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Wait I'm confused about something else - when you report things on the SAR7, does that mean your benefits change right away? Or do they wait until the next 6-month period? I'm in a similar situation and trying to figure out when any changes would take effect.
Generally, changes reported on the SAR7 affect your benefits for the next certification period. However, there are some income changes you must report mid-period if they put you over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) listed on your approval notice. For a household of 1, that threshold is currently around $2,265 monthly in 2025. Security deposit assistance that doesn't count as income wouldn't trigger this mid-period reporting requirement.
UPDATE: I finally got through to my county worker! She confirmed that security deposit assistance paid directly to the landlord does NOT count as income for CalFresh purposes. She said to still note it on my SAR7 in the 'changes' section but to clearly explain it was a vendor payment for security deposit only, not rent assistance. Thanks everyone for your help!!
So sorry about your family's situation. When we went through the wildfires here, one thing that really helped was creating an Amazon wishlist with immediate needs and sharing it with friends and family who wanted to help. People could directly purchase and ship items to a safe address. It might be an option alongside the official assistance programs, which can take time to process. Also, check if their mortgage company or landlord offers disaster forbearance - many do automatically for federally backed loans in FEMA-declared disaster areas. This can pause housing payments temporarily.
I'm in a disaster recovery group on Facebook where people share resources after tornados, hurricanes, etc. They're called "Tornado Recovery Info" or similar for each state. Tell them to search for Tennessee tornado recovery groups on social media. People post about free clothing donations, volunteers helping clear debris, temporary housing offers, and other resources that don't involve government waitlists. Local groups often mobilize faster than official channels.
Hey did anybody else notice that the benefit amounts went up in January? My regular CalFresh went from $349 to $379 for my household of 2 and nobody told me it was increasing! Just randomly got more money lol
Update: My Restaurant Meals Program benefits just loaded this morning! It was delayed by about 24 hours compared to usual. Thanks everyone for helping me understand what was going on. The county should really explain these things better instead of making us figure it out ourselves!
OK slightly off topic but since ur filing taxes with a kid, MAKE SURE you claim head of household status and not single!!! I made that mistake my first year as a single mom and missed out on like $1200!!!!! Also the earned income credit the others mentioned is HUGE for us single parents. My tax refund last year was almost $5000 because of these credits and I only made like $27k at my job!
Carmen Reyes
this happened to my cousin last month!! she got approved for only $23 but didnt get the extra money. she had to fill out some additional form about her housing costs then they added the supplement like 3 weeks later AND gave her backpay for the missed month so dont worry!! youll probably get it all at once
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Mateo Gonzalez
•That's really reassuring to hear! I did submit my housing costs with my initial application but maybe they need additional verification. I pay $2200 for my tiny apartment so that should definitely help qualify me for more.
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Yuki Nakamura
Based on the new information about the "Pending Enrollment" status in your BenefitsCal account, that's almost certainly the reason for the delay. The system is waiting for final approval of your enrollment in the California Nutrition Supplement program. The good news is that these supplements are typically retroactive to your CalFresh approval date, so once your enrollment is processed, you should receive the supplement for October even if it comes late. Make sure to mention the "Pending Enrollment" status when you call. Please let us know what you find out after you contact them - it could help others in similar situations!
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Mateo Gonzalez
•I will definitely update once I know more! Thank you everyone for your help. This community is amazing! ❤️
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