoping we'll get ours in the next week or two based on what everyone is saying. I had no idea about the purple design or that the envelopes look like junk mail - I'll definitely be checking everything carefully. Does anyone know if the cards come with instructions on how to activate them or do you have to call a number? Also wondering if there's a way to check the balance once you get the card activated. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!