To clarify some of the information shared here: This is indeed the California Food Assistance Program Inflation Relief payment for 2025. It's a one-time supplemental payment and was authorized in the state budget specifically to help CalFresh recipients manage rising food costs. The amount is based on household size as others have correctly noted. You don't need to report this payment on your SAR7 or recertification, as it's not counted as income. If you haven't received an official notice yet, you should get one within the next two weeks. The payments were processed centrally, which is why they're appearing on EBT cards before the notices reach everyone.

I'm so glad you posted about this! I was in the exact same situation - got an unexpected $252 on my EBT card and was terrified it was a mistake. Reading all these responses has been incredibly helpful. It's reassuring to know this is a legitimate inflation adjustment payment and not something I'll have to pay back. The fact that they're sending the money before the notices is definitely confusing, but at least now I understand what it is. Thanks to everyone who shared the detailed breakdown of amounts by household size - that really helped confirm this is the right payment for my 2-person household!

I work at a nonprofit that helps people with benefits applications and I can confirm what others have said about the two types of verification letters. If you need the detailed one showing benefit amounts, try this: log into BenefitsCal, go to "Contact Us" or "Messages" section, and specifically request a "detailed verification letter with benefit amounts for housing purposes." Most counties will respond within 1-2 business days and email it to you. Way faster than calling or going in person. Also mention it's urgent for lease renewal - they sometimes prioritize housing-related requests.

Another quick tip - if you're in LA County specifically, they have a "Document Center" feature in their MyBenefitsCalWIN portal that's separate from the main BenefitsCal site. You can often get detailed verification letters there instantly. Other large counties like San Diego and Orange County have similar county-specific portals. Worth checking if your county has their own benefits portal in addition to the state BenefitsCal system. Sometimes the county sites have more document options available for immediate download.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! $800 is devastating to lose. I went through something similar about 6 months ago - my card got skimmed at a gas station and I lost $400 before I caught it. The good news is that your benefits will absolutely still deposit on time even with the card frozen. I actually learned to love keeping my card frozen between uses after my theft. One tip that really helped me: take photos of your card transactions right after you make them, especially the receipt showing your remaining balance. It makes it easier to spot unauthorized activity quickly when you check your balance later. Also, if you haven't already, download the ebtEDGE mobile app - the transaction alerts are a lifesaver for catching theft early. Stay strong - the system has gotten much better about replacing stolen benefits since the federal changes. You should see that $800 back within a couple weeks!

I'm really sorry to hear about your card being stolen - that's such a violation and $800 is a huge loss! But I can reassure you that your benefits will definitely still deposit on schedule even with the card frozen. The freeze only stops transactions from going through, not deposits coming in. I actually keep my card frozen all the time now except when I'm actively shopping - it's become second nature to unfreeze it right before checkout and freeze it again afterward. Takes literally 10 seconds in the app and gives me so much peace of mind. For your theft claim, definitely keep following up if you don't hear back within 2 weeks. And if you need to call the county office again (hopefully you won't!), try calling right when they open - that's usually when you have the best chance of getting through without waiting forever. You're doing all the right things by reporting it quickly and getting a new card. Hope you get those stolen benefits replaced soon!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that Sacramento County also has an Emergency Family Services program that can provide one-time assistance for housing deposits and first month's rent. Even though it's called "Emergency Family Services," you don't actually need to have children to qualify - single adults facing homelessness are eligible too. The application process is usually faster than the larger housing programs, often 5-7 business days if you have all your documentation ready. You can reach them at (916) 874-2072. They work closely with the other programs mentioned here, so even if they can't fully cover your costs, they might be able to provide partial assistance while you wait for the larger programs to process. Also, since you mentioned you're starting a new job soon, bring any documentation showing your employment start date - they prioritize people who are moving toward self-sufficiency. Worth adding to your list of calls tomorrow alongside all the other great suggestions in this thread!

I've been helping people navigate Sacramento County assistance programs for a while and wanted to add something important that might help speed up your process even more. When you call any of these programs tomorrow, ask specifically about their "Housing Crisis Response" track - it's a newer expedited pathway they've created for people who have housing identified but need immediate assistance to secure it. You'll need to emphasize that you have a specific rental opportunity with a timeline constraint, not just that you need housing in general. Also, if your friend where you're staying can provide a brief letter stating that your current arrangement is temporary and you need to secure permanent housing by a certain date, that documentation can really help establish urgency. Sacramento County actually responds pretty well when they see someone being proactive about preventing homelessness rather than waiting until they're already on the street. The combination of having employment starting soon + specific housing identified + current unstable arrangement usually gets prioritized. Good luck with all your calls tomorrow!

I'm also experiencing this exact same issue! The EBT phone system has been saying "invalid card number" for me since Sunday, which is really stressful when you're trying to manage a tight food budget. I'm so grateful for this community - I had no idea about all these alternative options! Just downloaded the ConnectEBT app and tried the text option (BAL to 96539) and both work perfectly. It's really concerning how often these system outages happen with zero communication from CalFresh. They should be proactively informing people about these alternatives instead of leaving us to figure it out through trial and error or community forums like this. Has anyone noticed if these outages tend to happen at specific times of the month? I'm wondering if it's related to benefit loading schedules or if it's just random system maintenance.

I'm new to this community and dealing with this exact same frustrating issue! The EBT phone line has been giving me "invalid card number" errors for the past four days, even though I know I'm entering it correctly and my card works fine at grocery stores. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the ConnectEBT app or the text option! Just downloaded the app and texted "BAL" to 96539, and both methods work perfectly. It's really disappointing that CalFresh doesn't communicate these system outages or promote these alternative methods better. We shouldn't have to rely on community forums to figure out how to access our own benefits. Thank you everyone for sharing these workarounds - this community is more helpful than the official customer service!