California CalFresh

Has anyone else had trouble with their EBT card not working at certain stores? I've had my card for about 2 years now and sometimes the chip doesn't read right. I've found I have to swipe it at some places but others require the chip. Just something to be aware of if you're new to using the card.

i was confused about this too when i first got calfresh!! but yeh u keep the same card and they just put the $$ on it each month. u can also check ur balance by calling the number on the back or use the app. the app is actually pretty good.

I wanted to add one more thing - when you talk to the school district, ask specifically about their "direct certification" system. This is what they use to identify students eligible for free/reduced meals, which is what P-EBT is based on. Sometimes there are errors in how that information is transmitted to the state. Also, P-EBT cards for different age groups sometimes get sent out in different batches. So it's possible your younger kids' cards are still coming in a later mailing. The address issue is still worth fixing, but I wouldn't panic just yet about the missing cards.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Just wanted to add that if you have any older P-EBT cards from previous years that worked fine, keep those handy when you call. Sometimes the customer service reps can reference the address from those older cards to help verify your identity, even if they can't tell you what address is currently in their system. Also, I found it helpful to keep a detailed log of every call I made (date, time, representative name if they give it, and what they told me). When I finally got someone who could help, having that record made it easier to explain all the steps I'd already tried. The whole system is definitely frustrating, but don't give up - your kids deserve those benefits!

Since your benefits have now been deposited, here's a tip for future months: You can set up text alerts through the EBT app or website that will notify you the moment your benefits are deposited. This way you don't have to keep checking your balance throughout the day. Just go to the ConnectEBT website, login, and look under "Preferences" or "Notifications" to set it up.

I'm new to CalFresh and this thread is super helpful! I just got approved last month and my issuance date is the 15th (case number ends in 5). Now I know not to panic if the deposit doesn't come at exactly the same time each month. The text alert tip is great - I'm going to set that up right away. It's reassuring to know that timing variations are normal even though it's stressful when you're depending on those benefits for groceries.

To clarify some confusion I'm seeing in the comments: there is absolutely NO minimum age requirement for including children in your CalFresh household. Even a 1-day-old newborn should be counted. The confusion sometimes happens because some parents think babies don't count until they eat regular food, but CalFresh eligibility is based on household membership, not eating patterns. LA County should have specifically asked about ALL household members when you applied. When you call to add your baby, if they try to give you any difficulty about backdating the change, ask to speak with a supervisor and cite the CalFresh handbook section 63-402.1 which defines household composition.

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else in a similar situation - I'm also in LA County and had to add my daughter when she was 6 months old. The worker I spoke with was really helpful and processed the change within 2 days. My benefits went from $194 to $465 for a household of 2. One thing that helped me was having all my documents ready before I called: baby's birth certificate, proof of my income, and receipts for childcare expenses. Also, don't let them tell you that you need to wait for your next recertification - household composition changes should be processed immediately! Good luck mama, your baby definitely deserves to be counted for those benefits.

Did you get this resolved? The process everyone described usually works, but sometimes the ConnectEBT system has a delay in recognizing new cards. If you try the steps above and still can't get in, you might need to wait 24-48 hours after activating your new card before the system fully updates. This happened to me last year - couldn't get in immediately but it started working two days later without me doing anything different.

So glad you got this figured out! This is such a common issue and your thread will definitely help other people who run into the same problem. It's really frustrating that they don't include any instructions with replacement cards about updating your online account. The fact that ConnectEBT and BenefitsCal are separate systems managed by different companies makes everything so confusing. Hopefully they'll improve this process in the future, but at least now there's a clear step-by-step guide here for anyone else dealing with a stolen/replaced EBT card!