I'm so sorry you're going through this - EBT theft is absolutely devastating when you have a family to feed. Since you're in Oakland, I wanted to share some immediate resources that might help while you're waiting for your benefits to be replaced. The Alameda County Social Services Agency has an emergency food assistance program that can provide same-day help for families with children - their Oakland office is at 1925 San Pablo Ave and they're usually pretty responsive to EBT theft cases. Also, St. Mary's Center on Jefferson Street does emergency food distribution and they specifically help families in crisis situations like yours. You can call them at (510) 834-9455 and explain your situation. The most important thing right now is getting that police report and getting to your county office ASAP - but please don't let your kids go hungry while you're fighting the bureaucracy. These theft cases are happening so frequently that most local organizations are very familiar with the situation and want to help bridge the gap. Stay strong!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! EBT theft is unfortunately becoming way too common and the system really needs better protection. One thing that helped me when I was dealing with county bureaucracy - if they try to tell you that emergency benefits will take weeks to process, specifically mention that you have minor children and request "expedited processing due to household hardship." They're supposed to prioritize families with kids who have no food. Also, document every phone call and interaction with dates, times, and names of who you spoke with - if they drag their feet, having that record can help when you escalate. And definitely take advantage of the food bank suggestions others mentioned while you're waiting. The county should replace your benefits, but the system moves slowly and your kids can't wait for bureaucracy. You're doing everything right by acting quickly and getting help. This community has your back!

This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a working parent with 3 kids who get free lunch, and I've been on CalFresh for about 6 months now. Like so many others here, I had absolutely no idea about Summer EBT - I honestly thought all the extra food programs ended with COVID. After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing I probably missed notifications because we moved twice in the past year and I may not have updated our address with every department. It's frustrating that these programs aren't communicated better - how many eligible families are missing out just because they don't know these benefits exist? I'm definitely calling tomorrow to check our address and Summer EBT status. The tip about each child getting their own $120 card in separate plain envelopes is super helpful - I probably would have thrown those away thinking they were junk mail too! Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and making this so much clearer. This community is honestly more helpful than any official resource I've found. Fingers crossed we can still get enrolled for this summer!

Wow, this entire thread has been such a valuable resource! I'm a single parent with one child who gets free lunch at school, and I've been on CalFresh since last fall. Like everyone else here, I had no clue about Summer EBT - I genuinely thought all pandemic food assistance was completely over. Reading through all these experiences, I'm pretty sure I missed my notification too. I updated my address with CalFresh when I moved in December, but based on what people are saying here, it sounds like I might need to update it separately for Summer EBT? That's so confusing that they don't automatically sync! I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through to my county office - sitting on hold for hours with a toddler is basically impossible. The detail about the cards coming in plain envelopes is SO helpful - I definitely would have tossed those thinking they were spam mail. One quick question for anyone who's gotten their Summer EBT cards - can you use them at the same places as regular EBT? Like grocery stores, farmers markets, etc.? Just want to make sure I understand how they work if I'm able to get enrolled. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and making this so much clearer! This community really is more helpful than any government website I've tried to navigate.

As a senior who just went through this process myself at age 69, I wanted to share some encouragement! I was in a very similar situation to your mom - fixed income, rising costs, and too proud to ask for help initially. But getting CalFresh has been a game-changer for my monthly budget. A couple of practical tips from my experience: 1. When they calculate your mom's medical deductions, make sure to include her Medicare Part D prescription drug plan premium if she has one - this is often overlooked but can be $30-50+ monthly. 2. If she uses any medical equipment like a blood pressure monitor, diabetic supplies, or even compression socks recommended by her doctor, keep those receipts! They all count. 3. The phone interview was actually much easier than I expected. The caseworker was very patient and walked me through everything step by step. Don't let her worry about it being complicated. 4. Once approved, I discovered that many pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) accept EBT for eligible over-the-counter medications and health items when you have a prescription or doctor's recommendation. The application process felt overwhelming at first, but breaking it down into small steps made it manageable. With all the medical expenses and special senior deductions mentioned here, your mom very likely qualifies. The worst thing that can happen is they say no - but based on what you've shared, I think she has an excellent chance of approval. You're being a wonderful daughter/son helping her through this!

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm a social worker who helps seniors navigate benefits, and I wanted to add a few things that might help your mom's application: 1. California has something called the "Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility" which means if she receives ANY other state benefit (even small ones like utility assistance), she automatically meets certain CalFresh requirements and the asset limit doesn't apply. 2. For the medical expense deduction, include costs for medical transportation even if family drives her - you can claim $0.22 per mile. Also, if she pays for any home health aide services, medical equipment rentals, or even special dietary foods for her conditions, those count too. 3. Many counties now allow you to submit medical expense documentation through their online portals after the initial application, so you don't have to have everything perfect upfront - you can add receipts as you find them. 4. If your mom is tech-savvy at all, the "Fresh EBT" app mentioned earlier also has a feature that finds the cheapest grocery prices near her location and shows which stores have senior discounts on specific days. With her income level and the medical expenses you've described, she should definitely qualify for a meaningful benefit amount. The fact that you're helping her advocate for herself makes such a huge difference - many seniors miss out simply because they don't know these programs exist or feel too overwhelmed to apply. Keep us updated on how the application goes!

This is such a frustrating situation and unfortunately way too common! I've been dealing with CalFresh issues for years and what you're describing sounds like a system coding problem that only someone with administrative access can fix. A few things that might help while you're fighting this battle: 1. When you call on Monday, specifically ask them to check if your case is coded as "active" or if there are any authorization holds 2. Request they document EVERY call you make about this issue in your case notes 3. Ask for the direct number to your county's CalFresh program manager - sometimes bypassing the regular worker queue gets better results For immediate help this weekend, some food banks don't require advance registration and can help bridge the gap. Also, if you have kids under 18, check if your area has any weekend meal programs through schools or community centers. The fact that this has happened 4 months in a row is definitely grounds for a formal complaint. Don't let them brush this off as a minor glitch - your family shouldn't have to go hungry because of their system failures. Keep pushing for a permanent solution!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's completely unacceptable that you have to fight for your approved benefits every single month! Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like there's definitely a system flag or coding issue that needs to be fixed at the supervisor level. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to also document the financial impact this is having on your family. Keep track of any extra costs you're incurring (like having to buy expensive convenience store food when you can't grocery shop, gas money for extra trips to the office, etc.). This kind of documentation can be really powerful when escalating complaints because it shows the real harm being caused by their system failures. Also, if you end up filing a formal complaint or state hearing, mention that this is affecting your children's nutrition and food security. There are specific federal regulations about timely benefit issuance for families with kids, and violations of those can get immediate attention from state oversight. You shouldn't have to become an expert in their broken system just to feed your family, but unfortunately sometimes that's what it takes. Stay strong and keep advocating for yourself - you deserve better than this runaround!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been having the exact same issues with the ebtEDGE app for weeks now - it's incredibly frustrating when you're trying to manage your benefits and the technology just doesn't work. @Connor Gallagher I'm really happy you were able to get your card unfrozen and get groceries for your kids tonight! As someone who works in community outreach, I see these app problems constantly. The ebtEDGE system is notorious for glitches, especially during high-traffic periods or maintenance windows like @Natasha Orlova mentioned. It's honestly unacceptable that families have to deal with this kind of stress when trying to access their benefits. For anyone still struggling with similar issues, I wanted to add that some county offices also have EBT customer service representatives available during business hours who can help with card management over the phone. It might be worth calling your local CalFresh office directly if the main EBT line has long wait times. They can't always help with everything, but many can assist with basic card functions like freezing/unfreezing. Also, keep documentation of any app issues you experience - dates, times, error messages, etc. If these problems cause you to miss accessing your benefits or result in any losses, that documentation can be helpful when filing complaints or requesting benefit replacements. The system should work for us, not against us!

Just wanted to jump in and say how grateful I am for threads like this! I'm relatively new to CalFresh and had no idea there were so many backup options when the ebtEDGE app fails. I've been banging my head against the wall for the past two weeks trying to get the app to work properly - constant login errors, random crashes, and password reset emails that never arrive. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel so much less alone in this struggle. @Connor Gallagher I'm so glad you were able to get your card unfrozen and feed your kids! That's exactly the kind of situation that shows how critical these backup systems are. And @Paolo Longo your detailed breakdown of the phone system process is incredibly helpful - I'm screenshot-ing that for future reference. The tip about documenting app issues from @Fatima Al-Qasimi is something I wish I'd known earlier. I've probably lost hours of my life to this glitchy app, and keeping records could have been useful for reporting these problems. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone had success getting the app issues escalated to actually get them fixed? Or do we just have to accept that the phone system is our main reliable option? It seems like such a widespread problem that there should be more pressure to improve the app experience for everyone relying on these benefits. Thanks again to everyone for sharing your knowledge and helping newcomers like me navigate this system!