Heard rumors about CalFresh emergency stimulus payments coming this month - is this true?

Those articles are SO misleading!! There are no new federal stimulus payments coming for CalFresh in 2025. What you probably saw was either clickbait or an old article from the pandemic era. Emergency allotments for CalFresh ended back in early 2023 when the federal emergency declaration ended. Now we're just getting regular monthly benefits based on household size and income.

The previous commenter is correct. There are no emergency supplements scheduled for CalFresh recipients right now. However, there ARE two things to be aware of that might be confused with "stimulus": 1. CalFresh benefits do get a cost-of-living adjustment every October, so your regular monthly benefit amount might have increased slightly last fall. 2. Some counties occasionally have special programs that provide one-time supplements to EBT cards through local initiatives, but these aren't statewide. If you're struggling with food costs, I'd recommend applying for the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) if you haven't already, which can supplement your CalFresh benefits.

I had the same confusion last month!!! I saw a YouTube video talking about "new 2025 stimulus" but when I called my county office they said its all FAKE NEWS designed to get clicks. So frustrating how they prey on people who need help! 😡

u might be thinking of the COLA adjustment that happens every fall? my benefits went up like $23 in october. not much but better than nothing i guess lol

This is the EXACT reason I started using Claimyr when I need to actually talk to a CalFresh worker to get accurate information. So many misleading articles online, but when I need the truth, I just use Claimyr.com to get through to an actual county worker without waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Last month I had questions about my SAR7 and got through in minutes instead of waiting all day. Seriously worth it when you need accurate info about your benefits.

I work with a nonprofit that helps people access benefits, and I want to clarify something important: There's a difference between stimulus payments (which were one-time federal payments during the pandemic) and CalFresh emergency allotments (which were temporary increases to SNAP benefits during the emergency declaration). Neither of these programs is active in 2025. However, if your household circumstances have changed (income decreased, more people in household, higher housing costs, etc.), you should report these changes to potentially increase your regular benefits. You don't need to wait for your SAR7 or recertification to report positive changes that might increase your benefit amount.

@Profile7 - Yes, it absolutely does work! I was skeptical at first but they connected me in about 5 minutes when I'd been trying for days. The county doesn't have enough staff to handle all the calls they get, that's why we end up waiting forever or getting disconnected.

i saw that same article!!! my cousin sent it to me but when i clicked it was talking about some tax rebate in missouri not california calfresh. these websites just wanna get clicks dont trust em

Since we're talking about extra benefits - has anyone received the P-EBT for school-aged children recently? I thought that was still happening but my card hasn't been loaded in MONTHS and my kids still qualify for free school lunch.

I just wanted to thank everyone for the helpful information! I reported my rent and utility increases to the county yesterday and they said my benefits might increase next month. Much better than waiting for a stimulus that doesn't exist! 😊

As a newcomer here, I really appreciate this thorough discussion! I was about to fall for one of those misleading articles myself. It's so helpful to see experienced community members clarifying these myths. I'm curious though - for those of us who are struggling with rising food costs, are there any other California-specific programs we should know about besides CFAP? I keep hearing about different county-level assistance but it's hard to know what's legitimate vs what's outdated information online.