When will CalFresh extra allotment be issued for May 2025? (Payment date question)
Does anyone knw if there will be extra allotment for this month and if so what day thank you all in advance. Been waiting all month and my normal benefits came through on the 9th but I thought we were supposed to be getting extra amounts because of the flood disaster in my county? My case worker is impossible to reach and I'm trying to budget for groceries this month. Any info would be really appreciated!!
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Mei Chen
I called earlier this week about this. There IS an extra emergency allotment for the 12 counties affected by the March floods, but it's being distributed between the 15th-22nd depending on your case number. They're doing a staggered release to prevent system overload. If your county was declared part of the disaster zone, you should automatically qualify. No need to apply separately. Hope that helps!
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Jamal Edwards
•Thank you so much!! My county (Sonoma) was definitely on the list. I guess I'll just need to be patient for a few more days. Do you know if they'll send a notice when it's deposited or do I just need to keep checking my EBT balance?
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Liam O'Sullivan
omg i had NO IDEA about any extra benefits?!! i'm in Sacramento and we got hit pretty bad with flooding in my neighborhood... how do we know if our county is included in this? do we have to apply for it separately or is it automatic? my benefits are already so low and I've been struggling SO MUCH with rising food costs!!!
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Mei Chen
•Sacramento is definitely on the list. The counties included are: Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. It's supposed to be automatic - no separate application needed. They're giving an additional 60% of your monthly benefit amount as the disaster supplement.
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Amara Okonkwo
This is FAKE NEWS people!! The emergency allotments ended after the COVID emergency declaration ended. Don't get your hopes up for "extra" money that isn't coming. I wasted THREE WEEKS waiting for supposed "extra benefits" last year and got nothing. The county workers will tell you anything to get you off the phone.
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Giovanni Marino
•You're confusing two different things. The COVID emergency allotments did end, that's correct. But this is about the disaster declaration for the March 2025 floods, which is completely different. FEMA and California DSS announced this supplemental disaster assistance on April 28th. It's specifically for people who were already receiving CalFresh in the affected counties. It's not the same program as the pandemic emergency allotments at all.
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Fatima Al-Sayed
I just got mine today! I'm in Alameda County and was surprised when I checked my balance this morning. It was about 60% extra of my regular benefit amount. I got $258 extra on top of my usual $432. No notification or anything, it just showed up. Maybe check your balance today?
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Jamal Edwards
•Just checked right now and nothing yet... But so good to know they're really sending them out! I'll keep checking. Trying to stretch what I have left till then.
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Dylan Hughes
Has anyone successfully reached their worker about this? I've been calling the county office for 3 days straight and keep getting disconnected after waiting 45+ minutes. So frustrating!! I'm in Sonoma too and really need to know when this is coming because my car broke down and I had to use my food money for repairs.
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NightOwl42
•If you need to speak with a CalFresh worker quickly, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. It's a service that waits on hold with the county office for you and calls you back when a worker is available. Saved me hours of hold time last month when I had an urgent verification issue. You can check out how it works at claimyr.com or watch their demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. They got me through to a worker in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own with no luck.
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Jamal Edwards
UPDATE: Just got my extra allotment today (May 17th)! For anyone wondering, it showed up as a separate deposit on my EBT account, not combined with my regular benefits. I got almost exactly 60% of my normal monthly amount, just like someone mentioned above. So relieved! Thanks everyone for your help!
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Liam O'Sullivan
•still waiting for mine... but congrats!!! this gives me hope! did u get any kind of notification or text? or did it just appear?
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Jamal Edwards
•No notification at all - it just appeared in my account this morning. I only knew because I've been checking my balance like crazy every few hours lol. Hope yours comes soon!
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Mei Chen
For anyone still waiting: according to the CalFresh website, all disaster supplements should be issued by May 22nd. If you don't receive it by then AND you're in one of the 12 declared counties, you should contact your county office. Remember you need to have been a CalFresh recipient in March when the flooding occurred to qualify for this particular supplement. Also, this is separate from any individual FEMA assistance you might qualify for if your home was damaged.
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Fatima Al-Sayed
•Quick question - do we need to have reported damage to qualify? My apartment had some minor leaking but nothing I reported anywhere.
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Mei Chen
•No, you don't need to have reported damage. This supplement is being issued to ALL CalFresh households in the declared counties, regardless of whether your specific residence was damaged. It's meant to cover food losses and extra expenses during the emergency period.
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