CalFresh benefits suddenly dropped from $543 to $10 overnight - help needed urgently!

this happened to me last year!!! the county made a 'calculation error' is what they eventually told me. but it took 3 weeks of me calling everyday and getting nowhere. make sure you request a 'Notice of Action' explaining the change if you didn't get one already. you have the right to appeal within 90 days of any benefit reduction. good luck, the system is so broken

Thanks for sharing your experience. Did your benefits eventually get restored to the correct amount? I'm going to try calling tomorrow but I'm worried about the time it will take to fix this. We literally have almost no food in the house right now.

There are a few common reasons this might happen:\n\n1. Did you recently get your recertification paperwork? Sometimes benefits drop temporarily if they're processing your recertification.\n\n2. Check if you missed submitting your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7). That would definitely cause a drop in benefits.\n\n3. The system might have incorrectly calculated an income change or added phantom income to your case.\n\n4. Sometimes EBT system updates cause temporary glitches.\n\nYou should immediately request a state hearing (appeal) to protect your benefits while this gets sorted out. If you request the hearing within 10 days of when the Notice of Action was mailed, you can continue getting your regular benefit amount until the hearing decision.

I don't think I missed anything - I'm really careful about my SAR7 forms and my recertification isn't due for another 3 months. I'm definitely going to request that hearing though. Thank you for the detailed info!

did u check if ur household info changed in the system? sometimes they accidentally remove people from ur case. happened to my cousin last yr. log into benefitscal.com and check ur household size is still correct

That's a good idea - I'll check that right now! Maybe they somehow deleted my kids from the case or something. That would explain the huge drop.

I had almost this exact situation happen to me in January! My benefits dropped from $487 to literally $23 without any explanation. After calling for THREE DAYS straight and never getting through to a human being, I finally tried Claimyr.com and it was the only thing that worked. They have this system that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you back when a real person is about to answer. I was skeptical but desperate, and it actually got me through to someone at the county within 35 minutes.\n\nThey have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8\n\nTurns out the county had entered my income incorrectly (added an extra digit!) and that's why my benefits tanked. The worker fixed it while I was on the phone and my correct benefits were loaded the next day. Might be worth trying if you can't get through on your own.

is that service free? sounds kinda sketchy to me tbh

No, it's not free but it wasn't expensive either (I don't remember exactly what I paid). It was worth it for me because I was missing work trying to stay on hold all day. It's just a call-back service, nothing sketchy about it. You still talk directly to the county worker yourself.

THEY ARE ALWAYS DOING THIS!!!! The system is designed to kick people off benefits randomly so they have to jump through hoops to get them back!!! I've had my benefits changed or cut 4 times in the last year with NO REASON. And every time I call they say

That's so frustrating! I really hope it doesn't take me multiple attempts to get this fixed. I can't believe they'd just randomly cut people's food money like this.

This is actually very common with CalFresh, unfortunately. When there's a sudden drop from a substantial amount ($543) to the minimum benefit amount ($10), it usually indicates that the system believes there's been a significant change affecting your eligibility. Here are the most likely causes:\n\n1. Verification issue: The system may be showing that you didn't provide required verification documents.\n\n2. Income calculation error: They may have accidentally calculated your income incorrectly.\n\n3. Household composition error: Someone may have been removed from your case accidentally.\n\n4. Mid-period report processing: If you reported any change recently (even something minor), it might have been processed incorrectly.\n\nImportant steps to take immediately:\n\n- Request an immediate benefit adjustment from your worker\n- File for a state hearing within 90 days (preferably within 10 days to maintain benefits)\n- Ask for an expedited hearing due to hardship\n- Request a written explanation of the benefit calculation\n\nDon't wait to take action - this needs to be addressed immediately. Benefits can often be restored within 1-3 business days once the error is identified.

Thank you so much for this detailed explanation. I'm going to call first thing tomorrow morning and request exactly what you suggested. I'll also file for that state hearing right away just to be safe. Do you know if there's any emergency food assistance I can get while this is being resolved?

Yes, you can request emergency CalFresh benefits if this error is causing a financial hardship. Explain that you have less than $100 in liquid resources and insufficient income to purchase food for your household. The county should process emergency benefits within 3 days if you qualify.\n\nAlso, contact local food banks in your area for immediate assistance. Many can provide same-day emergency food boxes. 211 can connect you with these resources. When you speak with your worker, specifically ask for a same-day supervisor review of your case - this can often resolve these issues faster.

maybe u went over the income limit? did u get any overtime or bonus last month? that could make ur benefits drop

No overtime or bonuses - I'm still at the exact same part-time job with the same hours. Nothing has changed at all with my income or household, which is why this is so confusing and scary.

also check if someone in ur household got a duplicate card!!! my sister had this happen and it was bcuz her ex somehow got a card and the system thought they were tryin to commit fraud or somethin. check ur EBT transaction history to see if there's any weird purchases u didn't make.

Oh wow, I hadn't even thought of that possibility! I'll definitely check my transaction history. That would be really scary if someone was using my benefits without my knowledge.

idk if this helps but my benefits dropped once cause i missed some mail they sent asking for proof of rent. they never called just sent a letter i didn't see and boom benefits cut. check if u got any mail from them recently

Just to follow up - did you check the BenefitsCal portal or call the IVR system (1-877-328-9677) to see if there's a specific reason listed for the reduction? Sometimes the automated system will give you information about why your benefits changed before you can reach a person.

I checked BenefitsCal but it just shows the new benefit amount without any explanation. I tried calling the IVR system but got stuck in the menu loop. I'm going to try again with the county office directly tomorrow. I'm literally losing sleep over this.

UPDATE: I was finally able to reach someone at my county office! Turns out they had accidentally entered my rent as $250 instead of $2500, which completely threw off my shelter deduction and made the system think I had way more disposable income than I actually do. The worker fixed it immediately and my full benefit amount of $543 will be available tomorrow. They're also sending me a new Notice of Action with the correct calculation.\n\nThank you to everyone who offered advice and support. This community was so helpful during a really stressful situation. For anyone facing a similar issue, definitely keep calling until you reach someone who can review your case in detail - sometimes it's just a simple data entry error!

That's great news!!! But seriously, this is EXACTLY what I was talking about. One tiny mistake by THEM and suddenly families don't eat. And we're supposed to just accept that as normal?? The system is BROKEN.

glad u got it fixed! thats a big difference in rent lol

I'm so glad you got this resolved quickly! It's a good reminder for everyone to always check the details on your Notice of Action carefully - especially the income, expenses, and household size information. Even a small data entry error can have a huge impact on benefit amounts.

Wow, I'm so relieved to hear you got this resolved! A $250 vs $2500 rent entry error - that's such a huge difference but probably an easy typo to make. It's scary how one small mistake can completely devastate a family's food budget. I'm dealing with a similar issue right now where my benefits dropped unexpectedly, and your experience gives me hope that it might just be a data entry error too. Thanks for sharing the update - it really helps to know that these things can get fixed quickly once you reach the right person!

Welcome to the community, Zainab! I'm also relatively new here but have already learned so much from everyone's shared experiences. It really is both scary and reassuring to see how common these benefit calculation errors are - scary that they happen so frequently, but reassuring that there are people here who know how to navigate the system and get things fixed. Kyle's story is a perfect example of why this community is so valuable. When you're panicking about feeding your family and can't get through to anyone at the county office, having people who've been through similar situations share their knowledge and offer support makes such a huge difference. Connor, definitely try calling and asking them to review all the data they have on file - rent amounts, income figures, household size, etc. Sometimes it's just one small mistake that creates a big problem!

This whole thread has been such an eye-opener for me as someone who's been on CalFresh for about 6 months now. Kyle, I'm so glad you got your benefits restored - that rent calculation error is exactly the kind of mistake that could happen to any of us! Reading through everyone's experiences really highlights how fragile this system can be and how one small error can create such a crisis for families. What really strikes me is how knowledgeable this community is about navigating these issues. The advice about requesting state hearings within 10 days, checking household composition, and asking for supervisor reviews - this is the kind of practical information that can make the difference between going hungry and getting the help you need. I'm definitely going to be more vigilant about checking my benefit calculations and keeping copies of all my documentation. It's scary to think that something as simple as a typo in rent amount could cut my family's food budget, but it's reassuring to know there are people here who've dealt with similar situations and can guide others through the process. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and support - this community is truly a lifeline for those of us trying to navigate the CalFresh system!