How to qualify for CalFresh utility allowance to increase benefits?
Can someone explain how the electricity allowance works with CalFresh benefits? My energy bills have been crazy high ($340 last month!) and my neighbor mentioned something about getting extra food benefits if you have high utility costs. I pay electric, water, and trash separately from my rent. Do I need to show all my bills when applying? Does this actually increase how much I get on my EBT card each month? I'm a single mom with 2 kids and we're barely making it on my current benefits.
18 comments
Join the conversation
Emma Swift
There's actually three different utility allowances with CalFresh - the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA), Limited Utility Allowance (LUA), and Telephone Utility Allowance (TUA). The SUA gives you the most deduction and is what you want since you pay for heating/cooling. You don't get the actual amount of your bills - it's a standard deduction that reduces your countable income, which can then increase your benefits. Just tell your worker you pay for utilities separate from rent and provide a copy of any utility bill. They should automatically apply the right deduction.
0 coins
Max Knight
•Thanks!! So I don't actually get money for my electric bill, but it might raise my food benefits? How much more would I get? And do I have to wait until recertification to claim this? My next one isn't for like 7 months.
0 coins
Isabella Tucker
I went thru this last year! U absolutely need to report this asap, dont wait for recertification!! My benefits went up $78/month when they added the SUA to my case. Just call ur county worker and tell them u pay for heating/cooling separately and send them ANY utility bill with ur name on it. They dont care about the amount, just proof that u pay utilities. Makes a HUGE difference esp for families!!
0 coins
Max Knight
•OMG $78 a month would make a HUGE difference for us! Thank you! I've been trying to call the county office for days but keep getting stuck in the automated system. Is there a specific department I should ask for?
0 coins
Jayden Hill
I had to call for 3 days straight before getting through to add the utility allowance to my case. Worth it though. My caseworker explained that the SUA is like $487 in 2025 (they update it yearly). That gets subtracted from your income before they calculate your benefits. So depends on your situation how much more you'll get.
0 coins
LordCommander
•You should try Claimyr if you're having trouble getting through to the county. It's a service that calls the CalFresh office for you, waits on hold, and then calls you when an actual person answers. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to update my utility info. They have a video demo so you can see how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 and their website is claimyr.com. Totally worth it to avoid the phone tree hell!
0 coins
Lucy Lam
Just to clarify some misinformation I'm seeing... The utility allowance is actually a DEDUCTION, not a direct payment or allowance. Here's how it works: 1. CalFresh uses your income minus certain deductions to calculate benefits 2. The Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) for 2025 is $487 per month (not the actual amount of your bills) 3. This deduction gets subtracted from your income 4. Lower countable income = higher CalFresh benefits Example: If your gross monthly income is $2,300 and you qualify for the SUA, they subtract $487 from your income (after other deductions) before calculating your benefit. This could increase your monthly benefit by $20-150 depending on household size and circumstances. You can report this change mid-certification using the SAR-3 form or by calling your eligibility worker. Provide any utility bill that shows your name and address as proof.
0 coins
Max Knight
•Thank you for explaining it so clearly! I think I understand now. So the actual amount of my electric bill doesn't matter - it's just a standard amount they subtract from my income when figuring out my benefits. I'm definitely going to call tomorrow and get this added to my case.
0 coins
Aidan Hudson
be carefall with this!!! i added the utilty allowance thing and they asked for all my income again and acutally LOWERED my benifits because they found out my son was getting more child support than i reported before. sometimes its better not to rock the boat!
0 coins
Zoe Wang
•That's not how it's supposed to work. They can't do a full income redetermination just because you report paying utilities separately. Sounds like you had unreported income, which is different. The utility deduction itself can only HELP your benefit amount, not reduce it.
0 coins
Emma Swift
One more thing - make sure you're not confusing CalFresh (food stamps) with LIHEAP (energy assistance). They're completely different programs. LIHEAP actually helps pay your utility bills directly, while the CalFresh utility deduction just helps calculate your food benefits. You should apply for both if you're struggling!
0 coins
Max Knight
•Wait, there's a program that helps pay utility bills too?? Where do I apply for LIHEAP? My PG&E bill is killing me, especially with the rate increases this year.
0 coins
Lucy Lam
For LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), you'll need to contact your local community action agency. It's separate from CalFresh entirely. They can provide one-time assistance with energy bills or help with weatherization to reduce costs. Income limits are higher than CalFresh too - about 60% of state median income. Regarding your original question, I recommend submitting a SAR-3 form (Report of Change) to your county office ASAP with a copy of any utility bill. Write clearly that you pay heating/cooling separately from rent and request the Standard Utility Allowance be applied to your case. Keep a copy of everything you submit!
0 coins
Jayden Hill
•This! And if you're in a hurry, some counties let you upload documents directly through BenefitsCal.com instead of mailing or faxing them. The SAR-3 form should be available there too.
0 coins
Isabella Tucker
did u try calling the county yet? I know its frustrating but u really need to talk to ur worker to get this fixed. Sometimes the EBT customer service number can transfer u directly to a caseworker if u tell them its urgent!
0 coins
Max Knight
•I'm going to try again tomorrow morning right when they open. If that doesn't work, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I'll let everyone know how much my benefits increase once I get this sorted out! Thanks for all the help everyone.
0 coins
Yara Sayegh
Just wanted to add that you should also check if your county has any local CalFresh offices that might be easier to reach than the main number. Some counties have satellite offices or community partners where you can drop off documents in person. Also, when you do get through to report the utility allowance, ask them to backdate it to when you first started paying utilities separately - sometimes they can adjust your benefits retroactively for a few months if you can prove you were eligible earlier. Good luck getting through, and don't give up! The extra benefits will be worth the hassle of dealing with the phone system.
0 coins
Sarah Jones
•This is really helpful advice! I didn't know they might be able to backdate it. I've been paying utilities separately for about 8 months now, so that could potentially mean a lot of extra benefits if they can go back that far. Does anyone know what kind of documentation I'd need to prove when I started paying utilities separately? Would old bills be enough, or do I need something from my landlord too?
0 coins