hey just wonderin - do u get paid differently for community hours vs home hours? cuz thats what would affect calfresh not where u clock in

As someone who's been through CalFresh recertification multiple times while working in caregiving, I can confirm what others have said - you're overthinking this! CalFresh only cares about your total gross income, not the specifics of how your employer tracks your time. The key things for your upcoming recertification: 1) Report your actual gross income from paystubs accurately, 2) Keep all paystubs for at least 30 days before your recert appointment, and 3) If your monthly income varies a lot, check your IRT on your approval notice like Mohammed mentioned. Your employer's clocking procedures are completely separate from CalFresh reporting. Get clarity from your supervisor for your own peace of mind and to follow company policy, but don't stress about it affecting your benefits. You've got this!

To summarize for anyone else confused: 1. There is NO universal December 'bonus' for all CalFresh recipients 2. The School Holiday Nutrition Program (SHNP) provides supplemental benefits to families with children who receive BOTH CalWORKs AND CalFresh 3. The amount varies by county (typically between $40-$80 per child) 4. Distribution dates vary by county, usually between December 1-15 5. This is NOT the same as the pandemic emergency allotments which ended in March 2023 If you only receive CalFresh and not CalWORKs, you would not be eligible for this supplement. The best way to verify your specific case is to contact your county CalFresh office or check your BenefitsCal account for notices.

If you're looking for extra food assistance during the holidays even without the CalWORKs supplement, there are other resources that might help! Many food banks do special holiday distributions in December with extra items like turkeys or holiday meal fixings. Also check if your local churches or community centers are doing holiday food drives. Some counties also have special senior food programs if you're over 60, or WIC supplemental foods if you have young kids. I know it's not the same as extra EBT benefits, but it might help stretch your December budget for holiday meals. You can search for local food banks at feedingamerica.org or call 211 for other local resources.

i herd they might do a P-EBT 5.0 for last school year too (2023-2024) but not sure if its true. anybody know?

Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble activating your P-EBT 4.0 card, you can also try activating it online at ebtedge.com rather than calling. I had the same issue with long hold times, but the website worked immediately. You'll need your card number and some basic info like your ZIP code. Also, don't worry if the card looks different from your regular EBT - the P-EBT cards often have different designs but work at all the same places. The benefits are retroactive for the 2022-2023 school year, so even though it's 2025 now, you're not missing out on anything by just receiving it!

just 2 add something else - if ur in a food desert area (not many grocery options nearby) u might get more consideration. my friend has a small market in south LA and they got approved faster cuz they were in an area with limited food options. might be worth mentioning if thats ur situation!!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience from when I helped my family's deli navigate this process last year. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that California specifically has some additional state-level requirements beyond the federal USDA ones. You'll also need to register with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and they have their own inspection process. They're pretty strict about food handling certifications and will want to see that your grocery section meets state food safety standards separately from your restaurant operations. Also, if you do decide to expand your grocery section to meet the 50% requirement, consider focusing on items that have good shelf life and turnover - things like pasta, rice, canned goods, and basic household staples. These tend to be easier to manage inventory-wise than fresh produce, especially when you're primarily running a pizza business. The whole process took us about 4 months from application to approval, and that was with everything going smoothly. But it has been worth it for bringing in new customers who appreciate having a local option that accepts their benefits.

I'm in San Bernardino County and still waiting for mine too! My benefits load on the 12th so I was getting really worried, but after reading all these comments I feel so much better knowing my old card will keep working. It sounds like they're really moving south through the counties systematically. Has anyone from San Bernardino or Imperial counties gotten theirs yet? Also thanks to everyone who shared that EBT customer service number - I'm definitely going to try calling them instead of my local office which never picks up!

I'm in Kern County and just wanted to add my experience for anyone else still waiting! Got my new card 3 days ago and the activation was super smooth. Like others mentioned, it came in a plain white envelope that looked like junk mail. The new blue card definitely looks more official than the old yellow one. One thing I wanted to mention that I haven't seen others talk about - when I activated the new card, I got a text message confirmation which was nice. Also, I tested both cards at the store the same day (before the old one got deactivated) and the new chip reader is noticeably faster than swiping the old magnetic strip. For anyone in the Central Valley counties still waiting, it looks like they're definitely working their way south. The EBT customer service line (1-877-328-9677) was able to give me the exact week my county was scheduled which helped ease my anxiety a lot. Don't stress if yours is running a few days behind what your worker estimated - seems like the rollout has some natural delays but your benefits are totally safe with the old card until you're ready to switch!