UPDATE: Just checked my EBT card again and the extra supplement just posted! It was $90 for my household (me + 2 kids). So looks like they ARE sending them out separately just like everyone said. Thanks for all the helpful info!

To answer the question about whether this is recurring: No, this January 2025 supplement is a one-time payment. It's part of the emergency food assistance measure passed in the last budget session to address rising food costs. It's separate from your regular CalFresh benefits and won't continue in future months unless there's new legislation. Also, for those who are confused about seeing their deposit history, you can request an EBT transaction history either through the BenefitsCal portal or by calling the EBT customer service line and requesting a mailed statement. This will show exactly when deposits were made and in what amounts.

just want to add that freee tax prep can get really busy right before the filing deadline so try to go in february if u can... i waited until april last year and had to wait 3 hours even WITH an appointment cause they were so backed up

To address your original question more specifically - the tax refund itself won't affect your CalFresh benefits the month you receive it. Tax refunds are considered non-recurring lump-sum payments, which means they don't count as income for CalFresh. However, if you keep the money and it puts you over the resource limit ($4,250 for most households with someone who is elderly or disabled, $2,750 for others), it could potentially affect your eligibility in future months. Most people spend their refunds relatively quickly on necessities though, so this rarely becomes an issue. Just make sure you're tracking and reporting any actual earned income properly on your SAR7 forms throughout the year.

One more tip about preventing future skimming: Always check card readers before inserting your EBT card. Look for loose parts, unusual colors/materials, or anything sticking out. Cover the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN, as thieves often use tiny cameras to capture PINs. Also, the new ebtEDGE app now lets you set up purchase alerts so you're notified immediately of any transactions. That way, you can freeze your card and report suspicious activity before your entire balance is drained.

just updating - my friend had this happen last month and she got her benefits back in like 6 days! way faster than when it happened to me last year. i think theyre getting better at handling these cases since its happening so much. just stay on them and keep calling!!

Happened 2 me twice last yr. The county gave me replacement $$ but took almost 2 weeks. Make sure u tell them u have no food so they mark it URGENT. also change where u shop, someone at that store might be stealing card #s

UPDATE: I finally got through to the county using the Claimyr service mentioned above. They took my fraud report, deactivated my old card, are sending a new one with expedited shipping, and put a note on my account about the fraud attempt. The worker also told me my recertification next month won't be affected at all. Just wanted to update everyone in case someone else has this problem!

u also no u can shop online with ebt now at walmart and amazon if u dont wanna go to store early morning

That's a great tip! I didn't know Amazon accepted EBT. That could be really helpful on months when I can't get to the store right away. Thanks!