CalFresh fraud investigation when I moved counties - can I apply again?

Yes, you can absolutely apply in your new county of residence! The CalFresh program is statewide, but administered by counties. Each county handles their own cases, so while the 'fraud' finding might appear in the statewide system, you still have the right to apply in Riverside County. \n\nMake sure to do a few things:\n1. Clearly explain the situation in your application\n2. Appeal the fraud finding from LA County if you haven't already (you usually have 90 days)\n3. Provide LOTS of documentation about your current residence in Riverside\n\nWith your income and rent, you'd likely qualify for the maximum benefit amount. Don't let the previous issue discourage you from applying!

Thank you so much for this info! I didn't know I could appeal the fraud finding - definitely going to look into that. Do you think I should mention the LA County situation upfront on my application or wait until they ask about it? I'm worried about drawing attention to it unnecessarily.

this exact thing happened 2 my sister!!! the county system is BROKEN. she moved from alameda to contra costa for 3 months, told her worker, and they still flagged her for fraud!! took like 8 months to fix and they made her payback like $900 she never shoulda had to pay. ridiculous!

8 months?? That's insane. Did she continue getting benefits during that time or did they cut her off completely while investigating?

I work in this field, and unfortunately this is a common issue with county transfers and temporary relocations. Here's what you need to know:\n\n1. You absolutely CAN apply in your new county of residence. The previous finding doesn't automatically disqualify you.\n\n2. However, if you have an outstanding overpayment claim, any new benefits you receive may have a 10% recoupment applied to pay back the previous county.\n\n3. You should file two things immediately:\n - A new CalFresh application in Riverside County\n - An appeal for the fraud finding in LA County (if you're within the 90-day window)\n\n4. For your new application, be completely transparent about the previous situation. Trying to hide it will only create more problems.\n\nWith your income and rent ratio, you'd likely qualify for around $375-425 per month in CalFresh benefits in 2025 (for a single-person household).

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I didn't realize they would just take 10% - that's much more manageable than I feared. One quick question - for the appeal in LA County, do I need to physically go there or can I do it remotely since I'm now in Riverside?

i moved between counties 3 times in the past 2 years and the whole system is a mess. they never properly transfer your case info between counties and then blame YOU for their mistakes. my advice is just apply in riverside and let them sort it out. worst they can say is no.

Exactly this! And make sure you keep COPIES OF EVERYTHING. I got burned because I couldn't prove I'd reported an address change, even though I did it through the BenefitsCal portal. Screenshot everything now!

This is absurd and sadly typical. The county offices barely communicate with each other. I would recommend trying to reach LA County to address the fraud finding FIRST before applying in Riverside. Otherwise, that fraud flag could follow you and complicate your new application.\n\nGood luck trying to reach anyone at LA County DPSS though - their phone system is a nightmare. I spent 4 hours on hold last month trying to fix an issue with my SAR7 and got disconnected THREE TIMES. So frustrating.

Have you tried using Claimyr? When I was dealing with a similar situation with San Diego County, I couldn't get through for days. Someone on this forum recommended this service at claimyr.com that holds your place in line and calls you when a human finally answers. Saved me hours of hold time! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8\n\nTotally worth it when you're dealing with county fraud departments especially - those are the hardest to reach in my experience.

Thank you all so much for the advice! I'm going to:\n1. File an appeal with LA County (apparently I still have 2 weeks left in my 90-day window)\n2. Apply in Riverside County and be completely transparent about the situation\n3. Gather all documentation showing my current residence\n4. Accept that they might recoup 10% of any benefits I receive\n\nI'll definitely check out that Claimyr service too - I've been disconnected twice already trying to reach LA County about this. \n\nIt's so frustrating that a simple miscommunication led to a fraud finding. I literally told them I was temporarily relocating! But I guess the left hand doesn't talk to the right hand in these county offices.

You're taking exactly the right steps! One more suggestion: when you apply in Riverside, ask to speak with an Eligibility Worker who specializes in inter-county transfers or fraud resolution. Most counties have specialists who understand these complex situations better than general intake workers. Good luck!

make sure you're using the BenefitsCal website for your new application! It's actually pretty good now in 2025 compared to the old system. And you can upload all your documents right from your phone instead of having to fax or mail them.

That's good to know! I used the paper application last time because the website was so glitchy back then. Hopefully the new system is more reliable.

One other thing to consider: when you file your appeal with LA County, specifically request a

This is excellent advice - thank you! I'll use those exact terms in my appeal. Do you know if I should submit any evidence with my appeal or just wait for the hearing?

update us after u apply in riverside!! curious if they give u any trouble. the system is so broken its ridiculous

Will do! I'm planning to submit my application tomorrow. I'll come back and let everyone know how it goes.

I went through something similar when I moved from Fresno to Sacramento County last year. The key thing that helped me was getting a letter from my previous landlord confirming my move-out date and a utility bill showing my new address. When I applied in Sacramento, I brought all of this documentation to my interview and explained the whole situation upfront. The eligibility worker actually thanked me for being transparent about it! They said it happens more often than people think and that being honest about previous issues always works in your favor. My application was approved within 3 weeks, and they only took the 10% recoupment that was mentioned earlier. Also, definitely try to get everything in writing when you appeal with LA County. I learned the hard way that phone conversations don't count for much if there's no paper trail. Good luck with everything!

I'm dealing with a somewhat similar situation right now - not fraud-related, but I had issues when I moved from Orange County to San Diego County last year. The inter-county communication is absolutely terrible! What really helped me was creating a detailed timeline of events with dates, including when I notified my caseworker, what their response was (or wasn't), and copies of any communications. This documentation was crucial when I had to explain the situation to the new county. Also, when you do your Riverside County application, consider asking if they have any advocates or social workers who can help navigate the inter-county transfer issues. Some counties have people specifically trained to deal with these complications. San Diego County had someone like this who basically walked me through the whole process and made sure nothing got lost in translation. One last tip - if you're worried about the 10% recoupment affecting your budget too much, you can sometimes request a lower recoupment rate if you can show financial hardship. With your rent being 80% of your income, you'd probably qualify for the minimum recoupment rate. Rooting for you! The system shouldn't punish people for being honest about temporary moves.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the county system really can be a nightmare when it comes to moves and transfers! I went through something similar a few years ago when I moved from Kern County to Ventura County and it was such a headache. A few things that might help based on my experience: 1. When you apply in Riverside, bring a copy of your lease/rental agreement as proof of current residence - they really value that documentation 2. If you have any text messages or emails from when you notified your LA County caseworker about the temporary move, screenshot those! Even if they didn't update your file properly, it shows you tried to follow protocol 3. Consider reaching out to a local legal aid organization - they sometimes have advocates who specialize in CalFresh appeals and can help you navigate both the LA County appeal AND the new Riverside application With your income-to-rent ratio, you should definitely qualify for substantial benefits in Riverside. Don't let the previous county's mistake prevent you from getting the food assistance you need. The fact that you were proactive in reporting your move shows you were acting in good faith. Keep us posted on how it goes! This community is great for sharing real experiences with the system.