CalFresh benefits missing this month - can't get through busy phone lines

check ur mail.. they probably sent u a notice about verification or something. this happened to me last yr and it turned out i missed a letter saying i needed to verify my rent. they dont always call u

I think there's a delay this month for a lot of people. My sister didn't get hers either and she's in Sacramento County. Something about a system update maybe?

There are a few reasons your benefits might not have loaded: 1. Your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) may have been due last month. If you didn't submit it, benefits can be cut off even if your recertification was approved. 2. You may have reached your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) and didn't report it. The system would auto-discontinue benefits. 3. There could be a verification issue that needs resolving. Sometimes the system flags accounts for verification even after recertification. 4. Sometimes there are payment delays of 1-2 days due to system issues, especially around the 10th when many benefits are issued. Continue trying to call your county office, but call right when they open (usually 8:00 AM). The lines are less busy then.

The EXACT SAME THING happened to me in March!!! I called 23 TIMES over THREE DAYS and couldn't get through! The system is GARBAGE!!! When I finally reached someone, they said my benefits were "on hold" for a "system review" whatever that means. They fixed it but I didn't get the money for almost a week after it was due. The county workers don't care that people are going hungry while they take their sweet time fixing their mistakes!!!!!

I had this exact problem last month and found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through the phone lines. You just enter your number on their website (claimyr.com) and they wait on hold with the county for you, then call you when a real person picks up. Saved me literally hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Once I finally got through, it turned out there was a glitch in the system that had flagged my case for review even though nothing had changed. The worker fixed it in like 5 minutes and my benefits were loaded the next day.

Based on your timeline (just recertified three weeks ago), this could be what's called a "phasing issue." Sometimes when you recertify, your benefit issuance date changes. Check your approval letter carefully - it should state your new issuance date. It might have moved from the 10th to a different day of the month. Also, make sure you're checking the correct EBT card. If they issued you a new card during recertification (which sometimes happens), benefits would go to the new card, not your old one. If you can't reach anyone by phone, you can also: 1. Email your county office through your BenefitsCal account 2. Visit the office in person (bring ID and your case number) 3. Contact your county's ombudsperson (they help resolve issues when normal channels fail) Keep documenting your attempts to contact them - dates and times you called. This helps if you need to file for expedited assistance.

anyone know if theres emergency food banks that can help while waiting for calfresh to fix their mistakes??

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone this morning! I used that Claimyr service one of you suggested and it worked great - only waited about 25 minutes instead of calling all day. Turns out there was a system glitch affecting people who recertified in April. The worker said about 200 cases in my county alone had the same issue! They fixed it on the spot and my benefits should load within 24 hours. The worker also gave me a direct extension to call if it doesn't show up tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. This community is amazing!