When does CalFresh extra allotment get deposited this month?
Does anybody know when we get the extra CalFresh benefits this month? My regular benefits loaded on the 11th like normal but I thought we were supposed to get additional funds too. My neighbor said something about a supplemental payment but wasn't sure when it hits our EBT cards. I have 3 kids and we're really counting on that extra amount to get us through the end of the month. Called the county office twice but just got the automated system both times.
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Jacinda Yu
What extra benefits are you talking about? CalFresh doesn't have any current extra allotment program running in 2025. The pandemic emergency allotments ended years ago. Are you maybe thinking of the CalWORKs special payment? Or maybe the P-EBT for school-age children?
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Brian Downey
•OMG I'm so confused now. My neighbor kept saying we'd get extra this month because of the cost of living increase. She said all CalFresh households would see a boost. Maybe she mixed it up with something else?
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Landon Flounder
theres no extra payment automatically. might be thinking of the seasonal utility adjustment if u claimed heating costs on ur application. that can increase benefits for some months but they dont announce it separately, just shows up with regular deposit
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Brian Downey
•Oh that makes sense! I did tell them about our heating bill going up when I did my SAR7 last month. So maybe that's what will show up as 'extra'?
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Callum Savage
To clarify what everyone's saying - there are a few possibilities for what your neighbor might be referring to: 1. The annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) happened in October 2024, which increased everyone's regular CalFresh benefits slightly. This isn't an "extra" payment, just your new regular amount. 2. If you reported utility costs on your application or SAR7, you might receive the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) which can increase your monthly benefit. This would be included in your regular issuance. 3. If your income recently decreased or expenses increased and you reported this change, you might see an increase in benefits. 4. Some counties occasionally issue supplements if they made an error in calculating your benefits previously. Unless you received a specific notice about additional benefits, there is no universal "extra" payment scheduled for CalFresh recipients this month.
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Ally Tailer
•This is exactly right! I work with the CalFresh program and want to emphasize that any changes to your benefit amount should be communicated to you through an official Notice of Action. Your regular benefits will always come on your assigned day based on the last digit of your case number (between the 1st and 10th of each month).
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Brian Downey
Thanks everyone for the help! I'll stop waiting for something that isn't coming. My neighbor probably confused the COLA adjustment with an extra payment. So frustrating that I couldn't get through to anyone at the county to just ask this simple question!
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Aliyah Debovski
•If you need to reach someone at the county office, I've been using Claimyr lately and it's been a game changer! I was having the same issue - couldn't get past the automated system, waiting for hours, getting disconnected. Claimyr got me through to a live person at the CalFresh office in about 15 minutes last week when I needed to ask about my verification documents. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 - basically they wait on hold for you and call you when they get a real person. Saved me so much frustration!
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Miranda Singer
The confusion about "extra" CalFresh benefits is VERY common! The system is deliberately confusing to discourage people from getting what they deserve! I had the same issue last year when my worker PROMISED me supplemental benefits after I added my newborn to my case, but I never received them until I called SEVEN times and finally got someone who actually knew the regulations!!
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Callum Savage
•While it can definitely be frustrating, there are specific rules about when benefits increase. Adding a household member should increase your benefits starting the month after you reported the change (assuming you provided all required verification). If that didn't happen automatically, it was likely an administrative error that needed correction, not a deliberate attempt to withhold benefits.
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Cass Green
I had something similar happen but it turned out i was confusing my calfresh with the p-ebt for my kids. they come on different cards and different days and i mix them up all the time lol. maybe check if thats whats happening?
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Brian Downey
•We do have P-EBT too but those haven't come for a while. I think I just got confused by what my neighbor was saying about the cost of living increase. Thanks for trying to help though!
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Jacinda Yu
One other possibility - if you recently completed your annual recertification and your benefits increased, sometimes that can feel like "extra" benefits compared to what you were getting before. Check your last Notice of Action to see if there was a change in your benefit amount.
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Brian Downey
•I haven't done my recertification yet - that's coming up in 2 months. But thanks for the suggestion!
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Ally Tailer
Just to give some additional clarity: Sometimes when people refer to "extra" benefits, they might be referring to retroactive benefits if there was a delay in processing your application or a change. For example, if you reported a change that would increase your benefits but it took the county a month to process it, you might receive the increase for the current month plus a supplement for the previous month all at once. Has anything like that happened with your case recently?
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Brian Downey
•No nothing like that has happened. I think my neighbor just confused me with bad information. But good to know that can happen if there are delays.
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Aliyah Debovski
i just want to say my benefits amount changes slightly sometimes and i never know why lol. i got $432 last month and $447 this month with no explanation. i don't question it anymore, just grateful for whatever helps feed my family. the calfreh system is so confusing sometimes!!
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Callum Savage
•You should always receive a Notice of Action explaining any changes to your benefit amount. If you're seeing unexplained changes, you might want to check if your mailing address is current with the county, or log into BenefitsCal to check for electronic notices. It's important to understand why your benefits change so you can make sure you're receiving the correct amount.
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