New inflation check on California EBT cards in 2025? Need to verify if this is real

I work as a benefits counselor and there is NO official inflation check being distributed on EBT cards in California for 2025. What your neighbor might be referring to is the regular COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) that typically happens at the beginning of each year for CalFresh benefits. This year's adjustment was about 3.5% which resulted in a small increase to monthly benefits, but it wasn't a separate payment. Be careful about rumors - there were legitimate pandemic-era extra payments that ended years ago, and sometimes people confuse news about other states' benefit programs with California's.

omg i heard this 2!! my sister's friend got an extra $325 on her EBT this month and said everyone was getting it!! i been checking my card everyday lol

If you need to confirm this kind of information, it's always best to get it directly from your county office. I know it can be incredibly frustrating trying to reach someone by phone - I spent 3 hours on hold last month just to ask a simple question about my recertification. I've been using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual CalFresh worker without the endless hold times. They have a good video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Much better than getting information from neighbors or social media where things often get confused or exaggerated.

There's a lot of confusion about this. Here are the actual facts: 1. California is NOT currently issuing any special inflation payments on EBT cards for 2025 2. What DID happen was the annual federal COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) in October 2024 that slightly increased monthly CalFresh amounts 3. Some counties are processing retroactive benefits for people whose applications were delayed, which might appear as "extra" payments on some people's cards 4. The California Family Economic Support Program that was proposed in the legislature earlier this year (which would have provided inflation relief) did not pass If you're struggling with food costs, I recommend applying for the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) which is a state-funded program that supplements CalFresh for certain eligible households. Also check if you qualify for emergency allotments if your household situation has changed dramatically.

My cousin works for the county and she said they've been getting calls about this all week. She said there's absolutely NO new inflation payment coming to EBT cards in California. What IS happening is some people are getting their regular monthly benefits deposited at slightly different times due to a system update, which might make it look like an extra payment if you're not tracking carefully.

i got an extra $200 last month but it was cuz they messed up my SAR7 and shorted me the month before lol maybe thats whats happening with some ppl?

I actually got through to my county worker this morning after hours of trying, and they confirmed there's no special inflation payment happening. Apparently this rumor has been spreading on TikTok and lots of people have been calling to ask about it. The worker did tell me that I should make sure I've reported my current rent costs because they went up since my last recertification, and that might help increase my regular benefit amount a little.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! This is exactly why I love this community - you all helped me figure out that this was just a rumor and gave me some really practical advice about what I can actually do to potentially increase my benefits. I'm going to call my county office (or try that Claimyr service someone mentioned) to report my increased rent and see if that helps. It's frustrating that misinformation spreads so quickly on social media, but at least we have places like this where people share real facts and experiences. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to respond!

I'm also new here but wanted to share my experience - I fell for a similar rumor last year about "emergency food assistance payments" that turned out to be completely false. It's so frustrating because when you're struggling to put food on the table, any hope of extra help gets your hopes up. What I've learned is to always check the official California Department of Social Services website (cdss.ca.gov) or your county's official site before believing anything you hear through the grapevine. They post all legitimate updates about benefit changes there first. The misinformation on social media is getting really out of hand - I've seen fake screenshots of "official" notifications that look so real it's scary. For anyone reading this who is struggling with food costs like the original poster, don't forget about local food banks and pantries too. They're a great supplement to CalFresh benefits and many don't have income restrictions.