When will CalFresh emergency allotments end in 2025? Still getting extra EBT benefits
I'm confused about the extra EBT benefits I've been getting on my CalFresh. Last month I got $680 for my family of 3, which seems higher than normal. The county worker mentioned something about 'emergency allotments' continuing, but I can't remember when she said they would end. Does anyone know if these extra benefits are permanent or how long they'll last? I'm trying to budget for the year and don't want to rely on money that might disappear. I heard something about legislation extending them through 2025 but can't find clear info anywhere. TIA!
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Amara Nnamani
The emergency allotments for CalFresh actually ended back in March 2023 when the federal public health emergency ended. What you're receiving now ($680 for a family of 3) is just your regular benefit amount based on your household size, income, and expenses. There are no 'extra' benefits currently being issued - this is simply your calculated benefit amount for 2025. The standard maximum for a household of 3 is around $750 currently, so your amount sounds right in line with normal benefits.
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GalacticGuru
•Oh wow, I had no idea! I thought I was still getting some kind of pandemic boost. My benefit amount went up in January and I just assumed it was related to some extension of emergency benefits. Thank you for clarifying!
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Giovanni Mancini
my cousin works for the county and she said they stopped the emergency extra amounts like 2 years ago? what ur getting now is just regular benefits. they did increase the base amounts for everyone tho so maybe thats why it seems higher to u
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•This is correct. There was a significant COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) applied to CalFresh benefits in October 2024, which increased everyone's base benefit amount by about 12%. That's likely why the amount seems higher than expected. The emergency allotments from the pandemic era ended long ago.
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Dylan Cooper
I was super confused about this too! I kept expecting my benefits to drop back to the pre-pandemic amount, but they never did. I finally called my caseworker last month and she explained that while the emergency allotments ended years ago, there have been several permanent increases to the regular CalFresh benefit amounts. So what we're getting now IS the normal amount. She also explained that my benefit amount went up because: 1. I'm now getting the maximum shelter deduction ($700+) 2. They increased the standard deduction 3. They did a big inflation adjustment in October So you're not getting "extra" benefits that will suddenly disappear - this is your new normal amount!
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GalacticGuru
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! It makes me feel so much better about budgeting knowing these won't suddenly disappear. Did your caseworker mention if there will be another adjustment in October 2025?
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Sofia Morales
DONT COUNT ON THAT AMOUNT STAYING THE SAME!!! My benefits just dropped by $95 last month with NO WARNING. When I finally got through to someone they said it was because my "reported income increased" which it DIDNT. The system is completely broken and they just change things whenever they want. Now I have to do a whole appeal process which takes MONTHS.
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StarSailor
•I had a similar issue and trying to reach someone at the county office was impossible - I kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at the CalFresh office in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. My issue turned out to be a calculation error they fixed right away. Definitely worth it instead of dealing with the regular phone system.
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Sofia Morales
•Thanks for the tip!! im gonna check that out cause im TIRED of getting hung up on after waiting 2 hours!!!
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Dmitry Ivanov
i think what ur talking about is that theres usually a COLA increase every october. thats when they adjust the benefit amounts for inflation and stuff. but its not an emergency thing its just regular adjustments they do every year
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Amara Nnamani
•That's right. The COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) typically happens each October. For 2025, the adjustment was approximately 12% higher than the previous year due to inflation. The emergency allotments during COVID were completely different - they automatically provided the maximum benefit amount to all households regardless of their calculated benefit level.
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GalacticGuru
Update: I called my county office (took forever to get through) and they confirmed what everyone is saying here. The emergency allotments ended years ago, and what I'm receiving now is just my regular benefit amount based on current calculations. They also mentioned there will likely be another COLA adjustment in October 2025, but they don't know how much it will be yet. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Dylan Cooper
•Glad you got it sorted out! Just a tip - if you ever need to report changes or have questions in the future, you can now do a lot of that through the BenefitsCal website or app rather than calling. It's WAY faster than dealing with the phone system.
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Giovanni Mancini
my benefits amount changes all the time i just never know what im getting month to month lol
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•If your benefit amount is changing frequently without you reporting changes, you should definitely contact your county worker. Benefit amounts should only change when you report changes on your SAR7 or recertification, or when there's the annual October adjustment. Unexpected changes could indicate errors in your case.
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Avery Davis
Just wanted to add some additional context since I see there's still some confusion in the thread. As someone who works in social services, I can confirm that California actually did implement some state-funded supplements after the federal emergency allotments ended in March 2023. However, these were temporary bridge benefits that also ended by late 2023. What you're receiving now is indeed your regular CalFresh benefit calculated under the current federal guidelines with the updated deductions and maximums. The October 2024 COLA increase was substantial (around 12% as others mentioned), which is why many people think they're still getting "extra" benefits. Your $680 for a family of 3 is completely normal given current benefit levels and your household's specific circumstances.
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