New EBT card pickup at county office - do I need to activate it separately for CalFresh?
Just got my replacement EBT card at the county office today after reporting mine lost. The worker handed me the card in an envelope but was dealing with someone else's case and didn't really explain anything. Do I need to call and activate it before I can use my CalFresh benefits? Also curious if my old benefits from last month that I couldn't access will still be on there? The balance showed $167 remaining when I lost the card, and I'm hoping that's still available since groceries are so expensive now.
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Chloe Mitchell
Yes, you definitely need to call to activate it!! Otherwise your CalFresh benefits won't be accessible. The number to call should be on the back of your EBT card. And don't worry - any benefits that were already loaded before you lost your card will still be there after activation. Unused CalFresh benefits roll over month to month for a year.
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Aaron Lee
•Thank you!! I'll call the number right away. So glad to hear my benefits from last month will still be there!
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Michael Adams
i got a new 1 last week and u gotta call the number on the back. the automated system asks for the card # and the security code. then u gotta set up a pin. took me like 2 mins
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Aaron Lee
•Thanks! Did you have to do anything special to get your old balance? Or was it just automatically there after activation?
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Michael Adams
•nah the old money just showed up automatic. system just transfers everything to new card
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Natalie Wang
You definitely need to activate it! When I got my replacement last year, I waited almost a week before realizing it wasn't automatic - I was so confused why it kept getting declined at the grocery store! But they're right that your old benefits should still be there after activation. The system just links your benefits account to the new card number.
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Noah Torres
Be sure to activate ASAP. Your old balance will transfer, but there's another important reason to activate quickly - security. Until you activate and set a PIN, that card is technically accessible to anyone who might have the card number. The county office should have given you an activation flyer with instructions, but sometimes they forget when they're busy.
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Aaron Lee
•You're right, they didn't give me any paperwork! Just the card in an envelope. Good point about security - calling right now!
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Samantha Hall
Has anyone else had trouble actually getting through on the EBT customer service line? I needed to report a problem last month and kept getting disconnected after waiting 45+ minutes. Eventually I had to go into the office in person which was a huge hassle with my work schedule.
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Ryan Young
•For activation, the automated system should work fine without needing a real person. But for actual problems, I've had good luck using Claimyr to get through to CalFresh workers. It holds your place in line and calls you back when a worker is available. Saved me hours of wait time! Their website is claimyr.com and they have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Sophia Clark
Something no one mentioned yet - make sure to DESTROY your old card after your new one is working! I cut mine up into tiny pieces. People can try to use your old card info for fraud even though it's been reported lost. Better safe than sorry!
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Aaron Lee
•I already threw the old one away but that's good advice. I'll be more careful if this happens again!
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Samantha Hall
BTW when did you report it lost? Just curious how long it took for you to get the replacement. My friend's been waiting like 2 weeks and they told her 3-5 business days originally.
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Aaron Lee
•I reported it 8 days ago and they told me it would come in the mail within 5-7 business days. After not receiving anything by day 7, I just went to the office in person and they were able to print one on the spot! Tell your friend to try that instead of waiting longer.
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Natalie Wang
Update for everyone: I just activated my card by calling the number and all my benefits were there! Thanks for all the help...going grocery shopping tomorrow! :
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Noah Torres
•Great to hear! Glad you got it working.
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Omar Fawaz
That's awesome that you got everything sorted out so quickly! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you're ever in a similar situation, you can also check your EBT balance online at ebtEDGE.com or by calling the customer service number even before you get your replacement card. That way you can at least know how much you have available while you're waiting for the new card to arrive. Really helpful for meal planning when you're stuck without access to your benefits!
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