I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been having the exact same issues with the ebtEDGE app for weeks now - it's incredibly frustrating when you're trying to manage your benefits and the technology just doesn't work. @Connor Gallagher I'm really happy you were able to get your card unfrozen and get groceries for your kids tonight! As someone who works in community outreach, I see these app problems constantly. The ebtEDGE system is notorious for glitches, especially during high-traffic periods or maintenance windows like @Natasha Orlova mentioned. It's honestly unacceptable that families have to deal with this kind of stress when trying to access their benefits. For anyone still struggling with similar issues, I wanted to add that some county offices also have EBT customer service representatives available during business hours who can help with card management over the phone. It might be worth calling your local CalFresh office directly if the main EBT line has long wait times. They can't always help with everything, but many can assist with basic card functions like freezing/unfreezing. Also, keep documentation of any app issues you experience - dates, times, error messages, etc. If these problems cause you to miss accessing your benefits or result in any losses, that documentation can be helpful when filing complaints or requesting benefit replacements. The system should work for us, not against us!

Just wanted to jump in and say how grateful I am for threads like this! I'm relatively new to CalFresh and had no idea there were so many backup options when the ebtEDGE app fails. I've been banging my head against the wall for the past two weeks trying to get the app to work properly - constant login errors, random crashes, and password reset emails that never arrive. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel so much less alone in this struggle. @Connor Gallagher I'm so glad you were able to get your card unfrozen and feed your kids! That's exactly the kind of situation that shows how critical these backup systems are. And @Paolo Longo your detailed breakdown of the phone system process is incredibly helpful - I'm screenshot-ing that for future reference. The tip about documenting app issues from @Fatima Al-Qasimi is something I wish I'd known earlier. I've probably lost hours of my life to this glitchy app, and keeping records could have been useful for reporting these problems. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone had success getting the app issues escalated to actually get them fixed? Or do we just have to accept that the phone system is our main reliable option? It seems like such a widespread problem that there should be more pressure to improve the app experience for everyone relying on these benefits. Thanks again to everyone for sharing your knowledge and helping newcomers like me navigate this system!

This is such an important thread! I just want to add one more tip that helped me feel more secure - I actually called the legitimate EBT customer service number (the one on the back of my card) and asked them to add extra security notes to my account. They can put flags that require additional verification before any changes are made. Also, for anyone who's elderly or not as comfortable with technology, please share this information with family members or caregivers. My grandmother almost fell for one of these scams last month because she didn't know about the new tactics they're using. These scammers are specifically targeting older adults and people who might be less familiar with how the system actually works. One more thing - if you do get a suspicious call, try to write down or remember as many details as possible: the phone number that called you, what time they called, exactly what they said, and any background noises you heard. The fraud investigators said this information helps them track down these scam operations and potentially shut them down. Every detail matters in protecting our community!

Thank you so much for starting this thread! I just joined this community and this is exactly the kind of information I needed. I actually got a similar call about a week ago but didn't think much of it at the time - now I'm realizing it was probably one of these scams too. The caller said something about "updating my EBT information" and left a callback number, but I was busy and never called back. Now I'm so glad I didn't! Reading through everyone's experiences is both scary and reassuring - scary to see how common these scams are, but reassuring to know there are so many people looking out for each other in this community. I'm going to follow all the advice here: download the ebtEDGE app, set up transaction alerts, save all the legitimate numbers in my phone, and definitely report any future suspicious calls to that fraud hotline. It's disgusting that criminals are targeting people who rely on food assistance, but I'm grateful we have spaces like this to warn each other and share protective strategies. Stay vigilant everyone!

Just wanted to add that I've been dealing with this same issue! Started having problems about a week ago when trying to check my remaining balance before grocery shopping. The website would load but then crash when I tried to log in. I found that clearing my browser cache and cookies helped sometimes - not a permanent fix but got me in once or twice. Also discovered you can text your EBT card number to 511-411 to get your balance sent back as a text message, which has been super helpful when the website is down. Really appreciate everyone sharing these workarounds and resources - this community is so much more helpful than trying to navigate the county office phone system!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been having the exact same issues with BenefitsCal for the past week and was starting to panic thinking my account got suspended or something. I'm pretty new to CalFresh (just got approved last month) and wasn't sure if this was normal or a real problem. Reading through everyone's responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the maintenance period and all the alternative ways to check balance like the text option and phone number. I had no idea there was a mobile app either! It's frustrating that they don't communicate these outages better to users, but I'm relieved to know it's temporary and that there are workarounds. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community seems way more responsive than any official support channels I've tried!

I'm also waiting for my SUN Bucks card with a last name starting with 'S'! My twin boys are in 1st grade and we're in San Bernardino County. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the alphabetical distribution system or that there was age-based prioritization within each letter group. I was getting worried since it's already July 30th, but after reading everyone's experiences I feel much better about waiting until August 5th before calling. It's especially encouraging to see that some S families like Lia are starting to receive their cards, and knowing that elementary kids get priority makes me hopeful ours will arrive soon. Thank you to everyone who shared the Summer EBT hotline number and all the detailed information about how this program works - as a newcomer to CalFresh benefits, I really appreciate this community's knowledge and support!

I'm also waiting for my SUN Bucks card with a last name starting with 'S'! My daughter is in 3rd grade and we're in Kern County. This thread has been so incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the alphabetical distribution system, the age-based priority for elementary kids, or that there was a separate Summer EBT hotline. I was starting to stress since we're already at July 30th, but reading everyone's experiences has really put my mind at ease. It's especially encouraging to see that some S families like Lia are already getting their cards, and knowing that elementary students get priority within each letter group gives me hope ours will arrive soon. I'll definitely wait until August 5th before calling like everyone's suggesting. As someone new to these benefits, I'm so grateful for this community sharing all this detailed information about how the program actually works. The $125 per child clarification was also really helpful - I thought it was monthly! Thanks everyone for being so supportive and keeping us updated on your experiences.

I'm so relieved to find this thread! I've been having the exact same problem with the EBT Edge app for about three weeks now. It keeps showing my balance as $31.67 no matter what I spend, but when I call the automated line I have $178 available. What's really been getting to me is the anxiety every time I go to the store - I never know if my card will actually work or if I'll get that embarrassing decline at checkout. Just this morning I was at Target and almost put back the milk and eggs because I thought I was running low, but then I called from the cereal aisle and found out I had plenty left. It's exhausting having to call every single time, especially with my two young kids asking "why are we waiting, mom?" while I'm on hold. I've tried all the usual fixes - deleting the app, restarting my phone, even got a new phone thinking it was a device issue. Nothing works! Thanks to everyone for sharing the midnight checking tip and the manual tracking idea - I'm definitely going to start writing down my balance each morning after calling. It's frustrating that we have to create these workarounds just to buy groceries, but at least now I know it's not just me going crazy. Really hoping they stick to that June timeline because this is affecting real families trying to put food on the table!

I'm having this exact same issue! My EBT Edge app has been frozen showing $45.22 for almost two weeks now, but when I call the automated line I actually have $163 left. It's been so stressful because I keep second-guessing myself at the store. Yesterday I was at Walmart with a cart full of groceries and almost didn't go through checkout because the app made me think I was close to running out. I ended up calling the number right there in line (so embarrassing!) and found out I had plenty left. The worst part is when you're trying to budget for the week and you can't trust any of the numbers the app is showing you. I've been calling the automated line every morning now and writing the balance on my phone notes, which works but is such a hassle. Really glad to know it's not just me dealing with this - I was starting to think there was something wrong with my specific account. Thanks everyone for the workarounds and for confirming this is widespread. Hopefully they actually fix it by June like that community worker mentioned!