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quick update - i just saw your reply about income for HUD programs. if you qualify for calfresh you 100% meet the income requirements for emergency housing assistance!! most counties use 200% federal poverty level for crisis housing and calfresh is 130% FPL. so dont worry about that part!!
I wanted to follow up on something important - make sure you're still submitting your SAR7 reports for CalFresh even during this housing crisis. I've seen people lose their food benefits in the middle of a housing emergency because they missed reporting deadlines, which then creates a second crisis. If your SAR7 is due soon, you can list the hotel as your temporary address or write "currently homeless" - but don't skip submitting it. Housing instability is actually a good reason to request expedited processing on any benefit recertifications or updates. Also, ask the county about the "Housing and Disability Advocacy Program" (HDAP) if anyone in your household has a disability, even a temporary one. They have additional resources beyond the standard housing programs that others have mentioned.
my daughter got a pebt but my son didnt even tho there both in middle school?? he qualifies for free lunch too so i dont understand why only one of my kids got it. has this happened to anyone else??
This happened to my sister! Turns out one of her kids was missing from the school's free lunch roster even though they should have been on it. You need to contact your school's food service department or office administrator to verify both kids are properly listed in their system. Sometimes there are data transfer errors between the school and the state system that processes P-EBT.
Just to give some additional clarity: Sometimes when people refer to "extra" benefits, they might be referring to retroactive benefits if there was a delay in processing your application or a change. For example, if you reported a change that would increase your benefits but it took the county a month to process it, you might receive the increase for the current month plus a supplement for the previous month all at once. Has anything like that happened with your case recently?
i just want to say my benefits amount changes slightly sometimes and i never know why lol. i got $432 last month and $447 this month with no explanation. i don't question it anymore, just grateful for whatever helps feed my family. the calfreh system is so confusing sometimes!!
You should always receive a Notice of Action explaining any changes to your benefit amount. If you're seeing unexplained changes, you might want to check if your mailing address is current with the county, or log into BenefitsCal to check for electronic notices. It's important to understand why your benefits change so you can make sure you're receiving the correct amount.
update: my benefits just loaded! it was 12:14am when i checked lol. thanks everyone for the help it was driving me crazy
Off topic but does anyone know if the IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) went up for 2025? I just got a small raise and I'm worried I might be over the limit now and need to report it before my next SAR7. I know this isn't related to benefit deposit times but I don't want to start a whole new thread.
Yes, the IRT amounts did increase for 2025. For a household of 1, it's around $2,850, for 2 it's about $3,510, and for 3 it's approximately $4,360. These are rough figures - the exact amount should be on your last approval notice. Remember you only need to report before your SAR7 if your income goes over your specific IRT limit.
Chloe Martin
i thought calfresh and snap were different things?? i'm confused
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StarStrider
•They're actually the same program. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is the federal name, while CalFresh is California's name for the program. Other states have different names - like FoodShare in Wisconsin or Basic Food in Washington - but they're all referring to the same federal SNAP program.
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AstroAce
UPDATE: Wanted to share what happened in case it helps someone else. After 2 weeks of back and forth, I finally got my benefits replaced! Had to complete the CF 303 form, provide a police report case number, and do a phone interview where they asked a bunch of questions about my shopping habits. The investigator said they've seen a huge spike in EBT theft cases and they're finding organized groups targeting certain grocery stores with skimming devices. They approved my claim after seeing that all the fraudulent purchases happened in a 3-hour period at stores 20+ miles from my home while I was at work (I provided a letter from my employer confirming my shift). I'm being super careful now - checking my balance after every purchase, covering the keypad when entering my PIN, and I even started taking my card out of my wallet only when I'm about to use it. Thank you all for your help during one of the scariest financial moments of my life!
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Zara Ahmed
•So glad you got your benefits back! Thanks for updating us - it's helpful to hear success stories with the system working as it should. Those are great security tips too.
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