Only received $10 CalFresh deposit today - is this normal amount?

omg that happened to me last month!!! went from $475 to like $12 and freaked out. turned out i missed submitting some income verification they asked for in my SAR7. check ur mail from last month, might have been a notice u missed

This is definitely not normal and indicates there's been a change in your eligibility determination. Several things could have happened: 1. You may have missed your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) deadline 2. You could have missed a recertification appointment 3. The county might have received information showing a change in your circumstances (like income verification from employers) 4. There could be a system error The $10 is significant - it suggests they didn't terminate your benefits completely but drastically reduced them. This usually happens when the county believes your household income has increased but they don't have complete information. Call your county office ASAP to find out what happened. Bring any recent mail from them when you speak with them.

Have you checked your BenefitsCal account? Sometimes they post notices there that explain benefit changes before you get them in the mail. Also, did you recently start making more money or have someone move out of your household? They sometimes get employment info automatically from other systems and adjust benefits without telling you first if they think you didn't report a change.

If you need to call the county office, good luck getting through! I spent THREE DAYS trying to reach someone about my CalFresh benefits last month. Kept getting stuck in their phone system hell and then disconnected after waiting an hour!!! The system is BROKEN. They expect us to instantly respond to their notices but make it IMPOSSIBLE to actually talk to a human when we need help. And then they act surprised when people lose benefits. BEYOND FRUSTRATING!!!

Looking at the details you've shared, here's what I think happened: The system probably flagged your case for income verification. When this happens and they don't receive the requested documentation by their deadline, they implement what's called a "minimal issuance" - which is typically $10 for households that would otherwise qualify for more. This is actually better than a complete discontinuance because: 1. You remain in the system as active 2. Once you provide the documentation they need, they can often restore the full benefit amount retroactively 3. You don't have to complete a whole new application I recommend: - Call your county office (use the number on any recent notices) - Ask specifically what verification they need - Submit the documents ASAP through BenefitsCal or in person - Request retroactive benefits for this month once they confirm your income For a household of 3 in 2025, your maximum benefit should be around $740 if you qualify for the full amount.

Make sure when you submit your income verification that you also include a written explanation that your income hasn't actually changed - sometimes they think there's new income when it's the same job. Also, if you have any expenses like childcare costs, medical bills, or high housing costs, include those too as they can help maximize your benefit amount when they recalculate.

So glad you got this sorted out! This is exactly why I always tell people not to panic when benefits suddenly drop - there's usually a paperwork issue that can be fixed. The employer name change thing is actually pretty common and causes a lot of confusion in the system. Great job following up and getting everything documented properly. Hope this helps other folks who might be dealing with similar issues!

This is such a great example of how important it is to read ALL the notices they send, even if they seem like duplicates! I made a similar mistake last year - got a request for income verification and thought "but I already sent this stuff" so I ignored it. Ended up having my benefits suspended for a month before I figured out what happened. Now I respond to every single notice, even if it seems repetitive. The system isn't perfect at tracking what they've already received, so it's better to over-document than miss a deadline. Really glad you got everything sorted out and got your back benefits too!

This whole thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with something similar right now - my benefits got cut from $580 to $23 this month and I've been panicking. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing I probably missed responding to a verification request too. It's such a relief to know this can usually be fixed and that you can get back benefits restored. Going to dig through my mail pile tonight and check my BenefitsCal account. Thanks for sharing your story and the resolution - gives me hope that I can get this sorted out too!

This whole situation really highlights how confusing the CalFresh system can be! I'm glad you were able to resolve it, but it's frustrating that a simple employer name change can cause such a massive disruption in benefits. For anyone else reading this - I've learned that it's also worth keeping a paper trail of everything you submit. I always take screenshots when uploading documents to BenefitsCal and keep copies of any letters I send. It's saved me a couple times when they claimed they never received something I definitely sent. The system has its flaws, but at least there are ways to navigate it once you know what to look for!