Power outage spoiled my food - how to get CalFresh replacement benefits?

Yes, you can definitely get replacement benefits! You need to request a "replacement of food purchased with CalFresh benefits due to household misfortune" - in this case, the power outage. You need to: 1. Report the loss within 10 days of when it happened 2. Submit a form CF 303 (Food Replacement Request) 3. Provide verification of the power outage For verification, see if the mobile home park manager can write a letter confirming the outage dates/times, or if you have any text messages about the outage, or if the utility company has records of the repair. You can submit this request through your BenefitsCal account, by mail, or in person at your county office.

i had this happen 2 me last summer when we had that big heatwave!!! the county replaced like most of what i lost but they made me sign something saying i was telling the truth. u need 2 call them ASAP tho, theres a deadline

This happens more often than you'd think. You're eligible for replacement benefits equal to the actual value of the food that was lost, up to your monthly benefit amount. Here's what you need to know: - The CF 303 form asks for an itemized list of what spoiled and the approximate value - You must file within 10 calendar days of the loss (this is strict!) - For verification, a letter from mobile home management or the utility company works best - If those aren't available, a signed statement from a neighbor in the park who also experienced the outage can work - A collateral contact statement from someone who saw the spoiled food can also help Once approved, they'll issue replacement benefits within 10 days, usually sooner.

Yes, taking pictures of the spoiled food before disposal is excellent documentation! Date-stamp them if possible. Also, keep any receipts you might have from your recent shopping trip to help estimate values.

OMG same thing happened to me last year and I NEVER got my benefits back because they said I didn't provide enough proof!! It was like $200 worth of food just GONE and CalFresh didn't care at all!

I went through this exact process last year after a transformer blew in our neighborhood. One tip that really helped me - I couldn't get through to a human at the county office because the phone lines were always busy or disconnected me after waiting forever. I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a CalFresh worker in about 15 minutes. They basically hold your place in line and call you when they have someone on the line. I was super skeptical but it actually worked. Here's their site: claimyr.com and there's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 The worker was able to take my information over the phone and told me exactly what verification they needed. Got my replacement benefits about 5 days later.

I work for CalFresh (not as eligibility worker, different position) and want to clarify something important: you MUST report within 10 days, but if day 10 falls on a weekend or holiday, you have until the next business day. And contrary to what someone said above, they won't necessarily replace the full value if you don't have good documentation. They want an itemized list (as best as you can remember) and will usually only provide partial replacement if you can't verify the power outage. Also, I've seen applications get denied when people claim ALL their food was lost in a short outage (like less than 4 hours) since that's not enough time for food to spoil. Since yours was 36 hours, that's definitely long enough to justify a claim for refrigerated and frozen items.

If you can go in person, that's often best because you can get a receipt confirming they received your documents. However, uploading through BenefitsCal works well too - just take screenshots confirming your submission was completed. Either way, KEEP COPIES of everything you submit!

my friend got food replaced when their apartment complex had a fire and they had to evacuate for 3 days. they even got money for the restaurants they had to eat at while they were staying at a hotel. did u have to buy any replacement food already? save those receipts too maybe they'll cover that

UPDATE: I submitted my CF 303 form this morning at the county office! Brought a letter from my property manager confirming the power outage dates/times, photos of some of the spoiled food, and my most recent grocery receipt. The worker said everything looked good and I should see the replacement benefits in 3-5 business days. Thank you all for your help - I would have missed the 10-day deadline if I hadn't posted here!

So glad to see this worked out for you! Your experience is a perfect example of how the system is supposed to work when you have the right documentation and submit everything on time. I hope other community members who face similar situations will see this thread and know exactly what steps to take. It's unfortunate that power outages happen, but at least CalFresh has protections in place for situations like this. Thanks for updating us on the outcome!