Extra CalFresh deposit today - afraid to spend it in case it's an error
I checked my EBT card balance this morning and noticed I received an extra $375 deposit today, completely separate from my regular CalFresh benefits that came on the 10th. Nothing makes sense because I didn't submit anything new and my recertification isn't until August. Has anyone else gotten unexpected extra funds? I'm seriously scared to touch this money because if it's a mistake, I know they'll make me pay it back and I can't afford that right now. My cousin had an overpayment issue last year and they reduced her benefits for months. Should I call the county office or just leave it alone?
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Rami Samuels
same thing happened 2 me yesterday!! got an extra $290 outta nowhere. gonna spend it quick before they take it back lol
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Haley Bennett
•That's actually not a good idea. If it's an error, they WILL create an overpayment claim against you, and you'll have to pay it back even if you've already spent it. They can reduce your future benefits by up to 10% each month until it's repaid.
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Douglas Foster
Did you report any changes recently? Sometimes they do retroactive adjustments if they found out you were getting less than you qualified for. Or maybe it's related to that cost of living adjustment they announced for 2025? I think they said benefits were increasing for most households starting in April.
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Tami Morgan
•No, haven't reported anything different. My situation's been the same for months. Cost of living increase makes sense but wouldn't they send a notice first? Nothing in my BenefitsCal account shows any changes or adjustments...
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Nina Chan
This is actually a retroactive adjustment related to the 2025 Thrifty Food Plan recalculation. Many households are receiving one-time supplements to account for benefit increases that should have been applied since January. You should have received a notice in the mail, but county offices are behind on sending these out. The funds are legitimately yours to use, but I recommend keeping your regular EBT receipt documentation just in case there are any questions later.
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Tami Morgan
•Thank you!!! That's a huge relief. I never got any notice but maybe it's still coming. Weird that they wouldn't explain this anywhere when depositing extra money into accounts.
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Ruby Knight
•OMG THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING! I got extra too and was freaking out thinking they made a mistake and would take my regular benefits away next month!!
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Diego Castillo
U should DEF call the county before spending ANYTHING!!! My sister spent extra $$ they put on her card last year and they took back TWICE the amount over the next 6 months! The system is designed to punish us even when THEY make the mistake!!
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Logan Stewart
•I spent 3 hours trying to get through to my county office about something similar last month. Kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through in 15 minutes. They basically connect you directly to a person instead of waiting in the queue. Saved me a huge headache! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Worth it to get a straight answer about your benefits.
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Haley Bennett
The previous poster is correct - this is the 2025 Thrifty Food Plan adjustment. The USDA recalculated food costs and approved increases for most household sizes. California is implementing these retroactively to January, which is why you're seeing a lump sum. Some key points: 1. This is NOT an error or overpayment 2. You can safely spend these funds 3. Your regular monthly benefit amount will also be slightly higher going forward 4. The adjustment amount depends on your household size and income If you want to verify this specifically for your case, you can check your BenefitsCal messages or call your county office, but rest assured this is an expected system-wide adjustment.
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Rami Samuels
•so ur sayin we get to keep the extra $$ AND our regular benefits will be higher now too?? hell yeah!
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Douglas Foster
I just noticed on the CalFresh website they finally posted an announcement about this. It says "April 2025 Benefit Adjustments: Households may notice additional funds as we implement federally-approved increases to the Thrifty Food Plan. One-time retroactive payments and ongoing monthly increases will be automatically applied." So looks like you're all set!
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Tami Morgan
•Thanks for finding that! Just checked and you're right. Such a relief - I was seriously stressed thinking it was some kind of mistake. Going to use some of it to stock up on groceries tomorrow!
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Ruby Knight
my auntie works for the county and she said they've been getting TONS of calls about this! they're super behind on sending notices bc of staffing issues. she said everyone keeps thinking its a mistake lol
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Diego Castillo
I'm still calling to confirm. Too many times the system screws up and WE pay the price. Last year they overpaid me by $120 and I didn't even realize it until they started taking money OUT of my benefits six months later! The whole system is designed to confuse us!!!
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Nina Chan
•It's always a good idea to verify if you're concerned. If you call, ask specifically about the "2025 Thrifty Food Plan adjustment" - using those exact words will help the worker understand what you're asking about. But the previous posters are correct that this is an expected adjustment being applied to all eligible households.
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