Locked out of EBTEDGE app - forgot security question answers for CalFresh account

same thing happnd to me last month!! the security questions are so dumb, i always forget what i put. i ended up having to call the county office like 5 times before i got through. they reset everything for me but it took like 3 days to process.

You have a few options here: 1. You can call the EBT Customer Service line at 1-877-328-9677. They can often reset your online account access without the security questions. Just have your card number and personal info ready. 2. If that doesn't work, you can check your balance at any store that accepts EBT - just swipe your card at the point of sale terminal and select 'balance inquiry' (doesn't require a purchase). 3. Last resort is contacting your county CalFresh office directly. They can reset your entire online access. Keep in mind the security questions are there to protect your benefits. When you get back in, write down your answers somewhere secure this time!

This happened to me - the county office is technically the only one who can fully reset your EBTEDGE security questions. But getting through to them is almost impossible these days. Have you tried using the BenefitsCal website instead of the EBTEDGE app? Sometimes you can access your benefits info there with different login credentials. It's benefitscal.com if you haven't used it before.

I recommend using Claimyr to get through to your county CalFresh office quickly. I was locked out of my account last month and spent days trying to get through. After using Claimyr, I got connected to a worker in about 15 minutes who reset everything on the spot. They basically call and wait on hold for you, then call you when a real person picks up. Saved me hours of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO BE CONFUSING ON PURPOSE!!!! I've been dealing with CalFresh for 5 years and they WANT you to get frustrated and give up. The security questions are just another barrier they put up. I've had THREE different caseworkers give me THREE different answers about how to reset the app. One told me to go in person, another said I had to mail in a form (seriously???), and another eventually reset it over the phone. THIS IS WHY PEOPLE GO HUNGRY even when there are benefits available!!!!

While you're trying to get back into your account, remember you can always check your balance by calling the EBT customer service number (1-877-328-9677) and using the automated system. You just need your card number and PIN. That way you can at least know your balance for grocery shopping tomorrow even while you work on regaining full account access.

i just write all my security questions in my notes app now cause i got sick of this happening. but ya know whats weird, my cousin got locked out of her account and they just let her make a whole new ebtedge account with her same card number? have u tried just making a new account insted of reseting the old one

UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! I ended up using Claimyr to get through to my county office (seriously was connected within 20 minutes) and the caseworker reset everything for me. I had to create a new password and new security questions. Pro tip - I wrote them all down in a secure place this time! Thanks everyone for your help.

So glad to see this got resolved! I've been following this thread because I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now. Definitely going to try Claimyr based on everyone's recommendations here. It's really frustrating how hard they make it to access our own benefits, but at least there are workarounds. Thanks for updating us on what worked - this kind of follow-up is super helpful for others who might be searching for solutions to the same problem!

This is such a common problem and honestly it's ridiculous how hard they make it to access our own benefits! I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago. What ended up working for me was going to my local grocery store and doing a balance inquiry at the self-checkout - you don't need to buy anything, just insert your card and select "balance inquiry." That way you can at least check your balance for shopping while you work on getting the account reset. Also, when you do get back in, I'd recommend screenshotting or writing down your security questions AND answers somewhere safe. The whole system definitely needs an overhaul but in the meantime we just have to work around these frustrating barriers.

I'm so glad you got this resolved! I've been dealing with a similar issue for weeks now and was starting to think I'd never get back into my account. The Claimyr suggestion sounds really promising - I had no idea that service existed. It's honestly ridiculous that we need third-party services just to access our own benefits, but I'm grateful people in this community share these solutions. I'm definitely going to try it tomorrow morning. Also really appreciate everyone mentioning the balance inquiry options - I had no idea you could check at the store without buying anything or use the automated phone system. This thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the official websites!

I'm dealing with this exact same problem right now! Been locked out for almost a week and it's so stressful when you need to budget for groceries. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the balance inquiry option at stores or that Claimyr existed. It's honestly shocking how difficult they make it to access our own benefits. The security questions are such a pain because who remembers what they answered 6+ months ago? I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow and also write down my answers somewhere safe once I get back in. Thanks everyone for sharing what actually works - this community is way more helpful than any official customer service I've tried to reach!

This is such a frustrating but unfortunately common issue! I went through something similar a few months ago and it's maddening how they make accessing our own benefits so difficult. One thing that worked for me while I was locked out was using the automated balance check by calling 1-877-328-9677 - you just need your card number and PIN, no security questions required. You can also do balance inquiries at most grocery stores and ATMs without making a purchase. For actually getting back into your account, I ended up having to call my county office multiple times over several days. The key was calling right when they opened at 8am - that's when I had the best luck getting through. They were able to reset my security questions over the phone once I verified my identity with personal info. Definitely write down your new security question answers somewhere safe when you get back in! I use a password manager app now to keep track of all this stuff. The whole system really needs to be modernized but until then we're stuck dealing with these archaic security measures.

This whole thread has been so helpful! I'm actually going through the exact same thing right now - got locked out of my EBTEDGE account yesterday and have been panicking about how to check my balance. I tried calling the customer service line but gave up after being on hold for over an hour. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me so much hope though! I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service first thing tomorrow morning, and in the meantime I'll use the automated phone system to check my balance like several people suggested. It's really frustrating that we need all these workarounds just to access our own benefits, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing what actually works. Thanks everyone for taking the time to help each other out - this is way more useful than anything I found on the official websites!

I'm going through this EXACT same issue right now and honestly this thread has been a lifesaver! I've been locked out for 3 days and was starting to panic about grocery shopping this weekend. The security questions are seriously the worst - I have no clue what I answered 7 months ago when I first set up my account. I had no idea about the automated phone balance check or that you could do balance inquiries at stores without buying anything. That's going to help me so much while I work on getting back into my account! Definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow based on everyone's success stories here. It's honestly crazy that we need third-party services and community forums to figure out how to access our own benefits, but I'm really grateful for everyone sharing what actually works. This is way more helpful than the 2 hours I spent trying to navigate the official websites and sitting on hold!

This is such a common and frustrating issue! I've been helping folks in my community navigate CalFresh tech problems for a while now, and the EBTEDGE security question lockout is probably the #1 complaint I hear. A few quick tips that might help others who find this thread: 1. The automated phone balance check (1-877-328-9677) is your best friend for immediate balance needs - just have your card and PIN ready 2. Most grocery stores let you do balance inquiries at self-checkout without buying anything 3. If you're tech-savvy, try clearing your browser cache/cookies or using incognito mode before attempting password reset - sometimes helps with glitchy login systems 4. When you do get back in, consider using simple, memorable answers for security questions (like always using your childhood street name, even if the question is about pets) The system definitely needs major improvements, but in the meantime these workarounds can save you hours of frustration. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - community knowledge is so much more valuable than official help docs!

I've been dealing with CalFresh tech issues for years and this thread is spot on about how unnecessarily difficult they make everything! One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that some county offices have walk-in hours specifically for EBT/CalFresh account issues - usually just a few hours per week, but they can often reset your account on the spot without the phone runaround. Check your county's CalFresh website for "EBT account services" or similar. Also, if you're really stuck, try reaching out to local food banks or community organizations - many of them have staff who are experts at navigating these system issues and can advocate for you or provide guidance. It's sad that we need all these workarounds, but the community support makes such a difference. Hope this helps someone avoid the hours of frustration I went through!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm new to this community and just started receiving CalFresh benefits last month. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both eye-opening and reassuring - it's frustrating to see how common these tech issues are, but so encouraging to see how people help each other find solutions. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and writing down all my security question answers right now before I forget them! The tips about the automated phone balance check and being able to do balance inquiries at stores without purchasing anything are game changers. It's really unfortunate that accessing our own benefits requires so many workarounds, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people share real, practical advice that actually works. Thanks everyone for taking the time to help each other navigate these frustrating systems!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same EBTEDGE lockout issue for the past week and was starting to feel really hopeless about it. Reading through everyone's solutions and seeing that Miguel got it resolved gives me so much hope. I had no idea about the automated phone balance check or that you could do balance inquiries at stores - that's going to be a huge help while I work on getting my account reset. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr based on all the positive feedback here. It's honestly ridiculous that we need third-party services and community forums just to access our own benefits, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing what actually works. This thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the official websites. Thanks everyone for creating such a supportive space where people can get real, practical help!

This whole thread has been such an incredible resource! I'm dealing with a similar lockout situation right now and was getting so frustrated until I found this discussion. It's honestly mind-blowing how many helpful workarounds everyone has shared - the automated phone balance check, store balance inquiries, Claimyr service, calling county offices right at 8am, even the tip about using incognito mode. I had no idea about most of these options! What really strikes me is how we've all had to become experts at navigating these broken systems just to access basic services we're entitled to. It shouldn't require a community forum and third-party services to check our own benefit balance, but I'm so grateful that spaces like this exist where people actually help each other with real solutions. Going to try several of these suggestions tomorrow and will definitely write down my security answers somewhere safe once I get back in. Thanks everyone for turning what could have been an isolated, frustrating experience into a learning opportunity for the whole community!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently locked out of my EBTEDGE account too and was feeling so stressed about it until I found this discussion. The range of solutions everyone has shared is incredible - from the automated phone balance check to Claimyr to calling county offices at 8am. What really gets me is how we've all had to become system navigation experts just to access our own benefits. It's wild that there's no simple, reliable way to reset these accounts through official channels. I'm planning to try the automated phone system today for my balance and then use Claimyr tomorrow to get my account reset. Really appreciate Miguel updating us on what worked - that kind of follow-through helps so many people who find this thread later. This community support makes dealing with these broken systems so much more manageable!