Emergency CalFresh allotment for April not loaded on new EBT card - promised for 17th but still missing!

When you get a replacement card, sometimes there's a 24-48 hour delay between when they say the benefits will load and when they actually appear. Have you tried checking your balance through the BenefitsCal website instead of just calling? Sometimes the online system updates faster than what the phone system reports.

I checked both the phone AND the website. Neither one shows my benefits :( The worker specifically said by the 17th, and it's already late on the 18th. My kids are hungry NOW.

did u activate the new card?? sometimes ppl forget that step and the benefits r sitting there but cant be accessed. u gotta call the number on the back of the card and set a pin before anything works

Yes I activated it right away yesterday!! That was the first thing I did. And I called the regular EBT customer service after that to check my balance. ZERO dollars. This is so frustrating!!!

THEY DO THIS ALL THE TIME! I swear they lie about when benefits will load just to get you off the phone. Last year they told me my expedited benefits would be available

Omg TWO WEEKS??? I can't wait that long! Did you end up having to go to a food bank or something? I'm thinking I might have to do that tomorrow if nothing changes.

Yep had to go to THREE different food banks because the first two were out of most items. The system is BROKEN. They expect us to just magically find food while they take their sweet time processing

There's actually a specific timeline for emergency CalFresh allotments that counties must follow. For expedited service, they must provide benefits within 3 calendar days after application if you qualify. For replacement benefits after a lost card, they typically issue the new card immediately, but the benefits should transfer from your old card automatically.\n\nHere's what might be happening:\n1. Your case may have been flagged for verification before releasing emergency funds\n2. There could be a system delay between card issuance and benefit availability \n3. The benefits could be scheduled for deposit on a specific day of the month regardless of when your replacement was processed\n\nI would recommend calling your county office directly tomorrow morning - ask specifically to speak with a benefits specialist about emergency CalFresh replacement.

Thank you for the explanation. The worker did say something about it being an 'emergency allotment' not just a transfer from my old card, because my regular benefits for April were already used before I lost the card. So maybe that's why it's taking longer? But they definitely promised the 17th :

Ah, that explains a lot. If you're requesting additional emergency benefits beyond your regular monthly allotment (rather than just a card replacement), that requires special approval. While they should still honor the date they promised, this type of request often needs supervisor review, which can cause delays. Definitely call the county office directly tomorrow - and be sure to explain that you have no food for your children currently.

the same thing happened to my sister last month!!! her benefits were supposed to come on the 10th but didnt show up till the 13th and nobody could tell her why. calfresh system is so broken sometimes.

I had this exact issue back in January and spent HOURS trying to reach someone at the county office. After getting disconnected three times, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at CalFresh. They have this service where they wait on hold for you and call you when they get a real person. Worked great and I found out my emergency benefits were approved but stuck in some processing queue. The worker was able to release them while I was on the phone. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Definitely worth it for emergency situations when you can't wait days to get through.

I've never heard of this service before. Does it really work? I'm desperate at this point, but worried about giving my information to some random service. Has anyone else used this?

It definitely worked for me! I was skeptical too but was desperate after being hung up on multiple times. They don't actually access your benefits or anything - they just get you connected to the county worker, and then you handle all the personal details directly with the worker. The relief of actually talking to someone who could help was worth it.

have u tried going to a food bank until this gets fixed?? most cities have emergency food programs if u just google ur city + food bank

I'm going to try the food bank tomorrow morning. Found one that opens at 9am. Just hoping to get this fixed asap because food banks don't always have everything my youngest can eat (he has some allergies).

One important thing to note: If you're requesting additional emergency benefits because you've already used your April allotment, this isn't actually a standard replacement process. This would be considered a

Thank you! I didn't realize there was such a specific term for it. I'll definitely use \

I had a similar situation last year and found out there was a miscommunication between the person who promised me the date and what actually got entered in the system. When I finally got through to someone, they told me the benefit was approved but scheduled for the following week. Don't give up calling - sometimes you get different information depending on who you talk to. Also, definitely mention you have children without food, as that can sometimes expedite things.

This is what I'm worried about - that the worker told me one thing but put something else in the system. I'm definitely going to keep calling until I get answers. Thank you!

update us when you get your benefits!! hope it works out for you and your kids!!!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the county office this morning! Turns out they DID approve my emergency supplement for April 17th, but there was a system flag because this is my second emergency request this year. The supervisor had to manually override something, and they promised the benefits will be on my card by 5pm today. They also gave me a direct number to call if they don't show up. Thanks everyone for your advice and support!!

That's great news! Glad you finally got answers. It's always that one little detail that seems to hold things up. Make sure you save that direct number for the future!

so happy for you!!! make sure you check your balance again tonight!!!