CalFresh benefits suddenly reduced to $0 - need urgent help reaching EBT customer service

Don't submit a new application - that could actually complicate things further since you already have an active case. There are a few reasons your benefits might have dropped to $0: 1) You might have missed submitting your SAR7 (Semi-Annual Report), 2) Your income might have been reported higher than the threshold, 3) A verification document was requested but not received, or 4) There was a system error. The best way to resolve this is to speak directly with your county worker. Do you have their direct number from previous communications? If not, call your county office's main line early in the morning (right when they open) as that's typically when wait times are shortest.

omg the EXACT same thing hapened to me 2 months ago!!!! i was FREAKING OUT! turns out they needed some stupid pay stub verification that they never bothered to tell me about. the system is totally broken. call right at 8am and KEEP CALLING even if it hangs up. sometimes u gotta call like 20 times in a row no joke

This is unfortunately a common issue - it could be what's called an administrative discontinuance. Sometimes the system incorrectly flags accounts or misses processing submitted documents. In California, if your benefits were erroneously stopped, you have 90 days to get them reinstated without having to reapply. Here's what I recommend: 1. Visit your county office in person if possible - bring ID and your case number 2. Request an "Expedited Services" review due to your emergency food situation 3. Ask specifically for a "Notice of Action" explaining why your benefits were reduced to $0 4. If they verify it was an administrative error, request retroactive benefits for the weeks you missed Also, while you're dealing with this, please check if your local food bank can provide emergency assistance. Call 211 for immediate food resources in your area.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED TO MAKE US GIVE UP!!!! They do this on purpose to save money. Cut people off and make it IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone. Same thing happened to my sister and when she FINALLY got through they said "oops our mistake" but she went 6 weeks with no food benefits!!! And they wonder why people hate dealing with government programs?????

I had a similar nightmare situation last month and finally found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual CalFresh worker after trying for days on my own. It's basically a service that waits on hold for you and then calls you when they get a real person. Saved me HOURS of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and there's a demo video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Once I finally got through to a worker, they told me my benefits had been reduced because they thought I missed an appointment that I never even knew about! They fixed it on the spot and reinstated my benefits. Definitely worth trying if you keep hitting dead ends with the regular phone lines.

check ur mail carefully!! sometimes they send notices that look like junk mail and its easy to miss them. my benefits got cut off bcuz i didnt respond to some random letter that i thought was just general info. also did u report any changes recently? even small ones can affect benefits

I work for a community organization that helps people with CalFresh issues. Here's what I suggest: 1. First, check BenefitsCal more thoroughly - look under "Messages" and "Task" sections, not just the main dashboard. There might be a pending verification request you missed. 2. If your recertification period ended recently, that could be the cause. You would need to complete a full recertification rather than just a regular SAR7. 3. In the meantime, while you're sorting this out, please contact these emergency food resources: - Your local WIC office if you have children under 5 - School food pantries if your children are in school - Call 211 for immediate food assistance locations - Check FoodFinder.us for nearby food pantries Don't give up on reaching your county office. If you can't visit in person, keep calling, but vary the times you call - sometimes mid-afternoon has shorter wait times than mornings.

btw if ur really desperate and cant wait for bureaucracy check out the local churches too, they often have food pantries that dont ask questions or need appointments