EBT phone line keeps hanging up on me - can't check CalFresh balance or reach county
I've been trying to check my CalFresh balance for the past 3 days but the EBT phone line keeps disconnecting me! I'll enter my card number, then it just hangs up mid-call. And when I try calling my county office directly, I either get a busy signal or it puts me on hold for 45+ minutes before disconnecting. I'm getting really stressed because I need to know if my benefits were loaded correctly this month - we're running low on groceries and I'm afraid to go shopping without knowing my balance. Has anyone else had this problem recently? Is there some other way to check my balance or talk to someone about my case?
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Alexis Renard
Have you tried checking your balance using the BenefitsCal website or the mobile app? Both should show your current balance without having to call. The EBT phone system has been having technical issues since they upgraded in January. If those don't work for you, try calling very early in the morning (right when they open at 7:30am) - that's when the wait times are shortest.
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Brianna Schmidt
•Thanks for the suggestion! I tried the app but it keeps saying 'system temporarily unavailable' when I try to log in. I'll try again super early tomorrow. I'm just worried because my deposit was supposed to be yesterday and I want to make sure it went through correctly.
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Camila Jordan
did u try the text message option? u can register ur phone to get balance by text. but sometimes it takes a day to set up
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Brianna Schmidt
•No I didn't know about texting! How do I set that up?
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Tyler Lefleur
The county call center system has been ABSOLUTELY USELESS lately! I've been trying to reach someone about my renewal for two weeks and keep getting disconnected too. They claim they're "upgrading the system" but it's just another excuse to make it harder for us to access our benefits. This is how they try to reduce their caseloads - make it impossible to actually talk to anyone! I'm beyond frustrated.
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Madeline Blaze
•omg same!! i got disconnected 5 times yesterday trying to find out why my SAR7 wasnt processed even tho i submitted it last month
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Max Knight
I had the same issue last week and found a service called Claimyr that actually worked for me! Instead of waiting on hold for hours, they hold your place in line and call you back when a worker is available. I was skeptical but it worked perfectly - only took about 35 minutes instead of the usual 3+ hours of trying. Check out their video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 or go to claimyr.com. It's honestly the only way I've been able to get through to my worker lately with all these phone system issues.
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Emma Swift
•does this actually work? sounds too good to be true honestly
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Alexis Renard
Just to clarify some of the suggestions here: 1. For the BenefitsCal app/website issues - they do maintenance every night from 11pm-4am, and sometimes it extends longer. Try again after 8am. 2. For text message balance checking: Text 'BAL' to 42265 after you've registered your phone number. To register, call the EBT customer service number (when it's working) and follow the prompts to add your mobile number. 3. If you urgently need to know your balance, some grocery stores like Food4Less or Safeway can print your balance on a receipt if you swipe your EBT card at the customer service desk (without making a purchase). Hope this helps!
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Brianna Schmidt
•Thank you! I tried the store receipt option today and it worked! My benefits were loaded but they're $57 less than last month. No idea why but at least I know what I have now.
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Max Knight
In response to @profile7 - yes, it does work. I was skeptical too but it saved me tons of time. I was about to lose my benefits because I couldn't get through to verify some income documentation they needed. The service just holds your place in line and calls you when someone picks up.
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Isabella Tucker
•I'm gonna try this next week. Been tring to reach them for 4 days and I getting so mad i just hang up after an hour on hold. Then I gotta start over the next day.
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Camila Jordan
u know wats crazy tho? my friend in Alameda county said their office has a callback option now but Sac county doesnt have it why not all counties do this??
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Tyler Lefleur
•Because each county runs their own system and some counties invest in better technology than others. It's ridiculous how inconsistent it is across the state. I've been on CalFresh in 3 different counties over the years and the difference in service is MASSIVE.
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Brianna Schmidt
UPDATE: I finally got through this morning! Called at exactly 7:30am and only waited 20 mins. Turns out my benefits were reduced because my son turned 18 last month and they automatically adjusted my household size even though he's still in high school! The worker fixed it and said I'll get the difference added to next month's benefits. Thanks everyone for all your suggestions!
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