CalFresh pregnancy benefits - when do they add extra food stamps for unborn baby?

I got pregnant last yr too and didnt get any extra $$ until after I turned in the birth certificate! They told me they don't count babies anymore til their born now. Maybe different counties do it different tho!

The rules actually haven't changed. CalFresh should count your unborn child as a household member once you provide verification of pregnancy. The key is verification - did you submit medical documentation that confirms your pregnancy? They typically need a doctor's note or medical record with your name, expected due date, and a medical provider's signature. If you already provided this documentation and haven't seen an increase, you should contact your county worker to ask why the additional household member hasn't been added. The increased benefits should start the month after you provide verification, not automatically at a certain pregnancy stage.

when i was pregnat they did give me more but i had to bring a note from my doctor. the lady at the office said specifically it needed to have 1) confirmation i was pregnant 2) my due date and 3) doctors signature. maybe they just need documentation?

I work for a nonprofit that helps with benefits access, and there's definitely confusion about this! The official rule is that an unborn child DOES count as a household member for CalFresh once the pregnancy is verified. The county should add the baby as soon as you provide documentation. HOWEVER, something important to know: if you're already receiving the maximum benefit amount for your current household size, adding another person might not increase your benefits until after birth. This happens sometimes with smaller households. Do you currently receive the maximum benefit for your household size?

You need to call your county office ASAP! I had this exact issue last year. I reported my pregnancy at recertification and they acknowledged it, but nothing changed with my benefits. I called THREE TIMES and kept getting the runaround or disconnected. Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at the county right away. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Turns out they had "forgotten" to process my pregnancy documentation and add the unborn baby to my case. Once I finally talked to someone, they fixed it within days AND gave me retroactive benefits for the 2 months they missed. Don't wait like I did!

lol my cousin works for the county and she says they're super backed up with cases. they probably just haven't processed ur paperwork yet. but yeah u should def get more $ for being pregnant once they input it

also another thing is your income - if your income has changed since your first pregnancy they might calculate it different. my benefits didn't go up as much with my 2nd baby because i was working more hours

One last tip: When you get your verification document from your doctor, make copies! Submit it through BenefitsCal if possible (upload it to your account) so you have a digital record of when you submitted it. Then follow up by phone within 3-5 business days. If the benefits don't increase by the following month, request a State Hearing - you have 90 days from when you believe an error was made to request one.

I went through this same situation just a few months ago! I'm a single mom of two now and when I was pregnant with my second, I had to really advocate for myself to get the pregnancy benefits added. Here's what worked for me: 1. Get the doctor's note with all three things mentioned above (pregnancy confirmation, due date, doctor's signature) 2. Submit it through BenefitsCal online AND drop off a copy in person at your local office 3. Ask for a receipt when you drop it off in person - they have to give you one 4. Call exactly 10 days later to confirm they processed it The worker initially told me it would take "4-6 weeks" to process but when I kept calling and referencing my receipt number, they magically found it and processed it within a week. You're definitely entitled to those extra benefits as soon as you provide verification - don't let them brush you off! The extra money really does help during pregnancy when you're buying all those baby supplies.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! I'm 6 months pregnant and just found out I should have been getting extra benefits this whole time. My case worker never mentioned it when I reported my pregnancy at my last appointment. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the key is getting proper medical documentation and then following up persistently. I'm definitely going to ask my OB for a note at my next visit and submit it through BenefitsCal like Santiago suggested. The tip about getting a receipt when dropping it off in person is really smart too. It's so frustrating that they don't automatically tell you about benefits you're eligible for. We're already struggling financially during pregnancy and every extra dollar helps with all the baby preparations. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread has been super helpful!

I'm also pregnant (just hit 6 months) and had no idea about the pregnancy benefits until reading this thread! My case worker never mentioned anything when I reported my pregnancy during recertification. I've been getting the same amount this whole time. This is really eye-opening - I had no clue they were supposed to count unborn babies as household members. I'm definitely going to ask for documentation at my next prenatal appointment and submit it through BenefitsCal like everyone suggested. The tip about keeping copies and getting receipts is so important too. It's really frustrating that we have to fight for benefits we're legally entitled to. They should be telling us about these things upfront instead of making us figure it out ourselves. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is going to help so many pregnant moms get the support they deserve!

I'm currently 7 months pregnant and just realized from reading this thread that I should have been getting extra benefits this whole time! When I reported my pregnancy at my recertification interview 3 months ago, my worker just noted it but never mentioned anything about additional benefits or needing documentation. I've been struggling to afford proper nutrition during pregnancy while also feeding my 5-year-old, so finding out I've been missing out on benefits I'm entitled to is both helpful and incredibly frustrating. The fact that so many of us are in the same situation shows there's a real problem with workers not informing pregnant clients about available benefits. I'm going to follow everyone's advice here - getting medical documentation from my OB next week, submitting it through BenefitsCal AND in person with a receipt, then following up persistently. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops and advocate so hard for ourselves, but at least now I know what steps to take. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this thread is a lifesaver for pregnant moms trying to navigate this system!

I'm 8 months pregnant and this thread just opened my eyes! I had no clue about pregnancy benefits either - my case worker never mentioned it when I reported my pregnancy 4 months ago. Like so many others here, I've just been getting my regular benefits this whole time. It's honestly shocking how many of us are dealing with the exact same issue. Makes me wonder if this is intentional or if workers just aren't properly trained on pregnancy benefits. Either way, it's not okay when pregnant moms are struggling to afford proper nutrition and baby supplies. I'm definitely going to get medical documentation from my doctor this week and follow the advice here about submitting through BenefitsCal plus in-person with a receipt. Even though I'm so far along, hopefully I can still get some retroactive benefits and at least the increase for my final month. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community support is incredible!

I'm currently 4 months pregnant and reading through all these experiences is both helpful and infuriating! I reported my pregnancy to my case worker 6 weeks ago during my recertification interview, and like so many others here, they just acknowledged it but never mentioned anything about additional benefits or documentation needed. It's really eye-opening to see how widespread this issue is - it seems like there's a systematic problem with workers either not knowing about pregnancy benefits or just not informing clients. We shouldn't have to stumble across this information by chance in online forums! I'm going to take everyone's advice here and get the proper medical documentation from my OB next week (pregnancy confirmation, due date, doctor's signature). Then I'll submit it both through BenefitsCal online AND drop off a copy in person to get that receipt. The tip about following up within 10 days is really valuable too. It's frustrating that we have to advocate so hard for benefits we're legally entitled to, especially when we're already dealing with pregnancy expenses. But I'm grateful for this community sharing real experiences and practical solutions. Hopefully this thread helps other pregnant moms avoid missing out on months of benefits like so many of us have!

I'm 6 months pregnant and this entire thread has been a huge wake-up call! I reported my pregnancy during my recertification 2 months ago and my worker just made a note of it - never said anything about needing documentation or that I could get additional benefits for my unborn baby. Reading everyone's experiences, it's clear this is a widespread problem where workers either don't know about pregnancy benefits or just aren't telling us. It's so frustrating because we're already stretching every dollar during pregnancy for proper nutrition and baby preparations. I'm definitely going to get that medical documentation from my OB this week (pregnancy confirmation, due date, doctor's signature) and follow Santiago's advice about submitting both through BenefitsCal and in person with a receipt. The tip about following up in 10 days is really helpful too. It shouldn't be this hard to get benefits we're legally entitled to, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real experiences and solutions. This thread is going to save so many pregnant families from missing out on months of support they deserve!

I'm 3 months pregnant and this thread is incredibly eye-opening! I haven't had my recertification appointment yet, but now I know exactly what to expect based on everyone's experiences. It's really disappointing to see how many pregnant moms are dealing with the same issue - workers not informing us about pregnancy benefits we're entitled to. I'm going to be super proactive thanks to all your advice. At my next prenatal appointment, I'll ask my doctor for the verification note with all three requirements (pregnancy confirmation, due date, signature) before I even meet with my case worker. That way I can submit it immediately and avoid the months of missed benefits so many of you experienced. The systematic nature of this problem is really concerning - it seems like workers either aren't properly trained on pregnancy benefits or they're just not bothering to inform us. Either way, it's not acceptable when pregnant families are already struggling financially. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a helpful resource for other moms navigating this system!