Why are CalFresh emergency allotments coming on different dates for CALWIN vs. CALSAW counties in 2025?
Just got off the phone with my county worker and wanted to share some important info! For anyone waiting on the extra emergency CalFresh benefits this month, they'll be deposited differently depending on which system your county uses. If you're in a CALSAW county, extra benefits hit your EBT on the 8th. If you're in a CALWIN county, you'll get them on the 15th. Regular CalFresh benefits will come on your normal issuance date based on the last digit of your case number. My worker couldn't explain WHY there's different dates, but she confirmed this is the schedule for all emergency supplements going forward. Check your county's website to confirm which system they use if you're not sure!
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QuantumQuest
Wait what???! Nobody told me anything about emergency benefits! Are these the extra CalFresh amounts coming back? My family of 4 has been struggling so bad since they stopped the pandemic extras. Is this for real?? I'm in Sacramento County - does anyone know if that's CALSAW or CALWIN?
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Connor Murphy
•Sacramento is definitely CALWIN, so you'd get it on the 15th. But I'm confused because I thought all emergency allotments ended years ago after the public health emergency ended???
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Yara Haddad
•This is confusing. I work for a community org that helps with CalFresh applications, and I haven't heard about any new emergency allotments being authorized for 2025. The pandemic emergency allotments ended in March 2023 when the federal PHE declaration ended. Unless there's been a new disaster declaration I'm not aware of, this might be incorrect information. Regular issuance dates are based on case number, but there aren't supposed to be any 'extra' payments currently scheduled.
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Keisha Robinson
I think there's some confusion here. I'm pretty sure the emergency allotments ended completely back in 2023. What you might be referring to is supplemental benefits for specific situations, like disaster CalFresh after the recent floods in some counties. Can you clarify what specific emergency supplements your worker was talking about? Sometimes the terminology gets mixed up and leads to misunderstandings.
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Zainab Khalil
•Sorry I might have misunderstood or the worker wasn't clear. She did mention something about it being related to the flooding in certain areas. I assumed it was statewide but maybe it's just for affected counties? She definitely said the dates were the 8th and 15th depending on your county system. I should have asked for more details!
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Paolo Conti
my county worjar said nothing abuot this and i called yesterday!!! im in los angeles are we getting extra or not??? this is so frustrating they never tell us anything important
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Amina Sow
•If this is related to disaster CalFresh from the flooding, LA County wasn't included in the disaster declaration as far as I know. Only certain northern counties were approved. Your regular benefits should come on your normal day (mine is the 10th), but I don't think there are any extras unless you've been approved for some specific supplement.
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GalaxyGazer
I had to call the CalFresh office about this exact thing last week. After 3 hours on hold, I finally got through to someone who explained that there IS a supplemental payment, but ONLY for counties that were part of the disaster declaration from the January flooding. The worker confirmed the different deposit dates (8th for CALSAW counties and 15th for CALWIN), but this only applies to households in affected counties who applied for and were approved for Disaster CalFresh supplements. If you're trying to find out if you qualify or to check on your status, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to your county worker without the ridiculous wait times. It got me connected in about 10 minutes when I was previously on hold for hours. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. Saved me a huge headache!
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Zainab Khalil
•Thanks for clarifying! That must be what the worker was telling me about - Disaster CalFresh for the flood-affected areas. I don't need to call back since I understand now, but I'll keep that Claimyr service in mind for next time. Those hold times are absolutely brutal.
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Amina Sow
I'm in a CALWIN county (Alameda) and we were part of the disaster declaration. Just checked my EBT account online and don't see any pending deposits for the 15th yet. Does anyone know if they post as pending beforehand or just show up on the actual day? Also, does anyone know if we need to have applied separately for the disaster supplement, or is it automatic if you're already on CalFresh in an affected county?
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Yara Haddad
•You would have needed to apply specifically for Disaster CalFresh (D-CalFresh) during the application period, which was only open for a short time after the disaster declaration. It's not automatic - you had to demonstrate that you had disaster-related expenses or income loss due to the floods. If you didn't apply during that window, unfortunately you wouldn't receive these supplements. The application periods are very short (usually just 7 days) following a disaster.
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Connor Murphy
My cousin got the disaster funds last month and she said they just appeared on the 15th with no pending notification. She's in Sonoma County which is CALWIN I think.
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Keisha Robinson
•That's correct. Emergency and disaster payments typically don't show as pending in the EBT system. They just appear on the issuance date. And yes, Sonoma is a CALWIN county, so the 15th date would be accurate for them. Remember that these are one-time payments for disaster relief, not ongoing emergency allotments like during the pandemic.
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QuantumQuest
This thread is so frustratting!!! Can someone just clearly say which counties are gettin this extra money?? I'm in Sacramento and really need to know if I should be expecting something extra on the 15th or not????
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GalaxyGazer
•The disaster declaration included these counties: Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba. BUT - you would have needed to apply for Disaster CalFresh during the application period (which was back in February for most counties) AND show you had disaster-related expenses or losses. If you didn't apply then, you won't receive anything extra. This wasn't automatic for regular CalFresh recipients.
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QuantumQuest
•Thank you! I didnt apply for any disaster benefits so I guess I won't get anything extra. I wish they'd bring back the pandemic extras permanently. My benefits barely last 2 weeks now.
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Yara Haddad
Just to provide some clarity for everyone - there are currently NO regular emergency allotments for CalFresh in 2025. What the original poster is referring to are Disaster CalFresh supplements related to specific flood-affected counties. Key points: - Regular emergency allotments ended in March 2023 - Disaster CalFresh was available only to those who applied during the short application window following the disaster - Applicants needed to show disaster-related expenses or income loss - Regular CalFresh benefits are issued according to the last digit of your case number - Maximum benefit amounts did increase slightly in October 2024 due to the annual cost of living adjustment If you're struggling with your current benefit amount, I recommend speaking with a county worker about your specific situation. There may be deductions you're eligible for that could increase your benefit amount.
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Paolo Conti
•oh so theres NO extra money for most ppl??? the original post made it sound like everyone was getting something extra this month!!! thanks for explaining
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