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Caden Turner

Lost CalFresh phone call connection - can EBT benefits be restored without confirmation number?

I'm so mad right now!! My EBT card showed $0 yesterday even though I should have gotten my CalFresh benefits this week. So I called the county office and waited for like 75 minutes (not even joking). Finally got through to a worker who said they could restore my benefits, but then my stupid phone battery died RIGHT as they were giving me the confirmation number!! I didn't get to write it down or anything. Has this happened to anyone? Will they still have a record of our call in their system? Or am I going to have to start all over with the 2-hour wait time? My kids are hungry and I was counting on those benefits for our grocery trip tomorrow. Really need some advice on what to do!

They should definitely have a record of your call in their system. Most county offices have call tracking software that logs all conversations with clients. When you call back, explain exactly what happened and give them your case number, name, and the approximate time you called before. Ask them to check the notes from your previous call. The worker you spoke with likely already started the process to restore your benefits before your call dropped. But it's always good to follow up to make sure it's being processed correctly.

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Caden Turner

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Thanks for the reassurance! I'll call them first thing tomorrow morning. Do you think I should mention anything specific about the previous call besides the time? Like should I remember the worker's name or something?

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Harmony Love

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omg this happend to me last month!! so frustrating right?? my phone died at the worst time too lol. but dont worry they did have it in there system when i called back. just make sure u have ur case # ready

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Caden Turner

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That makes me feel better! Did they restore your benefits right away or was there a waiting period? I'm trying to figure out if I need to borrow money for groceries in the meantime.

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Rudy Cenizo

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The entire CalFresh system is DESIGNED to be frustrating like this!! I've had my benefits randomly disappear THREE times this year with no explanation. Then they make you wait on hold for hours just to speak to someone who might help you. And heaven forbid your call drops - they act like it's YOUR fault and make you start all over! Yes, they should have notes in their system, but in my experience, half the time they claim they can't find the record of your previous call. It's all about keeping their numbers down by making the process so frustrating that people give up.

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Natalie Khan

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This is so true. Happened to my sister last month and they claimed no record of her previous call. The whole system is broken.

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Daryl Bright

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I work with CalFresh recipients regularly, and I can assure you that calls are documented in the county's case management system. Here's what to do: 1. Call back and provide your case number, full name, and date of birth for verification 2. Explain that you were previously speaking with a worker about benefit restoration when the call disconnected 3. Ask them to check the case notes from your previous call (give approximate time and date) 4. Request information about when your benefits will be restored If your benefits were removed in error, they should be able to expedite the restoration - typically within 1-3 business days. If they say there's no record, ask to speak with a supervisor and calmly explain the situation again.

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Caden Turner

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Thank you for the detailed advice! This is really helpful. I'll follow these exact steps when I call tomorrow. I'm hoping they can expedite since my kids and I really need the groceries. Crossing my fingers for the 1-day timeframe rather than 3 days!

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Sienna Gomez

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Have you tried using Claimyr? I was in a similar situation last month with my recertification and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Someone here recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it was a game-changer. They call the CalFresh office for you and then call you back when they reach a real person. Saved me from spending my whole day on hold. They have a demo video that explains it: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Honestly, it was worth it just to avoid the stress of wondering if I'd get disconnected again after waiting so long.

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Caden Turner

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I've never heard of this before! Is it actually legit? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point because I cannot spend another hour+ on hold tomorrow.

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Sienna Gomez

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Yes, it's completely legit. They basically wait on hold for you with the CalFresh office, then call you when they reach a live person. They connect you directly to the worker. Saved me hours of frustration!

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This happens WAY more often than ppl think!! When I was working at the county (not anymore thankfully lol) we got calls like this ALL THE TIME. Here's the deal - yes, they will have notes in the system BUT they're not always complete if the call dropped suddenly. The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to know if the worker actually completed the benefit restoration process in the system before your call dropped. If they did, you're good - benefits usually show up in 1-3 days. If they didn't finish the process, you'll need to call again. Little insider tip: call right when they open in the morning. Wait times are usually shortest then. And be super nice to the worker - they're more likely to go the extra mile to help you!

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Caden Turner

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That's really helpful insight, thank you! I'll definitely call right when they open. Do you know if they can tell me over the phone whether the benefits will show up on my card or do I just have to wait and check my card balance?

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They should be able to tell you the exact date the benefits will be loaded onto your card. Make sure to specifically ask: "Can you confirm the exact date my benefits will be available on my EBT card?" If they give you a vague answer, politely ask for more specifics. Good luck!

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Harmony Love

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just wanted to say good luck!! i know how stressful this is especially with kids. hope u get ur benefits back quick!!

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Caden Turner

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Thank you so much! It really is stressful. I appreciate the kind words!

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Just wanted to follow up and ask - did you check your BenefitsCal account online? Sometimes you can see messages or notices there that explain why benefits were reduced or stopped. Might give you some information before you call again.

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Caden Turner

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I tried logging in but the website kept giving me an error message. That's actually why I called in the first place. Nothing on my SAR7 should have caused my benefits to stop - I submitted everything on time last month. The whole system is so frustrating sometimes!

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Daryl Bright

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Update us when you resolve this! It helps other CalFresh recipients who might face similar issues in the future. If you have success with a particular approach, it could really help someone else in the same situation.

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Caden Turner

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Will do! I'm calling first thing tomorrow morning. If anything works (or doesn't work), I'll definitely share my experience here. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice!

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Taylor Chen

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I'm so sorry this happened to you! The same thing happened to my neighbor a few months ago. When she called back, they did have a record of her call and were able to confirm that the worker had already initiated the benefit restoration process before the call dropped. Her benefits showed up on her EBT card within 2 days. When you call tomorrow, make sure to mention the approximate time of your previous call and ask them to check for any pending actions on your case. Sometimes the worker might have already processed the restoration even if you didn't get the confirmation number. Also, if you're really worried about groceries for your kids, you might want to ask about emergency food assistance options in your county while you wait for the benefits to be restored. Hang in there - it sounds like you have a good chance of getting this resolved quickly!

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NeonNova

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Thank you so much for sharing your neighbor's experience - that gives me a lot of hope! I really appreciate the suggestion about asking for emergency food assistance too. I hadn't thought of that as a backup option while waiting for the benefits to be restored. It's reassuring to know that the worker might have already processed everything even without me getting that confirmation number. I'm feeling much more optimistic about calling tomorrow morning now!

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I've been through this exact situation before! The good news is that county systems do keep detailed call logs, and most workers document everything as they go. When you call back, they should be able to pull up notes from your previous call and see exactly where you left off. Here's what worked for me: I called back the next day and explained that my call dropped during the confirmation number part. The worker was able to see that the previous worker had already submitted the benefit restoration request in the system. My benefits were back on my card within 48 hours. Pro tip: Write down the date, time, and case worker's name (if they give it) for future reference. Also, some counties send text notifications when benefits are loaded, so keep an eye on your phone! You've got this - the system isn't perfect but they do want to help get your benefits restored.

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Aisha Hussain

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Thank you for the pro tip about writing down the worker's details! I wish I had thought of that during my first call. It's really encouraging to hear that your benefits were restored within 48 hours even after the call dropped. I'm definitely going to ask about text notifications too - that would be so helpful to know when the benefits are actually loaded instead of constantly checking my card balance. Your advice gives me confidence that this will work out!

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Omar Mahmoud

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This is so frustrating! I had something similar happen where my phone died during an important call with the county. From my experience, they definitely keep records of all calls in their system - it's required for documentation purposes. When you call back tomorrow, have your case number ready and tell them exactly what time you called yesterday. Ask them to look up the case notes from that specific call. The worker you spoke with likely already started processing your benefit restoration before the call dropped, so there's a good chance it's already in progress. If for some reason they can't find the record (which would be unusual), don't let them brush you off. Ask to speak with a supervisor and explain the situation. Your benefits are important and they should work with you to resolve this quickly. Also, check your EBT card balance periodically over the next day or two - sometimes benefits get restored faster than they tell you. Good luck, and I hope you get this sorted out soon so you can get groceries for your kids!

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This is really solid advice! I'm definitely going to have my case number ready and ask them to look up those specific call notes. It's reassuring to hear that the documentation requirements mean they should have a record. I like your suggestion about checking my EBT balance periodically too - I've been so stressed about this that I keep checking it anyway! Hopefully the worker already got the restoration process started before my phone died. Thanks for the encouragement about not letting them brush me off if they can't find the record. Sometimes you have to advocate for yourself with these systems.

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