Can't reach California CalFresh? Claimyr connects you to a live DSS agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the DSS
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the DSS drops your call
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!
Really made a difference
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!
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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
Just wanted to add that if you're still within your first month after approval, don't panic if your benefits don't show up on your expected day! Like Lucas mentioned, the first month can be irregular. I got my first benefits about 5 days after approval, then it switched to my regular schedule (the 6th) the following month. Also, benefits are usually loaded early in the morning - like between 12 AM and 6 AM - so check your balance first thing when you wake up on your day. The ConnectEBT app that others mentioned is super helpful for tracking this stuff!
This is so helpful! I'm actually still in my first month (just got approved last week) so this explains why I haven't seen anything yet. I was starting to worry something went wrong with my application. Good to know about the early morning timing too - I'll make sure to check first thing when I wake up. Thanks for mentioning the ConnectEBT app again, I downloaded it earlier and it's already been super useful for understanding everything!
Just a heads up for anyone reading this - if you move counties while on CalFresh, your case number might change and therefore your benefit date could change too! I moved from LA County to San Diego County last year and had to transfer my case. My old case number ended in 4 so I got benefits on the 4th, but my new case number ends in 1 so now I get them on the 2nd. It was actually kind of nice getting them earlier in the month, but definitely caught me off guard the first time! Make sure to ask about this if you're planning to move.
That's really good to know about moving between counties! I'm actually thinking about relocating in a few months so this is super helpful information. Did you have to restart the whole application process when you moved or was it more like a transfer? And how long did it take for the new case number to get assigned? I'd hate to have a gap in benefits during the transition.
Join the conversation
UPDATE: My benefits are back! Logged into the app this morning and everything is showing correctly now. For anyone else with this issue, looks like it was just a temporary glitch with the app display. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great news! Thanks for updating us. This confirms it was indeed related to the system maintenance they've been doing. Glad it resolved quickly for you!
mine too!! everything back to normal 👍
So glad to see this got resolved! This is actually pretty common during WIC system updates - I've seen this happen in Orange County too. For future reference, the CA WIC program usually posts updates about planned maintenance on their main website (mywic.ca.gov), so you can check there if you see weird app behavior. Also worth noting that even when the app shows zero, your physical WIC card should still work at authorized stores during these glitches. The card connects to a different part of the system than the mobile app display.
Join the conversation
This is so frustrating! I'm also new to CalFresh and had the exact same panic when I couldn't log in earlier tonight. I thought maybe I missed some paperwork or deadline since I just got approved last week. Thank goodness for this thread - now I know this is a regular occurrence and not something wrong with my case. I was planning to do my first big grocery trip with my benefits tomorrow so I really needed to check my balance. Going to save that customer service number from the back of my card in my phone for next time this happens. Really wish they would give us some kind of heads up about maintenance windows!
Welcome to CalFresh! I totally get that panic - I had the same reaction when I first started using the benefits and couldn't access the system. It's really common for the EBT website and app to go down during high-traffic times, especially around the 1st and 15th when most people's benefits get loaded. Don't worry, your benefits are still there even when you can't see them online! For your first grocery trip, you can always ask the cashier to check your balance when you swipe your card, or call that customer service number before you go shopping. Hope your first shopping experience goes smoothly tomorrow!
I'm pretty new to this community but wanted to chime in since I had the same exact experience tonight! I was trying to check my balance before heading to the store tomorrow morning and kept getting error messages. Reading through all these comments has been super helpful - I had no idea this was such a regular thing. It's reassuring to know it's just system maintenance and not an issue with my benefits. I'll definitely be saving that customer service number and taking screenshots of my balance like some of you suggested. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips!
Join the conversation
Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I just downloaded the ConnectEBT app and got it set up successfully. Had to try twice because I didn't enter my name exactly as it appears on the card the first time (missed my middle initial). The balance is showing correctly now. I'll check out the Providers app too since it sounds like it has that farmers market feature. Really appreciate all the warnings about scam apps - definitely going to be careful!
Glad you got it working! One more tip: make sure to set up the low balance alerts in the ConnectEBT app settings. It'll send you a notification when your balance gets below whatever amount you specify, which is super helpful for budgeting.
That's a great tip, thank you! Just set it up to alert me when I get below $25.
Hey Isabella! Welcome to CalFresh! Just wanted to add that if you're planning to shop at farmers markets, you should also look into the Market Match program that Omar mentioned. Many California farmers markets will match your CalFresh spending dollar-for-dollar on fresh fruits and vegetables, so you can get double the produce for your money. You can find participating markets on the Ecology Center website or ask at your local farmers market. It's an amazing way to stretch your benefits and get really fresh, healthy food!
This is such valuable information, Aaron! I had no idea about the Market Match program. That sounds like an incredible way to get more fresh produce. I'll definitely check out the Ecology Center website you mentioned. As someone just starting with CalFresh, learning about programs like this that can help stretch my benefits is really helpful. Do you know if the match has a weekly or monthly limit, or is it per visit to the market?
GalacticGladiator
Just to follow up - once you report your pregnancy (after 7 months along) and after your baby is born, make sure to update your CalFresh case. For a household of 3 in 2025, the maximum CalFresh benefit is around $770/month instead of $425. Also, since housing costs affect CalFresh benefits, if your rent does increase, report that too! Higher rent can sometimes qualify you for higher CalFresh benefits because it reduces your "net income" in their calculations. This is called the "excess shelter deduction.
0 coins
Aisha Hussain
•Wow, that would be almost double what I get now! I had no idea the rent increase might actually help with getting more food benefits. This gives me hope that we might be able to make things work. Thank you so much for all this information!
0 coins
Andre Lefebvre
I was in a similar situation last year and ended up applying for everything at once through BenefitsCal.com - you can apply for CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medi-Cal all in the same application. Made things way easier than doing separate applications. The CalWORKs Housing Support Program ended up being what saved us from eviction.
0 coins
Ella Harper
•That's really encouraging to hear! I'm going to apply through BenefitsCal tonight. Can I ask how long it took to get approved for the Housing Support Program after you applied for CalWORKs? I'm hoping they can help before my rent increase kicks in next month.
0 coins
Zoe Gonzalez
•@Ella Harper It took about 3-4 weeks from when I submitted my CalWORKs application to when they approved me for the Housing Support Program. But here s'the key - I had to specifically ASK about it during my eligibility interview! The worker didn t'mention it automatically. Once I asked, they fast-tracked the housing assistance part because I was facing eviction. Make sure to mention your urgent situation pregnant (+ rent increase + toddler when) you apply - they have emergency procedures for cases like yours.
0 coins