California CalFresh
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CalFresh emergency allotments ended - will they return in 2025?
I've been getting regular CalFresh benefits for about a year, but I remember back during COVID everyone was getting the maximum amount regardless of income calculation (I think they called it emergency allotments?). My neighbor swears she heard they're bringing these back in 2025 due to inflation, but I can't find anything about it online. Does anyone know when the emergency allotments actually ended and if there's any truth to them coming back? My family could really use the extra help with food prices still being so high.
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Will P-EBT 2025 benefits load on existing cards or are new ones being mailed?
Just got an email saying I'm eligible for the new round of P-EBT benefits for my kids, but can't find clear info about how we'll actually receive the funds. Does anyone know if they'll reload the same P-EBT cards from previous years (still have ours from 2023) or if they're sending completely new cards for the 2025 distribution? The email just said benefits would be issued 'soon' but didn't specify how. My kids' school is on spring break so can't even ask the office staff. Don't want to miss these benefits if I need to update my address somewhere!
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THEY BETTER NOT SEND NEW CARDS!!!! I've kept every P-EBT card since the program started and they've ALWAYS loaded the new benefits on the original card. If they suddenly change this policy without proper notification, thousands of families will miss out on benefits they're entitled to. The state is already doing a terrible job communicating about this program. My daughter's school never even sent out the email about 2025 eligibility - I only found out through a Facebook group for parents!
preach! the communication is so bad with this program. different schools in the same district are telling parents different things!
Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in this thread: 1. For P-EBT 2025, they will attempt to load benefits on existing cards first 2. New cards are only issued if: - Your previous card is reported lost/stolen - Your card has been inactive for 365+ days - Your address has changed and been updated in the system - You're new to the program entirely The P-EBT and CalFresh cards look different (P-EBT is white with a blue stripe, CalFresh is the golden State of California design), but they're both managed through the same EBT contractor and customer service system. P-EBT benefits for 2025 are being issued between April-June depending on your county and school district. Some counties are receiving benefits in waves based on the first letter of the child's last name. If you need to update your address or report a lost card, calling the EBT Customer Service number is correct (though as others have mentioned, wait times can be extremely long).
This is so helpful! Thank you for breaking it down clearly. I'll check our cards to make sure they haven't expired and keep an eye out for deposits in April. Our county usually gets benefits in the first wave based on past years.
Is Riverside County getting extra CalFresh benefits tonight (February 2025)?
Does anyone know if Riverside County is getting those extra CalFresh benefits on our EBT cards tonight? I heard something about emergency allotments coming back this month but my caseworker never answers when I call. My regular benefits already loaded last week but my neighbor said Riverside might be getting extra tonight. Don't wanna get my hopes up but that would really help right now.
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Emergency allotments are gone BUT what might be happening is the quarterly adjustment for the utility allowance that affects some households. February is when the seasonal utility allowance changes for certain households using the SUA or LUA deductions. So some people DO see small benefit increases this month if they're in households where heating costs changed significantly. Check your last SAR7 to see if you get either SUA (Standard Utility Allowance) or LUA (Limited Utility Allowance) deductions. If your worker calculated a change, it might show up as a separate deposit.
Oh wow, that might be it! I do have the SUA on my case because I pay for heating separately. I'll check tomorrow if anything extra comes in. Thanks for explaining!
That's a great point about the utility allowance adjustment! I completely forgot about the February SUA recalculation. That would only affect certain households though, not everyone in a county.
Just to add some clarity here: CalFresh has returned to normal operations with no emergency supplements currently authorized for February 2025 in any California county. However, there are three legitimate ways you might see adjustments to your benefits this month: 1. Utility Allowance Adjustment (as someone mentioned) 2. Retroactive corrections if your income was previously calculated incorrectly 3. Restoration of benefits if you had a successful appeal The best way to check is by using the BenefitsCal mobile app or website, which will show any pending deposits to your EBT account, or by calling the EBT customer service line at 877-328-9677 to check your balance and pending deposits.
the app is great but sometimes it doesnt show the pending deposits until like midnight when they actually hit so calling is better if u wanna know ahead of time
Where to find official list of schools that qualify for P-EBT 2025?
My kids' school sent home this vague paper about P-EBT cards possibly coming for some students, but it didn't say if our school actually qualifies. I checked the CalFresh website but couldn't find any clear list of eligible schools for the 2025 P-EBT program. Does anyone know where to find an official list of qualifying schools? My kids qualify for free lunch through the school's community eligibility program, so I think we should get P-EBT, but I want to make sure before I tell them to expect extra food money. Thanks for any help!
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This whole P-EBT thing is SO CONFUSING!!! Last year they said my kids qualified, then we never got cards, then they said we didn't qualify, then 6 months later random cards showed up in the mail!!! The government needs to make this WAYYY more clear instead of leaving parents guessing about whether they'll get help feeding their kids!!
I hear you! The communication about these benefits is terrible. I think part of the problem is that it goes through multiple agencies - schools report to CDSS, then CDSS works with the EBT vendor, and nobody seems to talk to each other efficiently.
Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in this thread: 1. P-EBT eligibility is determined at both the SCHOOL level and the STUDENT level 2. For 2025, schools must participate in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program 3. Students must either qualify for free/reduced meals individually OR attend a school that uses CEP/Provision 2 4. Not all students at a qualifying school will receive P-EBT (unless it's a CEP school) The reason there's no public list is that eligibility can change throughout the year as schools update their participation status and as students' meal eligibility changes. Your school nutrition department will have the most up-to-date information.
Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! I talked to the nutrition services office and they confirmed our school is CEP and they've submitted all the information to the state. Now we just wait for the cards apparently. Really appreciate everyone's help!
Are we still getting extra CalFresh benefits on the 14th in 2025?
Anyone know if they're still doing the extra CalFresh deposit on the 14th this month? I've been getting it consistently for a while now but heard some rumor they might be stopping it. My regular benefits hit my EBT on the 6th like normal but I'm counting on that second payment for my kids' groceries for the rest of the month. My caseworker never answers the phone and the automated line doesn't have any info about it. Thanks!
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With that specific information, I can now provide a more informed response. If you're seeing two separate CalFresh deposits of different amounts, here are the most likely explanations: 1. Supplemental benefits for a specific county program (some counties have additional food assistance) 2. Correction for previous underpayments being distributed monthly 3. Split issuance due to a case specific situation 4. You may have two separate CalFresh cases (rare but possible if household members were split and later rejoined) You absolutely need to contact your county office for clarification. If this second payment isn't permanent, you need to know before it stops. When you file your next SAR7 or recertification, this might trigger a review that could end the second payment if it's not supposed to be continuing.
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. I've been so stressed about this all day. I'm going to try that Claimyr service tomorrow to get through to my worker because my SAR7 is due next month and I don't want anything to mess up my benefits. I'll update here when I find out what's going on!
Beth Ford
Thanks everyone for the clear answers! I understand now that the emergency allotments ended back in February 2023 and aren't coming back anytime soon. I'm going to call tomorrow to report my rent and childcare cost increases - hopefully that helps boost my benefits a bit. And I'll check out the local food bank too.
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Isaiah Cross
Good plan! Also remember that many farmers markets double CalFresh benefits through the Market Match program (up to $10 per visit at most markets). It's a great way to stretch your benefits and get fresh produce!
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