Moving from LA to San Bernardino County - Will my CalFresh benefits change with Section 8 housing?

I moved from LA to San Bernardino last year and kept my CalFresh benefits. The good news is that CalFresh eligibility rules are state-wide, so the income limits and basic calculation methods should be the same. What you need to do is report your address change to LA County as soon as you move. They'll transfer your case to San Bernardino. Your benefits won't stop during the transfer as long as you're still eligible. Regarding Section 8 - this won't negatively impact your CalFresh. In fact, having Section 8 means they'll calculate your shelter deduction differently which could potentially give you MORE benefits. They'll only count what you actually pay out of pocket for rent. The main difference I noticed is that San Bernardino wants more verification for everything. Have copies ready of: - ID for everyone - Birth certificates - Income proof - Your Section 8 approval letter - Utility bills when you get them

my cosin lives in SB county n they totally messed up her benefits when she moved!!! they kept asking for the same papers over n over n she ended up getting less then LA gave her. not trying to scare u but just be ready for them to make things complicated

San Bernardino County CalFresh worker here. Let me clarify a few things: 1. Benefits amounts are calculated the same way throughout California - it's a federal formula. Your amount shouldn't change unless your expenses or income changes. 2. For Section 8, we only count what YOU pay as your shelter cost, not the full rent amount. Make sure you have documentation showing both the total rent and your portion. 3. When you move counties, request an ICT (Inter-County Transfer). Do this BEFORE you move if possible - at least 10 days before. This helps prevent benefit gaps. 4. Bring all verification documents to your first appointment - income, identity, residence, expenses, etc. Yes, we may require additional verification compared to LA County, but it's to ensure accurate benefit calculation. 5. The benefit amounts are the same across California for households of the same size and circumstances. If someone received less after moving, it's likely due to different expenses, income changes, or household composition changes - not because SB County calculates differently. The negative experiences people have are usually due to communication issues or missing documentation, not county policy differences.

i moved from LA to san bernardino 2 years ago and honestly its EXACTLY THE SAME program just different workers. my benefits stayed THE SAME down to the dollar. just make sure you report your change right away!!!! thats what gets people in trouble is waiting. and yeah section 8 is fine they will just need your award letter

I had a NIGHTMARE experience with SB county when I moved there in 2024. Was on hold for FOUR HOURS trying to report my address change, got disconnected THREE TIMES, and then they claimed they never received my documents even though I uploaded them to the portal. Ended up missing a month of benefits because of their incompetence. After weeks of frustration, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual human at San Bernardino County within 20 minutes. They have this service that calls the county for you and gets you past the hold times. Saved my sanity! Check out their demo video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 My advice: get ALL your documents together before you move, report the change early, and if you run into trouble reaching someone, use that service. Don't wait until you're desperate like I did.

Listen, here's what no one is telling you about San Bernardino County. They are SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED. That's why people have bad experiences. It's not that they're meaner or stricter - they just have too many cases per worker. The calculation for benefits is EXACTLY THE SAME across all counties in California. It's a standardized formula. The only variables are your household size, income, and expenses. Section 8 actually HELPS your CalFresh amount because they only count what you pay out of pocket for rent. I would recommend: 1. Call LA County NOW, don't wait until you move 2. Ask specifically for an "ICT to San Bernardino County" 3. Get confirmation numbers and write down names of who you speak with 4. Follow up one week after your request if you haven't heard anything 5. Upload ALL documents to the BenefitsCal portal as backup And yes, bring proof of EVERYTHING to your first appointment - they do tend to require more documentation than LA County in my experience.

To answer your follow-up question - yes, BenefitsCal is the same portal used by all counties in California. Your account will stay the same, but your case will be transferred to SB County's queue. After the transfer, you'll see San Bernardino listed as your county when you log in. One thing to note: during the transfer period (usually 30 days), you might see both counties listed or have limited access to certain features. This is normal - the system is updating. If it doesn't resolve after 30 days, that's when you need to call.

Has anyone had experience with how utilities are calculated in SB County? In LA they just gave me the standard utility allowance without asking for proof, but I heard SB makes you provide actual bills? That could affect your benefit amount significantly.

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I feel much better about this move now. I'm going to call LA County tomorrow to start the ICT process and make sure I have all my documentation organized. I'll update here once the transfer goes through in case it helps someone else in the future.

Good luck with your move! Just wanted to add one more tip - when you do your ICT, ask LA County for a printout or email confirmation of your current benefit amount and case details. This helps San Bernardino verify everything matches up during the transfer. Also, don't panic if your EBT card shows a weird balance or pending transactions during the transfer week - that's normal as the systems sync up between counties. Your benefits will continue as long as you stay eligible. You're doing all the right things by planning ahead! Most people who have problems wait until the last minute. Keep us posted on how it goes! 🙂

I just wanted to chime in as someone who works with families going through county transfers regularly. You've gotten some excellent advice here! One additional resource that might help - San Bernardino County has a dedicated Inter-County Transfer unit that handles these cases. Their direct line is usually less congested than the main CalFresh number. Also, since you mentioned you're moving into a house versus an apartment, make sure you understand how your new housing situation affects your shelter deduction calculation. With Section 8, if you're now responsible for utilities that were previously included in your apartment rent, that could actually INCREASE your CalFresh benefits due to the utility allowance. The key thing everyone has emphasized is absolutely right - start the process early and keep detailed records. I've seen transfers go smoothly when people are proactive, and I've seen nightmares when people wait until after they've already moved. You're clearly being smart about this! One last tip: if you run into any issues during the transfer, don't hesitate to contact your local food bank or community action agency. They often have advocates who can help navigate county system issues and ensure you don't experience a gap in benefits.

I just went through this exact same situation last month! Moved from LA to San Bernardino with Section 8 and was terrified about losing benefits. Here's what actually happened: My CalFresh amount stayed EXACTLY the same - $428/month for me and my daughter. The process took about 2 weeks total, and I didn't miss any benefits because I started the ICT early like everyone is suggesting. The biggest difference I noticed is that San Bernardino really does want more documentation upfront. They asked for: - 3 months of bank statements (LA only wanted 1) - Utility setup confirmations from my new address - Section 8 portability paperwork from both housing authorities - School enrollment verification for my daughter But honestly, once I provided everything, the worker was super helpful and walked me through exactly how my benefits were calculated. The Section 8 definitely helped because now I'm getting the full utility allowance since I pay electric/gas separately. One thing that saved me a lot of headaches - I called the ICT unit directly at (909) 388-0245. Way faster than the main number! Best of luck with your move!