Should I change my EBT PIN every month before CalFresh benefits post? Safety question

i change mine every 3-4 months but never heard about doing it monthly or specifically before benefits load... where did your cousin hear this??

She said she heard it from someone at the county office when she was recertifying last month. But I can't tell if it was an actual worker or just another person waiting. Now I'm stressed about it.

This is completely unnecessary and actually might cause problems. If you change your PIN right before benefits post and somehow forget the new PIN, you could get locked out of your account right when you need access to your new benefits. There's absolutely NO official recommendation from CalFresh to change your PIN monthly or before benefits post.

OMG THIS!! I literally did this exact thing last year thinking it would be

I work with benefits advocacy and can tell you definitively this is NOT an official recommendation from California DSS or the EBT system. Here are the actual EBT security best practices:\n\n1. Change your PIN periodically (every few months is fine)\n2. Don't share your PIN with anyone\n3. Don't use obvious numbers (birthdays, etc.)\n4. Report lost/stolen cards immediately\n5. Check your balance regularly for unauthorized transactions\n\nChanging it monthly, especially right before benefits post, doesn't provide any additional security and could cause issues if you forget the new number or if there's a system delay in processing the change.

Thank you so much! This is really helpful. I was getting worried I'd been doing something wrong this whole time. I'll stick with changing it occasionally rather than every month.

I think ur cousin is confused between CalFresh/EBT and banking stuff. Some banks DO recommend changing debit pins before paydays as a security thing but thats not a thing with EBT cards at all. The EBT system is different.

that makes sense actually!! a lot of people confuse regular banking stuff with ebt rules

There has been an increase in EBT benefit theft in some areas through skimming devices placed on store card readers. Changing your PIN won't prevent this type of theft since the skimmers capture both your card data and PIN when you use it. The better protection is to transfer your benefits to a bank account as soon as they post (if your county offers this option) or only use your EBT card at trusted locations like major supermarkets rather than small convenience stores where skimmers are more common.

Wait, you can transfer CalFresh benefits to a bank account?? I didn't know that was possible. How does that work?

Only some counties offer this as a pilot program, and there are specific banks that participate. You should check with your county office to see if this is available in your area. Not all counties have implemented this option yet.

Ive been on CalFresh for 5 years and never changed my PIN once lol. probably should change it sometimes but every month before benefits? thats crazy talk

i tried calling the calfresh office about EBT security yesterday after seeing this post and was on hold FOREVER before getting hung up on automatically. so annoying!!!!

Next time try using Claimyr - it's saved me so much time with CalFresh calls. You sign up on claimyr.com, they call the county office for you and then call you back when they have a real person on the line. I used to waste hours on hold before finding them. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. Totally worth it when you need to actually speak to someone about something important like benefit security.

thx for the tip! gonna try it next time i need to call. the regular ebt customer service line is useless for actual questions

OK BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW USELESS THE WHOLE EBT SECURITY SYSTEM IS???? My benefits got stolen last year and it took THREE MONTHS to get my money back after filing a claim! The whole system is designed to make it impossible for poor people to protect themselves while rich people get fraud alerts and instant refunds on their credit cards. The system is DESIGNED to punish us!!

That's really scary! What happened? How did they steal your benefits?

Someone put a skimmer on the card reader at a small grocery store I used. Took all $320 of my benefits within 30 minutes of them posting. The worst part was the county basically accused ME of selling my benefits at first. Had to file police reports and everything to prove I wasn't lying!!

To summarize the actual EBT card security best practices for everyone:\n\n1. Change your PIN occasionally (every 3-6 months)\n2. Check your balance after benefits post to confirm the correct amount\n3. Report any unauthorized transactions immediately (within 10 days gives you the best protection)\n4. Use your EBT card at major retailers when possible\n5. Cover the keypad when entering your PIN\n6. Never share your PIN with anyone\n7. Keep your EBT card in a safe place\n\nAnd most importantly, if you notice any unauthorized transactions, call the EBT Customer Service number on the back of your card right away to report it.

thx for this!! saving this comment for reference