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I used to work in cyber security and this is a HUGE problem now. These scammers target benefit programs specifically because they know the system is slow to respond and many families can't wait. One trick I learned is to transfer benefits to a separate EBT account if your county allows it - keep minimal funds on your main card and move money over as needed.
btw has anyone heard about that bill they were trying to pass to make EBT skimming reimbursement faster? whatever happened with that?
SB-583 passed last year, which requires counties to provide provisional credits within 10 days for skimming victims while investigations are pending. However, the implementation has been inconsistent across counties. If your benefits were stolen, specifically mention this law when speaking with your county worker, as some may not be fully trained on the new requirements yet.
I want to address something important: If your income is changing with this new job in Kern County, you need to report that as well. If the change puts you over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), you must report it within 10 days of the change. This is separate from the address change/county transfer. For a household of 3 in 2025, the IRT is approximately $3,750/month gross income. Be sure to check your last recertification notice for your specific IRT amount. Failing to report income changes can result in an overpayment that you'd have to pay back.
Just to clarify about the P-EBT amount that several people have mentioned - the $230 per child is specifically for the fall semester period. It's calculated based on a daily rate multiplied by the number of eligible school days. If you're struggling with food costs beyond what P-EBT and CalFresh provide, here are some additional resources in LA County: 1. WIC (if you have children under 5) 2. Food banks - LA Regional Food Bank has distribution sites throughout the county 3. School-based pantries - many LAUSD and other district schools now have food pantries for families 4. Summer meal programs will be starting soon where kids can get free meals during summer break Also, if your income has decreased recently or your expenses have increased significantly, you can report these changes to potentially increase your regular CalFresh benefits, even if it's not your regular reporting month.
NebulaNomad
The exact transition dates for each county should be posted on the California Department of Social Services website under "EBT System Modernization" by the end of February. San Bernardino is currently scheduled for Phase 3, which would be around August-September 2025. If you're moving between counties, make sure to update your address immediately when you move so your new card goes to the right place. Also, if you're moving to a county in a different phase of the rollout, you might experience a slight delay or get your card earlier than expected.
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Ravi Sharma
•Great to know! I'm actually staying in the same county, just different address. I'll make sure to update my address right away when I move. Thanks for all this information - it's been impossible to get straight answers about this!
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Freya Thomsen
my sister said we gotta activate the new cards when they come or we cant get our benefits. does anybody know if that's true?
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Chloe Martin
•Yes, that's correct. When you receive your new EBT 3.0 card, you'll need to activate it by following the instructions included with the card. There will be a transition period where both your old and new cards will work, but after the cutoff date (which varies by county), only the new card will access your benefits. Make sure to activate your new card as soon as you receive it to avoid any interruption in accessing your benefits.
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