CalFresh minimum benefit didn't increase in October 2025 - still stuck at $23?

The annual COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for CalFresh was supposed to go into effect October 1st, 2025. The minimum benefit for 1-2 person households should have increased from $23 to $28 this year according to the USDA announcement. If you're still showing $23, there might be an issue with your county's implementation of the new rates. I'd suggest checking your latest Notice of Action - they should have sent something explaining your new benefit amount. If you didn't receive anything, the system might not have updated your case properly.

mines didnt change either still at the minimum. been checking my balance since oct 2 and nothings diffrent. somebody in the checkout line at grocery outlet told me we were getting more starting this month but i guess they were wrong

There's definitely a COLA increase for Federal Fiscal Year 2026 (which started October 1, 2025). The minimum benefit should have increased from $23 to $28 in California. This happens EVERY year - it's automatic and doesn't require any action from you. However, counties sometimes have delays implementing the new rates, especially if the first of the month falls on a weekend. What day of the month do you normally receive your benefits? If it's early in the month, you might see the correct amount next month. If not, you should definitely contact your county office because either: 1. There's a system-wide issue they need to fix 2. There's something specific about your case that's preventing the update 3. There's been an income/household change that affected your eligibility Either way, they owe you an explanation and potentially retroactive benefits if you're supposed to be getting the higher amount.

This literally happens EVERY October with the COLA increases. The county systems take forever to update everything and then they have to do retroactive payments. Last year I didn't see my increase until November, but then got backpay for October. So annoying how they can't ever get their act together! You're definitely supposed to get the $28 minimum now though.

I had trouble reaching someone at my county office about a similar issue last month. After getting disconnected multiple times, I tried using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that someone on here recommended. It basically calls the CalFresh office for you and holds your place in line, then calls you back when a real person is about to answer. Saved me hours of waiting and I finally got my issue resolved. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Might be worth trying since you need to figure out what's up with your benefits increase.

Actually theres also a possibility this is related to the statewide system update they've been doing. I got a letter in september saying something about updating the calfresh computer systems in october and that there might be small delays in processing. Maybe check if you got something like that? My worker said some changes might not show up right away but would be fixed automatically.

Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in this thread: 1. Yes, the minimum CalFresh benefit for 1-2 person households increased from $23 to $28 effective October 1, 2025 2. If you didn't receive the increase, it's most likely due to one of these reasons: - System implementation delay (they'll backdate payments) - The statewide CalFresh Management Information System update mentioned above - A change in your eligibility (though you would have received a Notice of Action) 3. You are entitled to the correct benefit amount even if there's a delay. Any underpayment should be corrected once the system issues are resolved. I recommend contacting your county office to confirm your specific situation. Ask them specifically about the "COLA implementation for FFY 2026" and whether your case is affected by any known system issues. Be sure to request retroactive benefits for any underpayment.

@profile5 Yes, when I got through, they explained there was a batch processing error that affected households with specific case number ranges, including mine. They fixed it on the spot and told me the corrected amount would show up within 3 business days, which it did. Plus they added the difference from the previous month. Definitely worth making that call!

I'm in the same boat - still getting $23 instead of the $28 minimum that was supposed to start in October. I called my county office three times last week and keep getting told "the system is updating" but no timeline on when it'll be fixed. Meanwhile, I'm missing out on that extra $5 each month which really adds up when you're already struggling. Has anyone had luck getting through to a supervisor or someone who can actually DO something about this? The regular workers just keep giving me the runaround saying it's a "known issue" but won't commit to when it'll be resolved or if we'll get backpay.