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I just went through this process successfully last month! In addition to everything everyone mentioned, make sure your sister's letter explicitly states that you have "no other housing options available" - those exact words seemed to matter to my case worker. Also, if you're receiving any other services like WIC or have kids getting free school meals due to your homeless status, mention those in your application as they show consistency across programs. One thing that really helped me was calling the county's homeless services coordinator (not just the regular CalFresh line) - they actually understood the documentation requirements better and walked me through exactly what they needed. You can usually find that number on your county's website under homeless services or social services. Don't give up if they deny you the first time - I had to appeal mine but got approved on the second try with better documentation. The whole process is frustrating but the assistance really does help when you finally get through it!
This is such helpful advice! I'm definitely going to look for the homeless services coordinator number - that sounds like they'd be much more knowledgeable than the regular CalFresh workers. The phrase "no other housing options available" is really good to know about. My kids do get free school meals now because of our situation, so I'll make sure to mention that consistency across programs like you suggested. It's encouraging to hear you got approved on the second try - gives me hope that even if there are bumps in the process, persistence can pay off. Thank you for sharing what worked for you!
Just want to add one more thing that helped me when I was in a similar situation - if your sister pays rent or has a lease, have her include a statement that adding permanent residents would violate her lease terms and could result in eviction. My brother wrote something like "allowing permanent residents beyond the lease terms would jeopardize my housing and could lead to eviction for both families." This really drove home why the arrangement had to be temporary. Also, I found it helpful to have the letter notarized even though it wasn't required - it just seemed to give it more weight with the case worker. Most banks will notarize for free if you have an account there. The whole process took about 2 weeks for me once I had all the right documentation, but like others said, don't get discouraged if you have to resubmit - the system is complicated but the assistance is worth fighting for!
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I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Got my CalFresh approval letter 8 days ago and received my PIN yesterday, but still no EBT card. As a first-time applicant, I was starting to get really worried that I'd made some mistake in my application or that something got lost. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - it sounds like the 10-14 business day wait is completely normal right now, even though they definitely don't explain that clearly when you apply! The tip about the plain white envelope is so important because I absolutely would have thrown that away thinking it was junk mail. I'm going to be extra careful checking my mail now and wait until at least the 10 business day mark before calling. It's really frustrating when you're trying to plan your grocery budget around these benefits, but knowing from all your stories that this delay is totally normal makes me feel so much better. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and practical advice - this community has been way more helpful than any of the official information I received during the application process!
I'm in the exact same situation! Just got my CalFresh approval 6 days ago and received my PIN this morning, but still waiting on the EBT card. This whole thread has been such a lifesaver for understanding what's actually normal in this process! As another first-time applicant, I had absolutely no idea that everything comes separately or takes this long - they really should make this clearer during the application process. The plain white envelope tip is absolutely crucial because I've been going through my mail pile and I definitely would have tossed something like that assuming it was another credit card offer or spam. I'm going to be super vigilant about checking every piece of mail now! It's so reassuring to know that the 10-14 business day timeline is completely normal, even though it feels like forever when you're counting on those benefits for your family's groceries. Thanks for sharing your experience - it really helps to know that other newcomers are going through the same anxiety and confusion about this whole process!
I'm dealing with this exact same situation! Got my CalFresh approval 7 days ago and received my PIN this morning, but still no EBT card in sight. As a complete newcomer to this whole process, I was starting to panic thinking I'd somehow messed up my application or missed an important step. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - it's clear that the 10-14 business day timeline is totally normal right now, even though they really don't explain this delay when you first apply! The tip about the plain white envelope is absolutely crucial because I've been checking my mail and would have definitely thrown something like that away assuming it was junk mail or another credit card offer. I'm going to be much more careful going through my mail now and probably wait until next week before calling. It's so frustrating when you're trying to plan your grocery budget around these benefits, but knowing from all your stories that this waiting period is completely standard makes me feel so much better about being patient a bit longer. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and practical advice - this community has been way more informative than anything I received during the official application process!
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This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm about 3 months into CalFresh and fortunately haven't hit any PIN issues yet, but reading through @Marilyn Dixon's experience and everyone's responses has me feeling so much more prepared for when system glitches inevitably happen. That 3+ hour wait to fix THEIR mistake while you're trying to feed your kids is completely unacceptable - the stress you must have felt standing there with a full cart! I'm definitely saving that Claimyr service info and all the brilliant tips shared here, especially the "remind me later" option for PIN changes until they work out these security enhancement bugs. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become experts in workarounds just to reliably access our basic benefits, but this community knowledge is literally life-saving when the official system fails us. One thing I'd add for anyone dealing with similar lockout situations - some grocery stores will hold your cart/items for a few hours if you explain the EBT issue, which can save you from having to re-shop once your card is working again. Not all stores do this, but it's worth asking if you're stuck in that situation. Thank you everyone for sharing such practical, real-world advice that actually helps people survive these system failures!
That's such a great tip about asking stores to hold your cart @Millie Long! I never would have thought of that but it makes total sense - re-shopping after dealing with hours of customer service calls would be the last thing you'd want to do. I'm also really new to CalFresh (just got approved a few weeks ago) and this whole thread has been like a crash course in EBT survival skills that you definitely don't get from any official materials. The fact that @Marilyn Dixon had to go through all that stress with kids depending on her just to fix their system glitch is infuriating, but I m'so grateful she shared the whole experience in detail. I m'definitely bookmarking this discussion and saving all the resources mentioned - especially that Claimyr service for avoiding those brutal hold times. It s'sad that we need to be this prepared for system failures just to access basic benefits, but this community support makes all the difference!
This whole thread has been such an incredible resource! I'm relatively new to CalFresh (about 5 months in) and reading through @Marilyn Dixon's detailed experience has me feeling way more prepared for potential system issues. That 3+ hour wait to fix their system glitch while you have kids to feed is absolutely infuriating - the stress of standing there with a full cart unable to pay must have been overwhelming! I'm definitely saving all the amazing resources shared here, especially that Claimyr service @Payton Black mentioned and the genius tip about hitting "remind me later" when you get those automated PIN change prompts. It's completely unacceptable that they rolled out these "security enhancements" without proper testing, essentially making us unwilling guinea pigs for a system we depend on for basic necessities. The collective wisdom in this thread is pure gold - from writing down confirmation numbers to avoiding weekend system changes to knowing about emergency food bank options. It's ridiculous that we need all these workarounds just to reliably access our benefits, but this community support is invaluable when the official system fails us. Thank you everyone for turning a frustrating situation into such a helpful guide for navigating these broken systems!
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I'm dealing with this exact same issue! I work 10PM-6AM at a manufacturing plant and it's so frustrating when my benefits load on a workday because I can't access them until my shift is basically over. I've tried a few different approaches - sometimes I'll stop at a 24-hour grocery store right at 6AM after work, but shopping when you're exhausted is rough. I've also had success with placing online grocery orders during my dinner break (around 2AM) and scheduling pickup for 7AM, which works great since I can just swing by on my way home. The key is finding stores that let you schedule pickup slots early in the morning. It's definitely not ideal that the system doesn't account for night workers, but with some planning ahead you can make it work!
This is so relatable! I'm new to CalFresh and just started a night shift job, so I'm still figuring out how to navigate this whole system. The online ordering during your break and scheduling pickup for 7AM is brilliant - I never would have thought of that! Do you find that most stores have good availability for those early morning pickup slots, or do you have to book them pretty far in advance? Also, when you do the exhausted post-shift shopping at 6AM, have you found any stores that are particularly night-shift-worker friendly? I'm still learning which places around here are best for quick in-and-out shopping when you're dead tired.
Hey! So I've been doing night shifts for about 6 months now and I've found that Target and Walmart usually have pretty good availability for 7AM pickup slots - you can usually book them the same day or next day without issues. For the exhausted 6AM shopping, I've had the best luck at 24-hour Walmarts because they're used to seeing night shift workers and the self-checkout is always open. The staff there are generally pretty understanding. One tip that's helped me is making a standard grocery list on my phone so when I'm brain-dead tired I don't have to think about what I need - I just follow the list and get out! Also some stores will let you start filling your cart a few minutes before 6AM and just wait at checkout, which saves time.
As someone who just started working nights at a call center (11PM-7AM), this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea about so many of these workarounds. The grocery pickup scheduling idea is genius - I'm definitely going to try placing orders during my break and scheduling pickup for right after my shift. I've been trying to tough it out by staying awake until stores open at 6AM but I'm usually so exhausted by then that I make poor shopping decisions or forget half the things I need. The emergency stockpile suggestion makes so much sense too. It's really frustrating that the EBT system doesn't have any flexibility for those of us who work non-traditional hours, but at least there are ways to work around it. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips - this community is awesome for supporting each other through these challenges!
Welcome to the night shift life! It really is tough navigating all these systems when they're designed for 9-5 workers. I've been working nights for about a year now and this whole thread has given me some new ideas too. The delivery option that @Yara Nassar mentioned is something I hadn't thought of - paying a small delivery fee might actually be worth it to avoid the whole "zombie shopping at 6AM" experience! I'm curious, have you figured out yet which day of the month your benefits typically load? That was something that took me a while to nail down when I first started getting CalFresh, and knowing the exact date helps so much with planning your pickup orders and emergency stockpile timing.
Hey @Eve Freeman! I totally get the exhausted shopping issue - I made so many impulse buys and forgot essentials when I was trying to shop right after my shift ended. One thing that's really helped me is using the notes app on my phone to keep a running grocery list throughout the week, organized by store sections (produce, dairy, etc.) so even when I'm brain-dead I can just follow it methodically. Also, if you haven't already, definitely sign up for your store's app - a lot of them let you create shopping lists and even show you the aisle numbers for items, which makes those zombie shopping trips way more efficient. The night shift life is rough but we've got to look out for each other!
Madison Allen
I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm a single mom with three kids and just received my tax refund of $2,400. I was literally losing sleep over whether this would mess up our CalFresh benefits. Reading everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief - it sounds like tax refunds really don't count as income for CalFresh purposes. I've been on benefits for about 8 months now and I'm still learning all the rules. It's scary when you depend on these benefits to feed your children and you're constantly worried about making a mistake that could jeopardize everything. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences. This community is such a lifesaver for people like us who are just trying to navigate the system and do right by our families!
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Omar Farouk
•Madison, I totally understand that anxiety! As a fellow newcomer to this community, I've been amazed by how supportive and knowledgeable everyone is here. It's such a relief to find people who actually understand the stress of navigating these systems while trying to care for our families. I'm also still learning all the rules and it can feel overwhelming, but threads like this really help build confidence. It sounds like you can breathe easy about your tax refund - the consensus from everyone's experiences seems pretty clear that it won't affect your CalFresh benefits. Welcome to the community!
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Jamal Brown
Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and just want to say thank you for all the detailed information in this thread. I'm currently going through the CalFresh application process and was wondering about this exact same thing since tax season is coming up. It's such a relief to see multiple people confirm that tax refunds don't count as income - I was already stressing about it even though I haven't gotten my refund yet! The fact that so many of you have been through this and your benefits weren't affected gives me a lot of peace of mind. I really appreciate how supportive and informative this community is. It's so helpful to have real people sharing their actual experiences with these programs instead of trying to decode confusing government websites. Looking forward to learning more from all of you!
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Carmen Diaz
•Welcome to the community, Jamal! It's great that you're getting this information before you even need it - that's really smart planning. I just joined recently too and have been blown away by how helpful everyone is here. The shared experiences really do make such a difference compared to trying to figure out those confusing official documents on your own. It sounds like you'll be all set when tax season comes around, and now you'll have one less thing to worry about during your application process. Best of luck with everything!
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