CalFresh phone numbers not working - how to reach a real person TODAY?

theres no 'direct' number unfortunately... its all the same customer service line. try calling right when they open at 8am, thats when i finally got through last month. took me 5 days of trying tho 😠

5 DAYS?? My kids can't wait that long to eat! There has to be another way. Do supervisors have direct lines or something?

The county offices have ridiculous wait times, it's by design. I was in your exact situation last year when my recertification got \

Thanks, I'll try the county office. Do they have different hours? And yeah, I have all my paperwork ready - been ready for days!

I've been on CalFresh for 3 years and learned this trick - call at 7:58am right before they open, then immediately hit 0 three times when the menu starts. Sometimes it bypasses the queue. Also try Wednesdays, they seem less busy than Monday/Friday.

Will try this tomorrow morning! Hitting 0 three times - got it.

I had the exact same issue last month after my Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) supposedly wasn't received on time (even though I submitted it online through BenefitsCal). After multiple failed attempts calling, I tried a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they basically wait on hold for you with the CalFresh office then call you when a real person picks up. Saved me hours of frustration and got my benefits reinstated within a day. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

is it free? i cant afford to pay just to talk to people MY TAX DOLLARS already pay for!!

It's not free but it saved me from missing work hours trying to call them, which would have cost me way more. Plus they only charge if they actually connect you.

At this point I'd pay anything to get this fixed. Thanks for the suggestion, checking it out now.

IF YOUR BENIFITS STOPPED UNEXPECTDLY YOU MIGHT QUALIFY FOR EXPEDITED SERVICES!!! i know for a fact they have to help you within 3 days if youre about to run out of food. Tell them you have less than $100 in resources and no food in the house, they legally have to process you as emergency. source: happened to me twice

This is partially true, but needs clarification. Expedited service is mainly for new applicants in emergency situations. For existing cases with benefits that stopped, you'd need to request an appeal for wrongful discontinuance. You can do this while also requesting immediate assistance. Make sure to specifically ask for a

Thank you both. I'll definitely mention expedited services AND ask for the Notice of Action. I know my SAR7 was submitted on time so this should never have happened.

One more thing - call your local food bank while you're sorting this out. Many now have emergency programs specifically for families with kids whose CalFresh benefits were delayed or cut off. The one in my area partners with schools too.

Good idea - I'll call them tomorrow too. This is all so frustrating. The system is designed to make people give up.

I work at a local community center and we see this exact situation almost daily. Here's what's helped other families: 1) If you have kids under 18, contact your school district's family liaison - many have direct contacts with county workers for emergency situations. 2) File a complaint with the California Department of Social Services if your benefits were wrongfully discontinued - you can do this online while waiting to reach someone by phone. 3) Most importantly, go to your county office IN PERSON if possible. They can't hang up on you and often have same-day emergency assistance available. Bring ID, any paperwork you have, and specifically ask for "immediate needs assistance" for your children. Don't let them schedule you for next week - emphasize this is an emergency food situation.

@Zainab Ahmed I went through this exact nightmare 6 months ago when my benefits suddenly stopped. Here's what finally worked: 1) Call the state CalFresh hotline at 1-877-847-3663 instead of your county office - sometimes they can see issues the county can't. 2) If you can't get through by phone, use the "Contact Us" form on the MyBenefitsCalWin website and mark it as URGENT - they responded to mine within 24 hours. 3) Most importantly, if your benefits were cut without proper notice, you can get emergency replacement benefits while appealing. Ask specifically for "replacement benefits pending appeal" when you do get through to someone. Don't give up - you and your kids deserve to eat while this gets sorted out!