CalFresh Emergency Allotments not showing up in EBT account - anyone else?
I usually get my CalFresh emergency allotment deposited on the 29th, but I just checked my EBT account and there's nothing there! Has anyone else gotten their extra benefits today? I'm really counting on that money for groceries this weekend and I'm starting to panic a little. My regular CalFresh benefits ($379) came through on the 11th like normal, but the emergency supplement is missing. Called the EBT customer service but got stuck in that awful automated system. Is this happening to anyone else or just me?
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Ravi Patel
i didnt get mine either, checked 3 times today. usually hits by noon on the 29th
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Isabella Oliveira
•Oh no, so it's not just me! Did you try calling the county office? I'm wondering if there's a system-wide delay.
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Freya Andersen
EMERGENCY ALLOTMENTS ENDED in March 2023!!!! They stopped those extra payments almost 2 years ago when the pandemic emergency declaration ended. If you've been getting them after that time, they will probably ask for that money BACK as an overpayment!!! I got a $3800 overpayment notice when they figured out I was still getting them by mistake. Be prepared - they WILL find it eventually.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Wait what?? I've been getting them every month though! My caseworker specifically told me I qualified for the maximum benefit for my household size because of my situation. Are you sure they ended for everyone?
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Omar Zaki
•This is correct. The regular emergency allotments ended in 2023. What you might be getting is the maximum benefit amount based on your household size, but it's not called an emergency allotment anymore. They're just regular CalFresh benefits if you qualify for the max amount.
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CosmicCrusader
The pandemic-related emergency allotments ended in 2023, but there's been some confusion about this. Many people still refer to their regular monthly benefits as "emergency allotments" out of habit. What's important to understand is: 1. Regular CalFresh benefits continue based on your household income and size 2. Benefits are usually deposited on a schedule based on the last digit of your case number 3. For 2025, maximum benefit for a single person is about $291, for a household of 4 it's around $953 If you're expecting a separate payment beyond your regular benefits, that's likely an error. However, if your regular benefits haven't arrived on their usual date, that's a legitimate concern. I would recommend calling your county office directly to inquire about your specific situation.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Thank you for explaining this! I guess I've been confused about the terminology. I receive my regular benefits on the 11th ($379), but then I always get an additional amount on the 29th ($212). My caseworker called this my "supplemental benefits" - is that different from the emergency allotments?
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CosmicCrusader
•That's interesting - it sounds like you might be receiving a supplement for a specific reason. Some possibilities: 1. You could be part of a special program or demonstration project 2. You might be receiving a benefit adjustment from a previous underpayment 3. There could be a county-specific supplement This isn't a typical benefit pattern for most CalFresh recipients. I would definitely call your county worker to clarify exactly what these payments are and why they're coming separately.
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Chloe Robinson
I have an idea what might be happening. Do you participate in the Restaurant Meals Program by any chance? Some counties split the benefits - regular CalFresh comes on your normal date, and the RMP portion comes later in the month. Or if you recently reported an income change that increased your benefits, the additional amount might be coming separately until the next regular cycle.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Yes! I'm in the Restaurant Meals Program because I'm disabled and can't always cook. That must be what's happening. I didn't realize the RMP portion came separately - my worker never explained that. I'll wait another day and see if it shows up.
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Diego Flores
ugh the EBT phone line is THE WORST. all those menus and then it just hangs up on you half the time. i had a similar issue last month and spent 3 days trying to get through to an actual human. if you need to talk to someone quickly, try that claimyr.com service. they wait on hold with the county office for you and call you when a real person answers. i used their video demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 to figure it out. saved me hours of frustration when my benefits didn't load right.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Thank you for the tip! I'll definitely look into that if my benefits don't show up by tomorrow. Did your issue get resolved when you finally got through to someone?
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Diego Flores
•yeah they fixed it right away once i actually got to talk to someone. turns out there was a glitch in their system that affected lots of people. they did a manual override and my money showed up like 2 hours later.
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Anastasia Kozlov
Hey did anybody else notice that the benefit amounts went up in January? My regular CalFresh went from $349 to $379 for my household of 2 and nobody told me it was increasing! Just randomly got more money lol
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Omar Zaki
•Yeah there was a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025 that raised benefit amounts by about 8%. They usually don't make a big announcement about it, it just happens automatically each year.
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Isabella Oliveira
Update: My Restaurant Meals Program benefits just loaded this morning! It was delayed by about 24 hours compared to usual. Thanks everyone for helping me understand what was going on. The county should really explain these things better instead of making us figure it out ourselves!
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Ravi Patel
•mine too! just checked and its there. thx for the update
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