Are we still getting extra CalFresh benefits for May 2025? Emergency allotments stopped?

The emergency allotments for CalFresh actually ended back in April 2023. That was the last month California issued the extra benefits. Since then, everyone just gets their regular calculated benefit amount based on household size, income, and expenses. Your neighbor is unfortunately working with outdated information. The only "extra" you might qualify for would be the standard deduction increases that happen yearly with inflation adjustments, but those are already calculated into your regular benefit amount.

i was confused about this too!! i kept waiting for the extra payment to hit my card but then i called the EBT customer service number and the recording said those emergency allotments from covid ended years ago. i think the confusion might be because they just did the annual adjustment for inflation in october 2024 so maybe thats what ur neighbor was talking about?

The confusion might be about the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) that happened in October 2024. That wasn't extra benefits, just the annual inflation adjustment to the standard CalFresh benefit amounts. The maximum monthly allotment for a family of 3 increased from $785 to $824 (approximately). But that's your normal benefit, not an extra payment. If you're struggling, make sure your worker knows about ALL your expenses, especially: - Full housing costs including utilities - Child care expenses if applicable - Medical expenses for elderly/disabled household members These deductions can significantly increase your monthly benefit.

i remember thoese emergency allotments they were AMAZING we got like $930 every month for my family of 4 but yes they definitely stopped in 2023 which SUCKS because grocery prices are still insane!!!! the county workers dont even care that families are struggling. my worker just says "thats your benefit amount" when i ask why it went down so much. i miss the days when they gave people enough to actually feed their families!!!!!

If you're having trouble reaching your CalFresh worker to ask about your benefit calculation or to report changes that might increase your benefits, I had great luck using Claimyr recently. It's a service that gets you through to a real person at the county office without waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works in their video demo here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 I was in a similar situation where I thought I was missing benefits and couldn't get anyone on the phone. Used claimyr.com and got through in about 15 minutes. Turned out I needed to update my utility costs which added almost $50 to my monthly benefits.

Just to add some clarification - while the emergency allotments have ended, there were some temporary benefit increases during the pandemic that became permanent. The Thrifty Food Plan was revised in 2021, which did increase the base benefit amounts for everyone by about 21% compared to pre-pandemic levels. So while we're not getting the maximum benefit for all households anymore, the standard benefits are higher than they were before COVID. Also, California specifically has some of the most generous income guidelines for CalFresh in the country because we use "broad-based categorical eligibility" which allows for higher gross income limits than some other states.

Unfortunately, the emergency allotments were tied specifically to the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration, which has ended. It would take new federal legislation to implement something similar again. If you're struggling, I'd recommend: 1. Check with local food banks - many have really improved their offerings 2. Look into the CSFP (Commodity Supplemental Food Program) if you have seniors in your household 3. Ask about the restaurant meals program if you're in a county that offers it and are eligible (elderly, disabled, or homeless) 4. Make sure you're claiming all allowable deductions on your CalFresh case Also, when you complete your SAR7 in June, that's a perfect time to make sure all your expenses are updated to potentially increase your benefits.

I'm new to CalFresh and this thread has been super helpful! I just applied last month and was wondering about the benefit amounts. One thing I wanted to add - if you're having trouble making your benefits stretch, check if your county has a CalFresh Healthy Living program. They offer free nutrition education classes that teach you how to meal plan and shop smart with your EBT benefits. I just started attending these classes in my county and learned some great tips for stretching my food budget. They even give you recipes and sometimes cooking demos. It's not extra money but it definitely helps make what you get go further!