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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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Yes! I finally got through this morning after trying for an hour. They confirmed they received my paperwork but it hadn't been processed yet. The worker I spoke with was able to review it while I was on the phone and approve it! She said benefits should be on my card within 24 hours. She also mentioned that technically they have up to 10 days to process verification for an active case, but they try to do it faster. Hope that helps for your situation next month!
That's great news! I'm so glad you were able to get through and get it resolved quickly. It's really helpful to know that they have up to 10 days but usually try to process faster. Thanks for updating us - I was worried about how things turned out for you and your kids. Definitely saving that tip about calling right when they open, seems like persistence really paid off in your case!
I'm new to this community but wanted to chime in - this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently going through my initial CalFresh application and was worried about potential delays. It's reassuring to see how supportive everyone is here and that Isabel was able to get her situation resolved. The tip about calling right when they open is definitely something I'll remember. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice!
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Just want to add - when you apply, make sure to have all your documents ready! You'll need proof of identity, income (pay stubs for last 30 days), rent receipts or mortgage statements, utility bills, and any medical expense receipts. Having everything organized will speed up the process. Also, if you get approved, your benefits will be backdated to when you submitted your application, so don't delay! Good luck with your application - sounds like you'll definitely qualify with those housing costs and your son being a student.
This is such helpful advice! I'm new to this whole process and wasn't sure what documents I'd need. Quick question - for the income proof, do they accept direct deposit statements from my bank or does it have to be actual pay stubs? My employer switched to electronic pay stubs recently and I'm not sure if screenshots would work.
@KylieRose Electronic pay stubs should be fine! You can print out screenshots or PDFs from your employer's payroll system. Bank statements showing direct deposits also work as backup proof of income. The key is that the documents clearly show your employer name, gross pay amount, and pay period dates. If you're worried about it, you could bring both - the electronic pay stubs AND bank statements showing the deposits. CalFresh workers are pretty flexible about document formats these days since so many employers went digital.
Just wanted to share my recent experience since I see a lot of good info here! I applied for CalFresh for my family of 4 last month and got approved. We make about $3,400 gross monthly and pay $1,800 in rent plus utilities. The whole process took about 6 weeks from application to getting our EBT card. One thing I learned - definitely apply online through BenefitsCal.com first, then you can upload all your documents there too. Way easier than trying to fax everything. Also, they scheduled my phone interview pretty quickly, and the worker was actually really helpful in making sure I got all the deductions I was entitled to. For anyone nervous about applying - it's really worth it! We're getting $740/month in benefits which has been a huge help with groceries. The hardest part was just gathering all the paperwork, but once you have everything together it's pretty straightforward.
This is so encouraging to hear! I'm in a very similar situation - family of 4 making around $3,600 with high housing costs. It's reassuring to know the online application process worked well for you and that the worker was helpful. $740/month would make such a huge difference for us right now. Did you have to provide a lot of documentation during your phone interview, or was most of it handled through uploading to the BenefitsCal website? I'm planning to apply this week and want to make sure I'm prepared!
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Just checking back - was your sister able to get through to someone about expedited benefits? If she's still having trouble, she should specifically ask for a supervisor and cite the regulations about expedited service timeframes. The exact regulation is MPP Section 63-301.5 if she needs to reference it. Also, the Central California Legal Services office in Fresno (559-570-1200) can advocate for her if the county is not following the expedited timeline requirements.
She finally got through this morning! They approved her for expedited benefits and said the EBT card should be available for pickup tomorrow. Such a relief. Still working on the housing situation but at least they'll have food money soon. Thank you so much for the regulation info - having that definitely helped when she called back.
That's wonderful news about the expedited CalFresh approval! So glad your sister was able to get through and get that sorted out quickly. For the housing situation, I wanted to mention one more resource - the United Way of Fresno has a 2-1-1 helpline that connects people with emergency services. You can call 2-1-1 or text your zip code to 898-211. They maintain a real-time database of available emergency housing, shelter beds, and financial assistance programs in Fresno County. Sometimes they know about smaller programs or have updated info on which places actually have availability right now. Also, if the kids aren't already enrolled, make sure they get signed up for free school meals ASAP - even if they're staying with you temporarily, they should still be able to attend their regular school and get breakfast/lunch there while this gets sorted out.
This is such great advice about the 2-1-1 helpline! I had no idea that existed. I'm definitely going to have my sister call them today - having real-time info on what's actually available would be so helpful instead of calling places that might already be full. And you're absolutely right about the school meals - we hadn't even thought about that but the kids could at least get fed during the day. Thanks for thinking of that detail!
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This is absolutely infuriating and I'm so sorry you're going through this! As someone who works with low-income families, I see EBT theft cases way too often. A few additional tips that might help: 1. If you have a smartphone, take photos of any card reader before using it - skimmers often look slightly different or have loose parts 2. Some counties have emergency food assistance programs separate from CalFresh that can help while you wait for replacement benefits - call 211 to ask about local food banks and emergency assistance 3. Document EVERYTHING - save all your call reference numbers, case numbers, and take screenshots of your benefit balance before and after the theft Also, you mentioned you're a single mom - many churches and community centers have emergency food pantries that don't require paperwork and can help immediately. Search for "food pantry near me" or check with your kids' school - many have weekend backpack programs or can connect you with resources. The fact that this is happening to so many people shows this is a systemic problem, not your fault. Keep advocating for yourself with the county office - you deserve to get your benefits back quickly!
This is such valuable advice! I had no idea about calling 211 for emergency food assistance - that could be a real lifesaver while waiting for the benefits to be restored. The tip about taking photos of card readers is smart too, I never would have thought of that. It's heartbreaking that families already struggling with food insecurity have to deal with this kind of theft, but it's amazing to see community members like you sharing practical resources and support. Thank you for taking the time to help!
I'm new to this community but this post really caught my attention because I just moved to California and got approved for CalFresh benefits last month. I had no idea EBT skimming was such a widespread problem here! Reading through all these comments has been both scary and incredibly helpful. I've been using my EBT card at random stores without thinking twice about security. @NebulaNomad I'm so glad to see from your update that you're getting your benefits replaced! It's terrible that you and your kids had to go through this stress. For anyone else reading this - I found a resource that might help. The California Association of Food Banks has a website (cafoodbanks.org) where you can search for emergency food assistance by zip code. They also have a text service - you can text your zip code to 877-877 to find nearby food banks. This could help bridge the gap while waiting for replacement benefits. Also wanted to mention that some Walmart and Target locations now have newer card readers with better security features - might be worth asking customer service which terminals are the newest if you have to shop at larger stores. Stay safe everyone!
Zainab Mahmoud
Update: I successfully changed my PIN! For anyone who might need this info in the future - the whole process took less than 5 minutes through the phone system. Thank you all for your help!
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Raj Gupta
•Nice!! Glad it worked out for you!! Make sure to write down your new pin somewhere safe so you dont forget it (I always do lol
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Nia Harris
Great job getting it sorted out! For future reference, you can also change your PIN online through the BenefitsCal website if you prefer that over calling. Just log into your account and look for the "Manage EBT" section. It's super convenient and you don't have to deal with phone menus. I always set a calendar reminder for myself when I get those PIN change notices so I don't panic at the last minute like I used to!
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Landon Flounder
•That's such a great tip about setting calendar reminders! I'm definitely going to do that from now on. I had no idea you could change it online through BenefitsCal - that sounds way easier than navigating those phone menus. Thanks for sharing that info, it'll be super helpful for next time!
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