Changed my CalFresh EBT PIN last minute - will benefits still load?
Hey everyone, I'm kinda panicking right now. My CalFresh benefits are supposed to load tomorrow (the 7th), but I just realized my EBT card PIN wasn't working. I completely forgot I needed to change it after that security breach notice from the county last month! I finally managed to change my PIN about 15 minutes ago through the automated system. Will my benefits still load on time tomorrow or did I mess everything up by waiting until the last minute to fix my PIN? Has anyone dealt with this before? I have 3 kids and we're completely out of groceries.
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Alejandro Castro
ur good! changing ur pin doesn't effect when benefits load. PIN is just 4 accessing the money thats already there. benefits load based on ur case # regardless of pin status
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Maggie Martinez
•Omg thank you so much! I was seriously freaking out thinking I'd have to wait another week or something. So relieved!
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Monique Byrd
I had something similar happen back in January. The PIN change takes effect immediately, so you're fine. Your benefits will still load on your regular day based on your case number. The PIN is just for accessing money already on the card, not for getting the benefits loaded.
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Jackie Martinez
•This is correct. The PIN is simply your security access method for using the card. Benefit issuance is an entirely separate system process based on your case number (last digit determines your issuance date). The security breach notice was important to address, but changing your PIN has no impact on when or if benefits are loaded to your account.
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Lia Quinn
PIN problems are THE WORST!! I forgot mine completely 2 months ago and had to get a whole new card because I locked myself out after too many attempts. Had to wait 7 DAYS for mail delivery while my benefits were just sitting there unusable. At least you remembered yours in time!! The county office is IMPOSSIBLE to reach by phone when you have PIN issues.
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Haley Stokes
•If anyone else is struggling to reach the CalFresh office by phone for PIN issues or other urgent matters, I discovered a service called Claimyr that helped me tremendously. They basically wait on hold with the county for you and call you back when a real person answers. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Saved me literally hours of hold time when I had that weird benefit amount problem last month.
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Lia Quinn
•OMG thank you!! Bookmarking that for next time. I spent 3 hours on hold last time before giving up!
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Asher Levin
Your benefits will be fine, changing your PIN doesn't affect your benefit issuance schedule. However, I'm concerned about the security breach notice you mentioned. Was this an official notice from your county? Some people have received scam texts/emails claiming to be about EBT security breaches that are actually attempts to steal information. If you didn't verify this through official channels, you might want to call your county office to make sure it was legitimate.
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Maggie Martinez
•It was definitely official - came in the mail with my SAR7 reminder. There was a data breach that affected some EBT cardholders in our county. They recommended everyone change their PINs as a precaution. I just procrastinated doing it until literally the last minute before benefits day... not my finest moment lol
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Serene Snow
DONT WORRY your benifets will STILL COME!!! the PIN is just 4 using card at store. i forgott my pin 4 like 2 MONTHS one time and stil got all my benifets loaded every month, just couldnt use them til i got new pin lol. BUT make shore u wrote down new pin somwhere safe!!!! i always hide mine in my contacts under fake name so no one can steel it
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Jackie Martinez
•Just a friendly reminder to everyone - it's not recommended to write down your PIN anywhere, even in disguised form. If someone accesses your contacts and figures out the pattern, they could potentially use your EBT benefits. The safest approach is to memorize a unique PIN that isn't related to other personal information (like birthdays or addresses).
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Serene Snow
•ok but how else u supposed 2 remember it??? i have 2 many passwords and pins already!!
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Jackie Martinez
This is a common concern but nothing to worry about. Here's how the CalFresh EBT system works: 1. Your benefits are automatically loaded based on your case number's last digit (determines your issuance date) 2. PIN changes only affect how you access those funds, not the issuance 3. The security breach notification was important to address, so you did the right thing changing your PIN Your benefits should load on schedule tomorrow. If for any reason they don't, it would be unrelated to your PIN change. You can always check your balance and transaction history at www.ebt.ca.gov or through the ConnectEBT mobile app.
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Monique Byrd
•Is the ConnectEBT app reliable now? I tried using it last year and it kept crashing on my phone.
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Jackie Martinez
•The app was updated in early 2025 and has improved significantly. They fixed most of the crashing issues and added the ability to change your PIN directly in the app. Some users still report occasional connection problems, but overall it's much more stable than the previous version.
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Lia Quinn
Wait, there was a security breach?? I didnt get any notice about this! Should I change my PIN too? How do I know if I was affected? Now I'm worried...
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Asher Levin
•Security notices are typically specific to certain counties or groups of cardholders. If you didn't receive a notice, your account may not have been part of the affected group. However, it's always good practice to change your PIN periodically. You can call the number on the back of your EBT card and follow the automated system to change it at any time.
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