CalFresh EBT amount increased unexpectedly next month - normal or mistake?
Just got approved for CalFresh last month and received my first EBT deposit of $258. I was budgeting for the same amount next month but just checked my account and noticed they're giving me $310 for April! Not complaining at all 😅 but I'm wondering if this is normal or if there's been some kind of mistake? I didn't report any changes in my situation. My income is still the same (working part-time at $2100/month). Single household, no dependents. Should I call someone about this or just accept the blessing? I'm worried they might think I committed fraud or something if I don't report it, but also don't want to mess up getting more benefits if it's legitimate!
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Aliyah Debovski
This is actually pretty common! Your first month of CalFresh benefits is often prorated based on when in the month your application was approved. So if you were approved mid-month last time, you only got benefits for part of that month. This full month amount is likely your regular monthly benefit going forward.
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Ally Tailer
•Ohh that makes so much sense! I was approved on the 14th of February, so that would explain the difference. Thank you for explaining - I was having mini panic attacks thinking they'd accuse me of fraud or something crazy 😅
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Miranda Singer
congrats on the extra cash! enjoy it while you can lol. watch out for ur semi annual reports tho, they'll get ya. i missed filling mine out last year and got cut off for 3 months ðŸ˜
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Ally Tailer
•Omg thanks for the warning! When do those reports happen? I haven't gotten anything about reporting yet and don't want to miss it!
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Cass Green
As the first commenter mentioned, your initial benefit was likely prorated. However, there's also a small possibility that there was an income calculation adjustment or a change in the standard utility allowance for 2025. CalFresh benefit amounts typically change slightly at the beginning of each fiscal year based on federal guidelines. If you want to be absolutely certain, you can check your online account at BenefitsCal.com where you should see a Notice of Action that explains any changes to your benefit amount. The notice will detail exactly why your benefits increased.
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Finley Garrett
•this happened to me too! turns out they calculated my rent wrong the first time. I was paying $1650 but they only entered $1550 on accident, then fixed it and my benefits went up by like $30
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Ally Tailer
•Thanks for the detailed explanation! I just checked BenefitsCal and you're right - there's a Notice of Action saying my initial benefits were prorated. It also mentions something about a standard deduction being applied. Learning something new every day!
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Madison Tipne
this is definitely NOT normal! call them ASAP they probably made a mistake and will make you PAY IT ALL BACK later!!!! happened to my cousin and they took $1000 from her tax return to pay back the overages. The system is rigged to trick you!!!
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Holly Lascelles
•This is not accurate information. As others have explained, the first month is often prorated, which is completely normal. The system isn't trying to trick anyone. Overpayments typically only happen if you don't report income changes or household changes when required.
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Madison Tipne
•WHATEVER you say. I'm just warning from real experience not some textbook answer. They WILL find a way to say you owe them money eventually!!!
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Malia Ponder
If you're having trouble reaching someone at the county to confirm your benefit amount (those phone lines are seriously impossible), I've had success using Claimyr to get through. It basically waits on hold for you and calls when a real person picks up. Saved me hours of frustration when I had a similar question about my benefit calculation. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 or just go to claimyr.com. Totally worth it to get actual answers instead of stressing about it.
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Ally Tailer
•Oh that's really good to know! I tried calling once before and gave up after 45 minutes on hold. I'll check this out if I need to call them in the future!
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Finley Garrett
sometimes they give u more if theres a holiday coming up? idk if thats still a thing but i remember getting extra once around thanksgiving a few years back
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Cass Green
•That's not actually how CalFresh works. There aren't holiday bonuses. You might be thinking of pandemic-era emergency allotments, which gave many households maximum benefits regardless of income for a period during 2020-2022, but those ended permanently in early 2023. What you're seeing now is your regular calculated benefit amount.
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Holly Lascelles
Everyone is right about the prorated first month. But I want to add something important - make sure you're aware of the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) listed on your approval letter. If your income ever goes above that amount, you MUST report it within 10 days even if it's not time for your SAR-7 yet. This is the #1 reason people get overpayments they have to pay back. Your SAR-7 will come at the 6-month mark, and you'll need to complete recertification after 12 months to keep benefits going.
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Ally Tailer
•Thank you! I just checked my approval letter and my IRT is $2,700. So as long as I stay under that, I only need to report income changes on the SAR-7 at 6 months, right?
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Holly Lascelles
•Exactly! As long as your monthly income stays below $2,700, you only need to report on the SAR-7. But if you ever earn more than that threshold in any month, report it within 10 days to avoid potential overpayments.
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Aiden Chen
Just wanted to say this thread was super helpful! I'm new to CalFresh too and had similar confusion about my benefit amounts. It's reassuring to know that prorated first months are normal and not some kind of error. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and knowledge - this community is awesome for navigating all the CalFresh details they don't really explain clearly in the paperwork!
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