When do CalFresh emergency allotments arrive for May 2025? Still waiting for extra benefits

I think those ended a while back actually. My caseworker told me the emergency allotments were part of covid and they stopped them.

Emergency allotments for CalFresh officially ended in March 2023. What you received in April was likely your regular benefit amount based on your income, household size, and expenses. There are no "extra stamps" anymore - what you're currently receiving is your standard benefit amount calculated according to the regular program rules. If you think your benefits are incorrect, you should contact your county office to verify they have your current household information, especially if: - Your income decreased recently - You have new shelter/utility costs - You have childcare expenses - Medical expenses (for elderly/disabled household members) All of these can increase your regular benefit amount if reported properly.

The extra amounts ur talking about ended YEARS ago! The government stopped that covid emergency money. What ur getting now is just the regular amount based on ur household info. If u need more benefits u have to report changes like if ur rent went up or income went down on ur SAR7 or during recertification.

Absolutely NO extra amounts are coming anymore. I was getting the max amount for my family of 4 during COVID (like $939/month), and then after they ended the emergency allotments, it dropped to $230/month based on my income. It was a HUGE shock to my budget! The only way to get more now is if something changes in your situation - like losing income, adding family members, or having more expenses that count as deductions (rent, utilities, childcare, etc). When was your last recertification? If it's been almost a year, make sure you report EVERYTHING when you recertify.

If your rent increased, you should definitely report that change to the county. While you don't have to report it until your next SAR7 or recertification (whichever comes first), you CAN report it now as a "voluntary mid-period report" and potentially get an increase in benefits. Unfortunately, general food inflation doesn't factor into individual benefit calculations - CalFresh uses standard food cost estimates that get updated annually. Your benefit amount is based on: 1. Your household income 2. Allowable deductions (rent/utilities, childcare, certain medical expenses) 3. Household size So reporting that rent increase could help increase your benefit amount, especially if it's a significant change.

Omg I had the same confusion! Thought I was getting extra in April too but turns out I just miscalculated what my regular amount was supposed to be lol. Been on CalFresh for 5 years and sometimes it's still confusing. Those extra pandemic benefits were so helpful when they existed tho!!!

You can report your rent increase by submitting a "Voluntary Report of Changes" form or by calling your county office. But if you've been trying to reach someone by phone, good luck with that! I spent 3 hours on hold last week trying to report my new job and got disconnected twice. I finally used this service called Claimyr that connected me to a real person at the county within 20 minutes instead of hours on hold. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 and their website is claimyr.com. Worth it when you need to actually reach someone quickly.

my sister works for the county and she says they might increase benefits again if theres another emergency or something but for now its just regular amounts

when u report ur rent increase make sure u also report ALL utilities u pay!! even if its just ur phone bill or internet!! those count toward the standard utility allowance and can get u more benefits!!!

BTW if ur low on food this month, don't forget to check local food banks! I use one that gives out fresh produce twice a month and another that does shelf-stable items once a month. Really helps stretch the CalFresh benefits.