Can I buy cleaning supplies with my CalFresh EBT card? Also worried about theft protection

Welcome to CalFresh! Your EBT card can ONLY be used for food items - so groceries, seeds to grow food, and some plants that produce food. It doesn't cover cleaning supplies, paper products, pet food, vitamins, medicine, alcohol, or cigarettes. Sometimes people confuse CalFresh with other benefit programs like CalWORKs which has different rules. For protecting your benefits: 1. Never share your PIN with anyone 2. Change your PIN periodically (every few months) 3. Check your EBT account regularly for unusual activity 4. Don't let anyone hold or borrow your card 5. Be careful at ATMs and stores - shield the keypad when entering your PIN 6. If you notice suspicious activity, call the number on back of your card immediately

ya they wont let u buy anything except food i tried buying some dish soap once and the cashier had to remove it lol theyr super strict about it

About theft - this is a SERIOUS problem right now! Scammers are everywhere and they're getting sophisticated. My sister had her entire January benefits stolen ($438!!!) when someone skimmed her card at a corner store. She called the EBT customer service number on the back of her card right away but still waited 3 WEEKS for replacement benefits. Her kids would have gone hungry if our church hadn't helped. My advice - NEVER use your card at sketchy stores or standalone ATMs. Only shop at major grocery chains. And check your balance frequently using the official BenefitsCal mobile app (NOT third-party apps that ask for your info). Also, when benefits get loaded each month, try to use them quickly instead of letting them sit in your account.

The CalFresh program (SNAP) is EXPLICITLY for food items only. This is a FEDERAL rule, not state-level. The law specifically excludes non-food items, hot prepared foods, vitamins, etc. Anyone telling you otherwise is misinformed. Re: theft - this became EPIDEMIC after the pandemic. The county offices are OVERWHELMED with fraud cases and taking FOREVER to resolve them. I've heard of people waiting 45+ days for replacement benefits. RIDICULOUS! The system is BROKEN! The state CLAIMS to be implementing chip cards by late 2025 but they've delayed this multiple times already. Meanwhile, clients suffer!

I've been on CalFresh for about 3 years now, and yes, unfortunately cleaning supplies aren't covered. If you have children and qualify for CalWORKs, that cash aid CAN be used for non-food essentials like cleaning supplies. For protecting your EBT card, I've found a few strategies that work well: 1. I immediately transfer my benefits to a separate EBT account that I only use for actual shopping (you can call your county to set this up) 2. I only keep what I need for a week or two in the "shopping" account 3. I never use the card at small stores or gas stations If you ever need to contact your county office about suspected fraud or other EBT issues, I highly recommend using Claimyr to get through quickly. It's been a lifesaver for me - you call through their service at claimyr.com and they wait on hold for you, then call you back when a real person is on the line. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 That's helped me whenever I've had issues with my card or benefits that needed immediate attention.

To answer your question about the EBT app - yes, the BenefitsCal mobile app shows all your transactions. I recommend checking it after every shopping trip to make sure the amount matches what you spent. You can also set up text or email alerts for when transactions occur in some counties. Regarding replacement benefits for theft - it varies a lot county by county. State policy says it should be 10 business days, but with the huge increase in fraud cases, many counties are taking 3-4 weeks or longer. Make sure you report theft immediately by calling the EBT customer service number on your card (not your county office), and then follow up with your county worker the next business day. You'll need to complete a form declaring the theft under penalty of perjury. Be prepared to answer detailed questions about when you last used the card, where you were when the unauthorized transactions occurred, etc. Good documentation helps speed up the process.

When I first got CalFresh I was confused too about what I could buy! Basically if you can eat it, you can use EBT (except hot prepared food, although some counties have the Restaurant Meals Program for seniors/disabled/homeless individuals). One thing that tripped me up was that at some stores like Walmart or Target, the register automatically separates your eligible and non-eligible items when you swipe your EBT card. But at other smaller stores, you have to tell the cashier upfront that you're paying with EBT so they can separate the items for you. I've been on CalFresh for two years now and never had any theft issues, but I'm probably just lucky. My worker told me they're seeing a huge increase in fraud cases since 2023.

i had my benefits stolen last year and it was awful 😭 took almost a month to get them back and the county made me feel like I had done something wrong!!! make sure you keep your pin safe and dont use sketchy atms like everyone is saying also with the cleaning supplies question - have you looked into local food banks? the one near me gives out cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items like soap and shampoo along with food. might be worth checking out!

they said it was probably a skimmer at the store but i never found out for sure. just be really careful anywhere you shop and cover the keypad when you type your pin. also check your balance after each purchase so you know right away if somethings wrong!