Are emergency CalFresh allotments really ending in 2025? Household in panic

Yes, unfortunately this is accurate information. The emergency allotments were always intended to be temporary and are ending statewide, not just in Sacramento County. The federal legislation authorizing these additional benefits has expired and won't be renewed. Your household will return to receiving the regular CalFresh benefit amount based on your household size, income, and expenses. I recommend updating your SAR7 or recertification (whichever is due next) with any changes that might help maximize your regular benefit amount - like medical expenses over $35/month for seniors/disabled household members, childcare costs, or updated utility bills.

This really suks! My caseworker never even mentioned ths was gonna end when I called last week abut something else. How r they just gonna cut ppl off with no warning?? Food prices r insane now and my kids eat alot. Regular amount is like $380 for my family but with emergency it was $780. I cant go back to the reglar amount. We need to call our representatives or somethin!!

Yeah my neighbor warned me about this last week. She said her sister who works for the county confirmed it's 100% ending. I'm already making plans to hit up more food banks. The one at Southside Church gives out pretty decent stuff on Thursdays. They don't even check income. Just show up early cause the line gets crazy long.

I've been trying to reach someone at the county office to confirm this and ask about transitional options for my family, but I've been on hold for literally 2 hours and then got disconnected twice! Has anyone had luck actually speaking to a human being at the CalFresh office lately? This is so frustrating when we need answers about such a major change.

This is BEYOND INFURIATING!! They increase our benefits during the pandemic when many people were getting extra unemployment and stimulus checks, then they cut them when inflation is at record highs and those other supports are gone?? Make it make sense! The regular benefit amount is based on calculations from like a decade ago that don't reflect current food costs AT ALL. My family went from $900 to $410 when they did this in our county last month. It's devastating.

A few other suggestions that might help households facing this reduction: 1. Apply for WIC if you have children under 5, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding 2. Check if your children qualify for free or reduced school meals 3. Make sure you've reported ALL qualifying deductions on your CalFresh case (rent/mortgage, utilities, childcare expenses, medical expenses for elderly/disabled members) 4. Look into local food assistance programs - many counties have supplemental programs 5. Contact 211 for referrals to additional local resources The maximum benefit amounts did receive a cost-of-living adjustment for 2025, so regular benefits are slightly higher than previous years, but I understand it's still a significant reduction from what you received with the emergency allotments.

I just called my county office (using that Claimyr service someone mentioned - it actually worked!) and confirmed this is happening. The worker I spoke with suggested I also look into whether I qualify for the utility assistance program (LIHEAP) to help with energy bills, which could free up some money for food. She also mentioned that standard CalFresh benefits were adjusted upward slightly for 2025 due to inflation, so my regular benefit will be a bit higher than it was before the emergency allotments started. Not enough to make up the difference, but at least it's something. Going to apply for LIHEAP today and update my expenses on my CalFresh case.

My sisters been on calfresh for years and says this happens all the time. they give extra benefits then take em away then bring em back. maybe theyll start again soon? politicians always wanna look good before elections lol

I'm in the same boat as many of you - just found out about this ending and I'm honestly overwhelmed trying to figure out next steps. Reading through everyone's suggestions has been really helpful though. I'm going to try that Claimyr service to actually get through to someone at my county office, and I had no idea about being able to submit a voluntary mid-period report to add expenses. Does anyone know if things like laundromat costs count as utilities? We don't have washer/dryer in our apartment and spend about $60/month at the laundromat. Also planning to hit up some food banks - never thought I'd need to but here we are. Thanks everyone for sharing info and resources during such a stressful time.

I'm really sorry to hear everyone is going through this stress. I just wanted to share that I've been meal planning more strategically since I heard about the emergency allotments ending. Things like buying rice, beans, and lentils in bulk have helped stretch my food budget way further than I expected. Also, I discovered that some grocery stores mark down meat and produce that's close to expiration - I've been checking those sections first and then planning meals around what's discounted. It's not ideal having to shop this way, but every little bit helps when you're trying to make the regular benefit amount work. I also started a small container garden on my apartment balcony with herbs and lettuce - even that saves a few dollars each month. We shouldn't have to do all this extra work just to eat, but I figure we might as well share strategies to help each other get through this.