CalFresh Market Match program still active? Can't get my EBT matching funds at Mother's Market anymore

The Market Match program is still active in 2025! Mother's Market specifically might have run out of their allocated funding (each store gets limited matching funds each year), but the program itself is still running at farmers markets and some grocery stores. Check your local farmers market - most still offer dollar-for-dollar matching up to $30-$60 per visit depending on the location. I was at the downtown farmers market last Sunday and got my full match.

Thank you!! I didn't know stores could run out of funding. Do you know if the limit reset every month or is it just whenever they run out for the year? Farmers markets are great but hard for me to get to with my work schedule.

i think ur confusing things. theres 2 diff programs. Market Match is at FARMERS MARKETS. the other thing was called california nutrition incentive program (CNIP) at grocery stores but i heard that ended or changed, not sure. my cousin works at Mother's and said they stoped it cuz funding ran out. so annoying they dont tell people untill u checkout!!! just go to famers market its beter quality anyway

CNIP! That's the program name I couldn't remember. Thanks for clarifying. Super frustrating they don't put up signs or anything until you're checking out. Will have to figure out how to get to a farmers market somehow.

The California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) and Market Match are both still active, but there have been some changes for 2025. CNIP funding for grocery stores is now allocated quarterly instead of annually, which is why some stores like Mother's might temporarily suspend the program until they get their next funding allocation. \n\nThese EBT matching programs are still available at:\n1. Most certified farmers markets (Market Match - typically up to $30 per visit)\n2. Select grocery stores including some Mexican and Asian markets (CNIP - typically up to $60 per month)\n3. Some CSA farm box programs (varying match amounts)\n\nThe best part is that these are separate programs with separate limits, so you can potentially use both in the same month. Each location has their own match limit though. Check the official CDSS website for current participating locations near you.

This is exactly what I needed to know! So Mother's might get funding again next quarter? I'll check the CDSS website for other stores in my area that might still have funding. $60 extra for produce makes a huge difference for my family's diet.

I had a similar issue with Smart & Final. They had the matching program but when I went last week they said it wasn't working anymore. So frustrating!

That's because most stores run out of their CNIP funding by the middle of the quarter. Pro tip: shop at participating stores during the first month of each quarter (January, April, July, October) when their funding resets. That's when you're most likely to get the match.

Have you tried using Claimyr to call the CalFresh office directly about this? I was having the same issue last month and couldn't get through on the regular line - kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. Used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a rep in about 10 minutes who gave me a complete list of stores still offering the match in my area. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. The rep told me that they maintain a current list of all CNIP and Market Match participating locations with active funding that they don't publish online because it changes so frequently.

Never heard of this service but I'll check it out! The regular CalFresh line is impossible - last time I called I waited 2+ hours then got disconnected. Having an updated list of stores would be super helpful.

This whole system is so FRUSTRATING!!! They advertise these programs to get us to buy healthy food but then make it IMPOSSIBLE to actually use them! I signed up for CalFresh specifically because of the matching program and now half the time I try to use it, the store says

I understand your frustration. The funding issues are real, but there's a workaround. The Market Match program at farmers markets has more stable funding than the grocery store CNIP program. If you can make it to a farmers market even once a month, you can typically count on getting your match there even when grocery stores run out.

just saw on the Mother's website that there matching program is coming back in April when there quarterly funding resets. so maybe check back begining of next month?

That's great news! Thanks for checking. I'll definitely go back in April. Wish they'd put that info up in the store instead of just making it look like the program ended.

The WIC store connection is actually a different thing altogether. WIC-authorized stores don't automatically participate in CNIP or Market Match - they're separate programs. Some stores might participate in both WIC and CNIP, but WIC itself doesn't have a fruit/vegetable matching program like what you're describing. I think you might be mixing up a few different benefits. The EBT matching programs (CNIP/Market Match) are specific to CalFresh and don't have anything to do with WIC authorization.

You're right, I was definitely mixing things up! I just remembered the cashier at Mother's mentioning something about WIC when I asked about the program ending, but maybe she was confused too? Thanks for clarifying!

I work at a grocery store that participates in CNIP and can confirm what others have said about the quarterly funding cycles. We literally get an email when our allocation runs out and have to put up signs saying the program is temporarily unavailable. It's really frustrating for customers who plan their shopping around the match! One thing that might help - if you have a Mexican market or Asian grocery store near you, they often participate in CNIP and sometimes have funding available when the bigger chains run out. Also, if you're able to get to a farmers market, Saturday mornings usually have the best selection and the Market Match there is separate from the grocery store program, so you can use both!

Just wanted to add another resource that might help - some food co-ops and community markets also participate in CNIP but don't always advertise it well. I found out my local food co-op offers the match when I asked at checkout. They said they get fewer people using it so their funding lasts longer into each quarter. Also, if you're on social media, some of the farmers markets post updates about their Market Match availability on their Facebook or Instagram pages, which can save you a trip if they're having issues that week. It's definitely worth following the ones near you!

I've been dealing with this same issue and found a really helpful workaround! If you call 211 (the community resource hotline), they actually maintain a real-time database of which stores currently have CNIP funding available. The operator can search by your zip code and tell you exactly which participating stores near you still have matching funds active. I called last week and they found 3 stores within 20 minutes of me that still had funding when all the major chains had run out. Way easier than driving around checking each store! They also told me that some mobile farmers markets that visit low-income neighborhoods often have more flexible funding that lasts longer than the traditional weekend markets.