I've been through this exact same situation before! Last year my benefits were delayed 4 days during Labor Day weekend and I was panicking just like you. Turned out there was a system update that caused processing delays, but of course they don't tell you that until after the fact. A couple things that helped me during the wait: - Download the "Food Finder" app - it shows food pantries and soup kitchens near you with current hours - Some WIC offices also have emergency food boxes even if you're not on WIC - Dollar Tree accepts EBT and has decent non-perishables if you have even a few dollars to stretch The good news is that once they fix whatever the issue is, your benefits usually get backdated to when they were supposed to be issued. So if you do end up spending your own money this weekend, you'll still have your full benefit amount when it comes through. Keep that approval letter handy and don't let them tell you on Tuesday that you need to reapply or anything like that - you have documentation that you were approved! Sometimes the workers don't have all the info and will try to make you start over.

I'm new to CalFresh and this is exactly the kind of situation I'm terrified of! Reading through everyone's responses is really eye-opening - I had no idea that holiday processing delays were so common or that there were services like Claimyr to help get through to county offices. @Julia Hall - I really hope you're able to get this resolved quickly on Tuesday. It sounds like you have all the right documentation with your approval letter, so this definitely seems like a system issue rather than anything you did wrong. One question for the more experienced folks here - is there any way to set up alerts or notifications to know if there might be processing delays ahead of time? It seems like this happens regularly enough that there should be some way for the county to warn people, especially since it usually hits right when people need the benefits most (like before a long weekend when grocery shopping is planned). Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed advice - I'm definitely bookmarking this thread in case I ever run into similar issues!

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to this community and just started receiving CalFresh benefits a few weeks ago. This entire thread has been SO educational - I had absolutely no clue about the Restaurant Meals Program before reading all your explanations! I actually work at a grocery store and see people try to use their EBT cards at the hot food bar sometimes, and now I understand why it doesn't work for most people. It makes total sense that RMP exists for elderly, disabled, and homeless individuals who might not have access to cooking facilities. Even though I don't qualify myself, I'm definitely going to keep this information in mind in case I encounter customers who might be eligible but don't know about the program. Thanks to everyone for being so patient in explaining all the different EBT programs and requirements - this community is already proving to be an amazing resource for understanding the benefits system!

I'm new to this community and just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I've been receiving CalFresh for about 3 months now and had the exact same confusion about EBT signs at restaurants. I actually saw one at a Pizza Hut last week and was wondering if I could finally use my benefits for a quick dinner after a long day at work. Reading everyone's explanations about the Restaurant Meals Program has cleared up so much confusion - I had no idea there were different categories of EBT benefits or that some people can use their cards at restaurants under specific circumstances. Even though I don't qualify for RMP myself, it's really encouraging to know these programs exist for people who truly need access to prepared foods. The information about county participation and eligibility requirements has been particularly enlightening. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences - this community seems like such a supportive place to learn about navigating the benefits system!

Just wanted to share my recent experience for anyone else dealing with delays - I had a similar situation where my benefits were delayed for over a week after approval. Turned out my case was flagged because I had moved counties between my old CalFresh case and my new application, even though the old case was from 3 years ago! The worker had to manually clear the flag and my benefits posted the next day. Pro tip: when you call, ask specifically if there are any "system flags" or "holds" on your account - don't just accept "benefits coming soon." Also, if you're calling and getting disconnected constantly, try calling your local office directly instead of the main county number. Sometimes the local offices have shorter wait times. Hope this helps someone!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm new to CalFresh and just submitted my application last week. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me a much better understanding of what to expect timing-wise and what potential issues to watch out for. The tip about asking specifically for "system flags" or "holds" rather than accepting vague "soon" responses is gold - I never would have known to ask for that level of detail. Also really appreciate the practical advice about calling times and trying local offices instead of main county numbers. It's reassuring to see this community supporting each other through what can be a really stressful process when you're waiting for essential benefits. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences!

I'm new to this community and this thread has been such a wake-up call! I had no idea P-EBT benefits even existed until reading through all these comments. My daughter qualifies for free school meals but we never received any information about additional food assistance. Now I'm panicking that I might have missed our envelope - I definitely get tons of "Official Business" mail that I usually assume is junk and set aside to deal with "later." It's honestly ridiculous that something so important for families comes in such a plain, misleading envelope! Reading everyone's descriptions, it sounds exactly like those fake government notices or credit card offers I throw away weekly. The fact that so many parents are having this exact same problem shows this is a major system failure that needs to be fixed. I'm going to check that myBenefitsCal website right now to see if cards were issued for us, and then probably spend my evening digging through my mail pile. Thank you to everyone who shared such detailed information about what to look for and how to get help - especially the tips about callback services and early morning calling strategies. This community is incredible for helping families navigate these confusing programs! Really hoping we didn't miss out on benefits that could really help with our grocery budget right now.

I'm new to this community and this thread has been absolutely incredible! Like so many others here, I had zero clue that P-EBT benefits even existed until I found this post. My kids qualify for free school meals and now I'm seriously worried we might have thrown away our cards too. Reading everyone's descriptions of these plain white "Official Business" envelopes, I'm pretty sure I would have tossed them thinking they were those fake government credit card offers or scam notices that flood my mailbox constantly. It's honestly mind-boggling that something as important as food assistance comes disguised as what looks like junk mail! I'm definitely going to check that myBenefitsCal website first before even thinking about calling that helpline - after reading about those 3-4 hour wait times, there's no way I could manage that with my little ones running around. Thank you to everyone who shared such detailed experiences and practical advice - from the envelope descriptions to the callback services to the multiple cards per child info. This community has been such an amazing resource for learning about these programs that apparently exist but nobody bothers to tell families about! Really hoping I can track down our cards or get replacements without too much hassle. Every bit of help makes a difference with grocery prices being absolutely insane right now.

UPDATE: Finally got my card unlocked! For anyone with the same issue, I ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned here, and it actually worked! They got me through to a person at the county office in about 20 minutes (versus the 2+ hours I was waiting before). The worker was able to see that my account had a security lock that was different from just the PIN lock, which is why the automated system and website weren't working. She removed that security flag and then helped me reset my PIN. Card is working now! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

This is such valuable information for anyone dealing with EBT card issues! I'm bookmarking this thread because it covers so many different solutions that actually work. The distinction between PIN locks and security locks is something I never knew about - no wonder the standard troubleshooting steps don't always work. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and what finally worked. It's frustrating that we have to jump through so many hoops to access benefits we're entitled to, but at least we can help each other navigate the system!