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Always keep ALL your notices!!! I learned this the hard way. And write the date on them when you get them because sometimes they don't print the date clearly. I organize mine by month in a folder now because you never know when you'll need to reference something. Also take pictures of important notices with your phone as backup.
UPDATE: Found the notice! You all were right - it's about a system correction. They're giving me an extra $175 on May 12th because they miscalculated my utility allowance from February-April. Not quite the emergency allotment I thought, but still helpful! Thanks everyone for helping me figure this out.
That's great news! The Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) is often overlooked but can make a significant difference in your benefit calculation. Since February 2025, the SUA in California increased from $487 to $519, which can increase monthly benefits by $9-30 depending on household size and income. Sounds like they're giving you the retroactive adjustment for those three months. Make sure your future calculations include the correct SUA amount.
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP US CONFUSED AND UNDERPAID!!! They intentionally make the process complicated so fewer people get the benefits they deserve. I had to fight for months to get my correct benefit amount after they 'lost' my verification documents THREE TIMES. And now they just cancel extra benefits with barely any notice???
for real!! so true. my friend had to submit her pay stubs like 5 times last year cuz they kept saying they never got them even tho she uploaded them online with confirmation numbers and everything
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at my county office! They confirmed what several of you said - the extra supplement ended in May. The worker actually was really helpful and went through all my expenses with me. Turns out I've been undercounting my housing and childcare costs. She said my regular benefits should increase by about $80/month after she processes the updated information, which doesn't completely replace the supplement but helps a lot. Thanks everyone for your advice!
That's great news! So glad you were able to get some of the benefit back through proper expense reporting. This is exactly why it's so important to report ALL qualifying expenses. For anyone else reading this thread, remember that even things like child support payments and certain educational expenses can count as deductions for CalFresh calculations.
$70 actually sounds high for that income level tbh. My husband makes about $3300 and we only get $42 for our family of 3 🙃 It's basically pointless but I keep it anyway because every bit helps I guess
After reading through the comments, it sounds like you have several action items: 1. Call your county worker to report your medical expenses (both yours and potentially your baby's) 2. Clarify how your boyfriend's overtime is being calculated 3. Make sure all your housing costs are properly documented 4. Continue with your WIC application for additional support When reporting medical expenses, bring documentation if possible. This includes receipts for: - Doctor visit copays - Prescription costs - Medical transportation expenses - Health insurance premiums you pay out of pocket - Medical equipment or supplies All of these can count toward your medical expense deduction if they exceed $35/month. With your HHT condition, I suspect your actual benefit could be considerably higher once everything is properly documented.
Thank you for this clear list! I have receipts for almost everything, so I'll gather those up before I call. I'm feeling much more hopeful now that I might be able to get our benefits adjusted to something more helpful. I had no idea medical transportation counted too - I drive 45 minutes each way to see my specialist!
oh also they mite get rlly small benefits if they get SSI. my grandpa only got like $27 a month on EBT cuz his SSI was too high or somethin. still worth it tho
Quick correction - SSI (Supplemental Security Income) recipients in California aren't eligible for CalFresh at all because California includes a nutrition benefit in the SSI payment itself. However, if they're receiving Social Security retirement benefits (not SSI), then they can absolutely receive CalFresh. The minimum benefit for a qualifying household is $23 in 2025, but many seniors receive more, especially after medical expense deductions are applied.
Update: Thanks everyone for your help! We ended up going to BenefitsCal.com and started the application together. We got about halfway through but then realized we needed more documentation than we had on hand (they couldn't find their most recent Social Security award letters). Going to finish it tomorrow after gathering everything. The website was actually pretty user-friendly! I'm helping them navigate it, but the questions are straightforward. Much better than I expected. Will update again once we finish the process in case it helps others with elderly family members.
Yara Khoury
Update for everyone: I just got off the phone with a supervisor at LA County DPSS (used the Claimyr service to get through). She confirmed the 2-theft policy but said they ARE making exceptions for people with children, seniors, and disabled individuals. You have to specifically request a \
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Ava Rodriguez
THANK YOU for this update! I'm going to try this hardship review right away. I have 2 kids under 10 so hopefully that helps my case. I wish they'd implement that text verification system NOW instead of making us wait another year+ while our benefits keep getting stolen.
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