Can I receive CalFresh/food stamps while on EDD unemployment? Do I report it during certification?
I lost my job at a warehouse last month and just got approved for unemployment benefits. My weekly payment is only $340 which isn't enough to cover all my bills. I'm thinking about applying for CalFresh (food stamps) to help with groceries, but I'm not sure if that's allowed while receiving unemployment. Also, when I certify for my UI benefits every two weeks, do I need to report that I'm getting food stamps as income? I don't want to mess anything up or get flagged for fraud. Has anyone done both programs at the same time? Thanks for any help!
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Paige Cantoni
Yes, you can absolutely get CalFresh while on unemployment! I did it last year when I was laid off from my teaching job. CalFresh isn't considered income, so you DON'T report it when certifying for UI. The EDD is only asking about actual earnings from work or other income sources like disability or retirement. Just make sure when you apply for CalFresh that you DO tell them about your unemployment benefits because that counts as income for THEIR program. The application will specifically ask about it. Hope that helps! The extra food money made a huge difference for me while job hunting.
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Chad Winthrope
AuthorThank you! That's a huge relief. Do you remember if the CalFresh amount they gave you was reduced because of your unemployment benefits?
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Kylo Ren
ur good dude i got both rn. calfresh isnt income its assistance so dont worry bout reporting it. my UI is 372/week and i get like 170 in food stamps for me n my kid
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Nina Fitzgerald
To add some clarification to what others have said: 1. CalFresh (SNAP/food stamps) and UI benefits are completely separate programs 2. CalFresh is NOT reported as income when certifying for UI 3. UI benefits ARE reported as income when applying for CalFresh 4. Your CalFresh benefit amount will be calculated based on your UI income and household size 5. In 2025, the income limits for CalFresh are higher than many people think - a single person can earn up to $2,430 monthly gross income and still qualify for some benefits Definitely apply! The process is much easier now with the BenefitsCal website where you can upload verification documents directly.
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Chad Winthrope
AuthorThank you for breaking this down so clearly! I just checked and my county uses BenefitsCal for applications. I'll get started on it tonight.
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Jason Brewer
BE CAREFUL!!!! My brother's friend got BOTH and they cut off his unemployment saying he was committing FRAUD!!! He had to pay back $6,500 and got a penalty week for each week he collected both!!! The EDD is looking to catch people and they will use ANY excuse!!!
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Paige Cantoni
That's definitely not correct. CalFresh and unemployment are different types of assistance and don't affect each other. There must have been something else going on with your brother's friend - perhaps he wasn't reporting actual work income or wasn't certifying correctly. I've been on both simultaneously with zero issues, as have thousands of other Californians.
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Kiara Fisherman
This happens ALL THE TIME omg the system is designed to trap people i swear
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Nina Fitzgerald
There's a lot of misinformation here. The EDD does not consider CalFresh benefits as disqualifying income for unemployment. Your brother's friend almost certainly had other compliance issues that triggered the overpayment and penalty weeks - like not reporting actual work earnings, failing to look for work, or some other eligibility issue. It's important not to spread incorrect information that might prevent eligible people from accessing food assistance they need.
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Liam Cortez
When I got laid off from my restaurant job I applied for both right away. CalFresh took like 10 days to get approved and they gave me $255/month which helped SO much. Just remember your EDD card and CalFresh card look kinda similar (both are blue) so don't mix them up when shopping like I did 🤦♀️ The cashier thought I was crazy trying to buy wine with a food stamps card lol
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Chad Winthrope
AuthorHaha I can imagine that was awkward! Good tip about the cards. Did you find the CalFresh application process pretty straightforward?
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Liam Cortez
Yeah it was way easier than I expected! Way less complicated than the whole EDD nightmare. They just needed proof of my identity, address, and my EDD award letter to verify my income. Interview was just a quick phone call where they confirmed everything.
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Savannah Vin
I'm currently trying to get through to EDD to fix an issue with my claim that's preventing me from getting any payments. Been calling for DAYS and can't get anyone on the phone. If you're having trouble contacting EDD about your claim while you're waiting on CalFresh approval, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helps you get through to an EDD representative without spending hours redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km It helped me finally get through last time I had an issue. Just thought I'd mention it since dealing with both programs at once can get complicated if you have questions.
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Chad Winthrope
AuthorThanks for sharing this! My claim has been smooth so far but it's good to know about this service in case I run into problems. Did you have to wait long once they got you in the queue?
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Savannah Vin
I got through in about 25 minutes which was amazing compared to my previous attempts. The rep was able to fix the pending payment issue right away. Definitely less stressful than redialing hundreds of times.
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Mason Stone
i know this is off topic but does anyone know if medi-cal counts as income for edd?? i just got approved for that too and now im worried about messing up my certification
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Nina Fitzgerald
No, Medi-Cal isn't income either. Government assistance programs like Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs, etc. are not reported as income when you certify for UI benefits. The only things you need to report are actual earnings from work, self-employment, disability payments, pension/retirement income, or any other money you receive for providing services.
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Paige Cantoni
Just to follow up on your question about whether CalFresh is reduced because of unemployment - yes, typically it is. They use your total income (including UI) to calculate your benefit amount. But even with the reduction, it's still very helpful! I was getting $410 weekly on unemployment and qualified for $173/month in CalFresh as a single person. Without the unemployment income, it would have been the maximum benefit of around $280/month. But having both was still much better than just having unemployment alone. The calculation is pretty complicated with deductions for housing costs and other factors, so your amount might be different based on your specific situation.
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Chad Winthrope
AuthorThis is really helpful context, thank you! I'm paying $1450 for rent so hopefully that helps with the calculation. Even $150-200 extra for groceries would make a huge difference right now.
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Zoe Christodoulou
I'm in a similar situation - just got laid off from my retail job and my UI benefits are barely covering rent. Reading through these responses is really encouraging! I had no idea you could get both programs at the same time. Quick question for those who've been through the CalFresh application process - how long did it take from application to actually getting the EBT card? I'm hoping to get this sorted out soon since my savings are running low. Also, did anyone have issues because they're actively job searching while on both programs? Thanks for all the helpful info everyone - this community has been a lifesaver during these tough times!
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