CalFresh benefits reduced for overissuance - Will they ever return to original amount?

yep, it goes back automatically! i had this happen 2 yrs ago. they took like $60 from me each month for almost a year and then it just went back to normal one month. u dont have to call or anything they keep track of it.

Yes, your benefits will return to the regular amount once the overissuance is fully recouped. The reduction is temporary. However, the amount you return to might not be exactly $362 if there have been any other changes to your case (household size, income, deductions, etc.) or any CalFresh benefit amount adjustments since the overissuance determination. The system tracks the repayment automatically, and when the full amount has been repaid, your benefits will adjust back on the next issuance after the final payment. You should receive a Notice of Action informing you when the repayment is complete.

wait they only reduce ur benefits if u agree to it??? when i got an overissuance letter i called my worker and set up a cash payment plan instead so i could keep my full benefits. did they give u options??

I work with CalFresh cases and can confirm it will automatically return to your regular benefit amount after the overissuance is fully recovered. However, benefit amounts also adjust annually with cost of living increases, so your 'normal' amount might actually be higher than your original $362 by the time you finish the repayment. For the timing - divide your total overissuance ($900) by your monthly reduction ($75). That's 12 months of reductions, so if it started in January 2025, your benefits should return to normal in January 2026.

Has anyone had trouble reaching their worker to ASK these questions? When I had an overissuance last fall I tried calling for WEEKS and couldn't get through. The wait times were over 2 hours and I kept getting disconnected! I finally used Claimyr.com to reach my county worker - they got me connected in about 15 minutes. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Saved me so much frustration when dealing with my overissuance questions.

my benefits never wnet back to normal!!! been 18 months since my overissuance and im still getting the lower amount. called 5 times and they keep saying theyll fix it but nothing happens. make sure u keep track of exactly how much they take each month so u know when uve paid the full $900!!!

PSA for everyone: If you ever get an overissuance notice, APPEAL IT immediately if there's any question about it! You only have 90 days to appeal and request a fair hearing. Even if you think it's legitimate, sometimes they calculate the amount wrong. I got a $1,400 overissuance reduced to $680 because they miscalculated my income during the months in question.

Can someone explain what counts as an overissuance? I just got a raise last week and havent reported it yet cuz my SAR7 isnt due until next month. Am I gonna get in trouble now??

Just wanted to add that you should also keep all your paperwork related to the overissuance! I kept copies of the original notice, the repayment agreement, and I screenshot my EBT balance each month showing the reduced amount. This helped me when I had questions later about how much I'd already paid back. Also, if you're struggling with the reduced benefits, some food banks have extra resources for people dealing with benefit reductions - might be worth checking out while you're waiting for it to go back to normal.