Just to follow up - once you report your pregnancy (after 7 months along) and after your baby is born, make sure to update your CalFresh case. For a household of 3 in 2025, the maximum CalFresh benefit is around $770/month instead of $425. Also, since housing costs affect CalFresh benefits, if your rent does increase, report that too! Higher rent can sometimes qualify you for higher CalFresh benefits because it reduces your "net income" in their calculations. This is called the "excess shelter deduction.

I was in a similar situation last year and ended up applying for everything at once through BenefitsCal.com - you can apply for CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medi-Cal all in the same application. Made things way easier than doing separate applications. The CalWORKs Housing Support Program ended up being what saved us from eviction.

UPDATE: My benefits are back! Logged into the app this morning and everything is showing correctly now. For anyone else with this issue, looks like it was just a temporary glitch with the app display. Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad to see this got resolved! This is actually pretty common during WIC system updates - I've seen this happen in Orange County too. For future reference, the CA WIC program usually posts updates about planned maintenance on their main website (mywic.ca.gov), so you can check there if you see weird app behavior. Also worth noting that even when the app shows zero, your physical WIC card should still work at authorized stores during these glitches. The card connects to a different part of the system than the mobile app display.

This is so frustrating! I'm also new to CalFresh and had the exact same panic when I couldn't log in earlier tonight. I thought maybe I missed some paperwork or deadline since I just got approved last week. Thank goodness for this thread - now I know this is a regular occurrence and not something wrong with my case. I was planning to do my first big grocery trip with my benefits tomorrow so I really needed to check my balance. Going to save that customer service number from the back of my card in my phone for next time this happens. Really wish they would give us some kind of heads up about maintenance windows!

I'm pretty new to this community but wanted to chime in since I had the same exact experience tonight! I was trying to check my balance before heading to the store tomorrow morning and kept getting error messages. Reading through all these comments has been super helpful - I had no idea this was such a regular thing. It's reassuring to know it's just system maintenance and not an issue with my benefits. I'll definitely be saving that customer service number and taking screenshots of my balance like some of you suggested. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips!

Same thing happened to me! Got an extra $160 loaded today and was so confused. Really glad @Emma Taylor called to confirm it's legit - I was about to drive to the county office myself but those wait times are brutal. This extra money is going to help so much with groceries this month, especially with how expensive everything has gotten lately. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, makes me feel way less anxious about using the funds!

Just wanted to add my experience - I got an extra $142 this morning and was totally freaking out! Like others mentioned, I didn't get any advance notice which made it really confusing. After reading through all these comments I feel so much better knowing it's the CFAP supplement and not some system glitch. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to call their county offices and share what they learned. This extra help is going to make such a difference for my family this month - grocery prices have been absolutely brutal lately. Thanks to this amazing community for always looking out for each other! 🙏

I just want to thank everyone for all the detailed explanations! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I was so confused when I first got that mail about P-EBT, but now I understand it's separate from CalFresh and tied to the school lunch program. Based on what everyone shared, it sounds like I need to: 1. Check if our school filled out that meal application (or if it's a CEP school) 2. Verify our address is correct with the school 3. Wait a bit longer since some counties are still processing 2025 cards 4. Call the P-EBT helpline if nothing comes in the next few weeks It's frustrating that the program isn't more straightforward, but at least now I know what to expect. Really appreciate this community for breaking it all down in terms that actually make sense!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that P-EBT benefits can also be used for online grocery pickup/delivery at participating stores like Walmart, Amazon Fresh, and some Safeways. This was really helpful for us since we don't always have time to go grocery shopping in person with work schedules. Also, if you're having trouble getting through to the P-EBT helpline, try calling right when they open (usually 8am) or during lunch hours when call volume might be lower. I've had better luck getting through around 12:30pm than in the mornings or late afternoons. And just to echo what others said - definitely save all the paperwork that comes with the cards! There's usually a pamphlet with store locations and online retailers that accept P-EBT, plus information about what you can and can't buy. Super useful to keep in your wallet or purse for reference.