While it's good to bring documentation, this type of accusation is actually quite rare with skimming cases. The counties are well aware of the widespread EBT theft problem. As long as you promptly report the theft and have your physical card with you, there's little reason they would accuse you of fraud. The electronic signatures from skimming look very different from legitimate card sales in their system.

The official app is called "EBT Alert" (not CalFresh Watchdog) and it's a legitimate service offered through the state. It sends real-time transaction alerts and allows you to temporarily freeze/unfreeze your card. However, it's currently only available in 28 counties in California as of March 2025. I recommend using it if it's available in your county, but also check if your specific county has additional fraud prevention tools they offer locally.

The disaster declaration included these counties: Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba. BUT - you would have needed to apply for Disaster CalFresh during the application period (which was back in February for most counties) AND show you had disaster-related expenses or losses. If you didn't apply then, you won't receive anything extra. This wasn't automatic for regular CalFresh recipients.

Thank you! I didnt apply for any disaster benefits so I guess I won't get anything extra. I wish they'd bring back the pandemic extras permanently. My benefits barely last 2 weeks now.

oh so theres NO extra money for most ppl??? the original post made it sound like everyone was getting something extra this month!!! thanks for explaining

Don't feel bad! CalFresh rules are complicated and there's a lot of misinformation out there. Focus on getting all your current expenses documented at your next SAR7 or recertification. That's your best path to maximizing your regular benefits now that the emergency allotments are gone.

This is incredibly helpful - thank you! I didn't realize I could report expense increases outside of recertification. I'm going to gather my new rent agreement and childcare receipts and submit them this week. Do you happen to know what the current gross monthly income limit is for a family of 4? Just want to make sure we're still eligible with my husband's recent raise.

For a household of 4 in 2025, the gross monthly income limit for CalFresh is approximately $3,950. Your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) would be 150% of that figure, so around $5,925. As long as your household's total gross monthly income stays below the income limit, you should remain eligible, though the benefit amount may adjust based on the exact income. When reporting your husband's raise, make sure to provide documentation like a pay stub or employer letter to verify the new income amount.

Great question - CalFresh benefits (including emergency allotments) do NOT count as income or resources for Medi-Cal eligibility. The emergency allotments were considered the same type of benefit as regular CalFresh, just supplemental. You don't need to report them as income for your Medi-Cal redetermination.

That's unlikely for just 2 days of absence. The $350 likely included other factors - perhaps retroactive payments from previous months that weren't processed, or your niece might attend a school with higher reimbursement rates. There's also a possibility the parent/guardian misunderstood what period the payment covered. PEBT calculations follow specific formulas based on the school's meal rates, days missed, and whether the child qualifies for free/reduced lunch.

glad u got it figured out! the extra money always helps with groceries these days