mine worked this morning! try again

Just wanted to add for anyone still having issues - I work at a community center and we help folks with CalFresh questions regularly. If the phone system is still giving you trouble, you can also check your benefit amount by logging into your EBT account online at ebtEDGE.com. Create an account with your card number and you can see your transaction history and upcoming deposits there too. Sometimes that site updates faster than the phone system during maintenance periods. Also, if you're ever unsure about benefit changes, keep your most recent CalFresh notice - it shows your monthly amount and any upcoming changes to your case.

I went through this exact same situation with my daughter who has cerebral palsy! The key thing that helped us was requesting a "disability determination" for CalFresh purposes, even though she doesn't receive SSI. You can ask your county worker to evaluate whether your children meet the disability criteria based on their medical conditions and functional limitations. Also, don't forget about these often-overlooked medical expenses that count toward your deduction: - Special foods/supplements if medically necessary - Assistive technology or adaptive equipment - Physical/occupational therapy copays - Behavioral therapy sessions - Special transportation costs (like wheelchair-accessible vehicles) When I appealed, I submitted a detailed monthly budget showing ALL disability-related expenses, and it made the difference between denial and approval. The appeal process took about 6 weeks for us, but we received retroactive benefits back to our original application date. Definitely worth fighting for!

I'm going through something very similar right now! My daughter has autism and ADHD, and we were also initially denied CalFresh. What I've learned from this thread and my own experience is that you really need to be persistent about getting those medical expenses counted. One thing that helped me was creating a monthly expense tracker specifically for disability-related costs. I included everything - copays, gas to appointments, special dietary needs, even the sensory tools her therapist recommended. It's shocking how much it all adds up to when you actually document it properly. Also, don't give up if the first worker you talk to doesn't seem knowledgeable about disability deductions. I had to speak with three different people before I found someone who really understood the medical expense rules. Some workers just aren't trained well on these special circumstances. The appeal is definitely worth it - I wish I had done it sooner instead of just accepting the initial denial. Your $800+ in monthly medical expenses should make a huge difference in your eligibility calculation. Keep pushing for your family!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently in week 2 of my CalFresh application and was starting to get anxious about the timeline. Reading through everyone's experiences - especially @Chloe Green's complete journey from confusion to success - has really helped me understand what's normal in this process. It's honestly mind-blowing that county workers don't explain the early EBT card delivery system, considering how many people it seems to confuse! The fact that getting a card before approval is actually a positive indicator rather than an error is something I never would have figured out on my own. What really strikes me about this thread is how much more helpful real community experiences are compared to official resources. The county website just says "processing takes up to 30 days" but gives zero detail about what that actually looks like day-to-day. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and especially those who came back with updates - it makes such a difference knowing the full story from start to finish. I'll definitely return to share my own experience once I get through the process. This is exactly why community support matters so much when navigating these systems!

This thread has been such a game-changer for my understanding of the CalFresh process! I applied about 10 days ago and have been checking my mailbox daily wondering when I'd hear something. Reading @Chloe Green's full experience from getting the card to benefits finally loading, plus all the timeline details from @Alexis Robinson, has completely shifted my expectations. I had no idea the early EBT card delivery was even a thing, let alone that it's actually a good sign! It's pretty disappointing that county workers aren't trained to explain this basic part of the process - seems like it would save everyone a lot of confusion and anxiety. But I'm so grateful for this community where people share real experiences that you just can't find anywhere else. The supportive atmosphere here and the way people come back with updates makes such a difference for those of us still waiting. I'll definitely follow everyone's example and return with my own update once I get through the process. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their stories - this is exactly what community support should look like!

Wow, what an incredible thread! @ac0944eb9a44 I'm so thrilled to see you got approved - congratulations! 🎉 Your experience is going to be such a lifeline for other people going through this confusing process. I'm actually day 15 into my own CalFresh application and had no idea about any of this EBT card timing stuff. I would have absolutely freaked out if a card showed up with $0 on it! Thanks to everyone sharing their knowledge here, especially @f4ad134a031c for the professional insights and @8279860bb01f for the social worker perspective. The fact that there's no automatic notification system for document requests in 2025 is honestly mind-blowing. I'm definitely going to be checking that Message Center religiously now - can't believe how easy it would be to miss something important buried in there. This community is doing such amazing work filling the information gaps that the official system leaves. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been more helpful than anything I found on the official CalFresh website. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space for people navigating this maze!

This entire thread has been such an education! @ac0944eb9a44 huge congratulations on getting approved - what a rollercoaster that must have been! Your story perfectly illustrates everything that's wrong with how this system communicates with applicants. I'm currently on day 12 of my own CalFresh application and honestly had no clue about the EBT card vs benefits timing issue. I would have been devastated to get a card with $0 thinking something went wrong with my application. The fact that they don't include ANY explanation with the card about this process is just cruel - people are already stressed about being able to feed their families! What really gets me is how this community thread has more clear, useful information than any official government resource I've found. @f4ad134a031c @c87948ddf282 @8279860bb01f - thank you for sharing your professional knowledge so generously. The tip about checking the Message Center daily is going to save me so much anxiety. It's 2025 and we can get instant notifications for pizza delivery but not for critical food assistance documentation requests? The system really seems designed to make people give up. Thank you everyone for creating this supportive space and sharing your experiences - it's making this overwhelming process feel much more manageable!

This thread has been such a lifesaver for me! I'm currently on day 3 of waiting for a Walmart EBT refund and was getting really anxious, but reading everyone's experiences here shows this is totally normal. It's crazy how every single retailer gives the same "24-48 hours" promise when the reality is clearly 5+ business days. I had no idea that EBT refunds worked so differently from regular debit cards - wish they would just be upfront about the real timeframes instead of getting our hopes up! The explanation about business days vs calendar days was especially helpful. Going to stop obsessively checking my balance and just wait it out until next week. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences, especially the county workers who actually explained how the system works!

This thread is absolutely incredible - thank you so much to everyone who shared their experiences! I'm brand new to CalFresh (literally just got approved last week) and had no idea that EBT refunds worked so differently from regular card refunds. I haven't had to deal with any returns yet, but I'm definitely bookmarking this entire discussion for future reference. The fact that every major retailer consistently gives the same false "24-48 hour" timeframes is really eye-opening - it seems like a widespread training issue across the entire industry. I especially appreciate the county office workers who took the time to explain how business days, holidays, and the actual EBT processing system work. This kind of real-world community knowledge is so much more valuable than anything you'd get from customer service hotlines. Now I know to expect 5+ business days for any EBT refunds regardless of what the store tells me, and to not panic if it takes even longer due to holidays or weekends. This community is amazing!