Update: I finally got through to my county office! My worker confirmed what everyone here said about the emergency allotments ending. She helped me update my expenses (my rent went up and I had never reported my full utility costs before). My benefit amount will increase to $422 next month, which is still less than before but better than $337. Thanks everyone for the help and information!

I'm dealing with the same situation - my benefits dropped from $580 to $294 for my household of 2. It's really helpful reading everyone's experiences here. I had no idea the emergency allotments were temporary, and like others mentioned, I never received any notice about this change. I'm going to try updating my expenses since my utilities have gone up significantly this winter. Has anyone had success getting their county office to backdate expense changes, or do they only apply going forward? Also wondering if there are any other food assistance programs I should look into to help bridge this gap.

Just to clarify some misinformation I'm seeing in comments: The supplemental benefits were part of a temporary program with a defined end date. The notices were sent out in March 2025 to all recipients. If you didn't receive one, it could be due to an outdated address in the system. Make sure your contact information is current in CalSAWS. Your regular CalFresh benefits are not affected by this change. If you're experiencing hardship, you might qualify for an emergency allotment by contacting your county office and explaining your situation. They can sometimes issue emergency benefits in cases of demonstrated need.

I'm in the same boat as everyone else here - really bummed about losing that extra payment! For those asking about getting help right now, I wanted to mention that many local food banks have increased their distributions recently because they know people are dealing with this benefit reduction. The LA Regional Food Bank has several locations doing extra weekend distributions through the end of May. Also, if you have kids, check if your school district is doing any spring break meal programs - some are extending them because of the CalFresh changes. It's not much but every little bit helps when you're trying to stretch that grocery budget!

For anyone wondering, my benefits just loaded this morning! Got the full back payment for what I was owed too. The worker didn't really explain why the flag happened, just said something about the "closure reason code" not properly triggering the TCF process. Seems like they have to manually fix these a lot.

This is such a great example of how persistent you have to be with these systems! I'm dealing with something similar right now - got approved for emergency CalFresh but haven't seen any benefits loaded yet. It's really frustrating when you're counting on that help to feed your family. Your story gives me hope that if I keep calling, I'll eventually get someone who can actually fix the problem. Thanks for sharing the update and glad your kids won't be going hungry anymore!

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE US GIVE UP!!! i spent 3 DAYS trying to reach someone last month when they suddenly cut my benefits because of a "missing document" that I DEFINITELY turned in!!! when i finally got through they admitted it was THEIR ERROR but i had to go 2 weeks with reduced benefits while they "fixed" it. NO APOLOGY nothing. and they wonder why people get so angry with them...

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone! I followed the advice to call the county office directly (not the EBT line) first thing in the morning. After about a 45-minute wait, I spoke with a worker who confirmed I missed my SAR7 deadline. She helped me submit it over the phone and said my benefits should be restored within 10 days, and they'll issue supplemental benefits for what I missed this month. For anyone else in this situation - definitely call your specific county office, not the EBT customer service line. And keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit. I'm setting calendar reminders for all my future SAR7 and recertification deadlines so this doesn't happen again. Thanks to everyone who helped!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I talked to my brother and he's going to try calling first thing tomorrow. If he can't get through, he's going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. He definitely wants to do this right - he doesn't want to mess up any future benefits in case he needs them again someday. I'll update if we find out anything helpful for others in this situation.

Your brother is doing the right thing by being proactive about this! Just wanted to add that when he calls tomorrow, he should ask the worker to document in his case notes that he's requesting voluntary repayment of the benefits and that he reported his employment change timely. This creates a paper trail that can help if there are any issues later. Also, if the worker seems unsure about the voluntary repayment process, he can ask to speak with a supervisor - sometimes the frontline workers aren't as familiar with this option. Good luck to him, and thanks for updating us on what happens!