Unexpected $1000 CalFresh deposit showed up on EBT card - what's going on?
So something weird happened yesterday - my roommate just got a huge deposit on her EBT card out of nowhere. Almost $1000 total! It came as two separate deposits (one for $580 and another for $421). She's been getting regular CalFresh benefits for about a year but nothing like this amount before. Her usual monthly benefit is around $250. She's definitely not complaining about the extra food money lol, but we're both confused about where it came from. She hasn't had any recent changes in income or household size that would explain a benefit increase. She did complete her SAR7 form last month but nothing changed in her situation. Has anyone else experienced a random large deposit like this? Could it be back-payments for something? Or is this some kind of new supplemental benefit they're giving out in 2025? She's hesitant to call and ask in case it was a mistake and they take it back!
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Keisha Johnson
omg same thing happened to me two days ago!!! i got a surprise $684 on my card and was like wtf? i thought maybe they made a mistake with my account
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Yara Sayegh
•That's so weird! Did you call about it or are you just keeping it? I told my roommate to just use it and not ask questions lol
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Keisha Johnson
•girl im spending it before they realize lmao! not saying anything to nobody!!
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Paolo Longo
This is likely the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) retroactive payment that was just approved. The state announced a 6.8% increase to CalFresh benefits effective January 2025, but they were delayed in implementing it. The two payments you're seeing are probably: 1. The $580 payment = retroactive benefits for January through April (the months they missed paying the increase) 2. The $421 payment = May's regular benefit with the new increased amount They typically don't send notices about these types of adjustments, which is why it feels random. Your roommate is entitled to this money - it's not a mistake.
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Yara Sayegh
•Oh wow, thank you! That makes perfect sense with the timing. She was worried it might be a mistake they'd ask her to pay back later. Such a relief to know it's legitimate!
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CosmicCowboy
its prolly a error in the system. my cousin works for the county and she says they mess up all the time. if they gave u 2 much they will take it back next month so dont spend it all!!
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Paolo Longo
•Actually, this isn't an error. It's the delayed COLA increase that was supposed to be implemented in January but got held up due to administrative issues. The CalFresh website has information about it if you look under "Benefit Updates." Even if someone spends it all, they won't take it back because it's a legitimate adjustment.
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Amina Diallo
Is your friend on P-EBT or regular CalFresh? Because they're different programs. P-EBT is for families with school-aged children, and they sometimes do big retroactive payments like this. Regular CalFresh doesn't usually do surprise deposits unless there was an underpayment they're correcting. Did she get any notices in the mail recently?
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Yara Sayegh
•She's on regular CalFresh, no kids. And no, she hasn't gotten any mail about it - that's why we were so confused! But another commenter mentioned it's a cost of living adjustment that was delayed, which makes sense.
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Oliver Schulz
This is definitely the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) catchup payment that was just processed statewide. The Legislature approved a 6.8% increase back in October 2024, but the implementation was delayed due to system upgrades. The two deposits make perfect sense: - The $580 is the retroactive adjustment (4 months × approximately $145 extra per month) - The $421 is the new monthly amount with the 6.8% increase applied Your roommate should continue receiving the higher amount ($421) moving forward. This is completely legitimate and she doesn't need to worry about it being reclaimed. If she wants to confirm, she can check her EBT account online through the BenefitsCal portal or the California EBT app - the deposits should be labeled as "COLA Adjustment" or something similar.
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Yara Sayegh
•Thank you so much for this detailed explanation! She checked her BenefitsCal account and you're right - it does show up as an adjustment payment. Such a relief to know it's legitimate.
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CosmicCowboy
•ok but why didnt they tell ppl about this? seems fishy they just put money in accounts without explanation
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Oliver Schulz
•They typically send mass mailings about COLA increases, but those notices often get delayed or lost in the mail. The counties are also supposed to post notices about benefit changes on their websites, but many don't update them in a timely manner. It's not fishy - it's just poor communication, which is unfortunately common with benefit programs.
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Natasha Orlova
I HAD THIS HAPPEN TOO but when I called the county they said it was an error and took it ALL back the next month!!!! I ended up with NO benefits for almost 2 months because of their mistake!!! BE CAREFUL and don't spend it until you CONFIRM what it is!!!
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Yara Sayegh
•Oh no, that sounds awful! Did you have to call multiple times to get it sorted out? I'm worried if she calls now they'll just tell her it's a mistake even if it's not.
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Javier Cruz
•If you're having trouble getting through to the CalFresh office directly, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. It's a service that connects you with a live person at the county without waiting on hold forever. I used it last month when I couldn't get through for my recertification issue, and they connected me to a worker in 10 minutes. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 or just go to claimyr.com. It saved me hours of frustration!
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Paolo Longo
•What you experienced was likely different from this situation. The current deposits people are receiving are specifically from the COLA adjustment that was announced but delayed in implementation. Unlike random system errors, these are legitimate payments backed by the state legislature's approval and permanent program adjustments.
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Keisha Johnson
do we kno if this is happening for everybody? my sister is on calfresh too but she didnt get no extra money yet
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Oliver Schulz
•The COLA adjustments are being processed in batches by case number, so not everyone will receive them on the same day. They started processing these payments on May 1st and will continue through May 15th. If your sister doesn't receive her adjustment by May 16th, then she should contact her county office.
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Natasha Orlova
MY MONEY JUST CAME TODAY!!!! $754 total!!!! But I'm still afraid to spend it in case they mess up again!!!! The EBT system is SO BROKEN!!!!
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CosmicCowboy
•spend it quick lol thats what im doing
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Amina Diallo
Just a thought - did your roommate recently complete her recertification? Sometimes they adjust benefits after recertification if they find you were getting less than you qualified for during the previous period. My cousin had this happen after her recertification last year.
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Yara Sayegh
•No, she just did her SAR7 last month but her recertification isn't due until October. But I think the COLA explanation that others mentioned makes the most sense based on the timing and amounts.
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Oliver Schulz
For anyone still confused about what's happening, here's the breakdown: 1. In October 2024, the state legislature approved a 6.8% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all CalFresh recipients 2. The increase was supposed to take effect January 1, 2025 3. Due to system upgrades and administrative delays, the increase wasn't implemented 4. In May 2025, they're now processing both: - The retroactive payments for January-April (appearing as one lump sum) - The new monthly benefit amount with the 6.8% increase applied This is happening for ALL CalFresh recipients, but payments are being processed in batches based on case numbers. Everyone should receive their adjustments by May 15th. This is 100% legitimate and you can verify it on the California Department of Social Services website under "CalFresh Updates.
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Yara Sayegh
•Thank you for this clear explanation! This matches exactly what's happening with my roommate's case. I'll let her know she can go ahead and use the funds without worry.
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Luis Johnson
This is so helpful to see everyone's experiences! I'm a new CalFresh recipient (just got approved in March) and I was wondering if this COLA adjustment applies to new cases too? I've only been getting benefits for 2 months so far, so I'm not sure if I'd be eligible for the retroactive payments since I wasn't receiving benefits in January. My monthly amount is $194 - should I expect to see an increase to that going forward even if I don't get the back pay?
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CosmicCruiser
•Great question! Since you were approved in March, you should definitely see your monthly benefit increase from $194 to the new COLA-adjusted amount going forward. However, you're right that you wouldn't be eligible for the January-February retroactive payments since you weren't receiving benefits then. You might get a small retroactive payment for March-April though, since those months should have been calculated with the higher COLA rate. I'd expect to see your next deposit be higher than the usual $194!
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Nia Williams
•Yes, you should definitely see your monthly amount increase going forward! The COLA adjustment applies to all active CalFresh cases, regardless of when you were approved. Your $194 should go up to about $207 with the 6.8% increase. And you're correct about the retroactive pay - you would only be eligible for March and April since that's when you were receiving benefits. So you might see a small catch-up payment of maybe $25-30 for those two months, plus your regular May payment at the new higher rate. Keep an eye on your account over the next week!
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Carlos Mendoza
Just wanted to add that I called my county office this morning to double-check about the COLA payments after reading all these comments, and the worker confirmed everything that Oliver and Paolo have been saying. She said they're processing about 50,000 cases per day statewide and should be done with all the retroactive payments by May 15th. She also mentioned that some people might see their payments split into multiple deposits (like the original poster) depending on how their case was processed in the system. The worker was actually relieved that people are talking about it online because they've been getting tons of confused calls! So yeah, it's definitely legit - spend away! 😊
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Zoe Papadakis
•Thanks for calling to confirm! That's really reassuring to hear directly from a county worker. It's crazy that they're processing 50,000 cases a day - no wonder some people are getting their payments on different days. I'm glad the workers are understanding about all the confusion too. This whole thread has been super helpful for everyone trying to figure out what's going on with their benefits!
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Andre Moreau
I'm so glad I found this thread! I just got a $890 deposit yesterday and was completely panicked thinking it was a mistake. My regular benefit is usually $280, so this was way more than I expected. After reading everyone's explanations about the COLA adjustment, I checked my BenefitsCal account and sure enough, it shows as a "Cost of Living Adjustment" payment. What a relief! I was literally afraid to buy groceries because I thought they'd want it back. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all the confusing aspects of the benefits system!
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StarStrider
•I'm so relieved this thread exists too! I just joined this community because I was having the exact same panic when I saw an unexpected $650 on my card this morning. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful. It's amazing how many of us were worried it was a mistake when it's actually something we're entitled to! This is exactly why communities like this are so valuable - the official notices and communication from the county offices are often unclear or nonexistent. Thank you to everyone who took the time to explain the COLA situation, especially Paolo and Oliver for breaking it down so clearly!
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Freya Collins
This is such a helpful thread! I'm a newer CalFresh recipient (got approved in February) and was wondering if anyone knows how they calculate the retroactive amount? Like is it based on your current benefit amount or what you were getting each month? My benefit actually went up in April when I reported a job loss, so I'm curious if the COLA adjustment would be applied to my old amount or new amount for those earlier months. Also wondering if there's anywhere official we can check to see exactly how much the COLA increase should be for our specific benefit level?
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