Do I need to report EBT/CalFresh benefits to EDD when certifying for unemployment?
I just lost my job at the warehouse where I've been working for the past 2 years. Money's really tight right now with rent going up, so I'm applying for food stamps (EBT/CalFresh) while I look for work. I filed for unemployment last week and just got approved, but I'm confused about the certification questions. Do I need to report EBT benefits when I certify for unemployment? Will it reduce my weekly benefit amount? I don't want to mess anything up and get hit with an overpayment later. Anyone know how this works?
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Dmitry Volkov
No, you don't need to report EBT/CalFresh benefits to EDD when certifying for unemployment. They're completely separate programs. EBT is considered public assistance and not income. When EDD asks about income during certification, they're looking for actual earnings from work, part-time jobs, self-employment, etc. Food assistance doesn't count as income for unemployment purposes.
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Sofia Martinez
•Thank you so much! That's a relief. The certification questions always make me nervous. So just to be 100% clear, when it asks if I received "other income" I should still select "no" even though I'm getting EBT benefits?
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Ava Thompson
i got both ebt and ui last year its fine dont worry bout it
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CyberSiren
•Same here! Been on both programs for almost 4 months now. They don't affect each other at all.
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Miguel Alvarez
You're asking about two completely different government programs that don't interact with each other. EDD (unemployment) wants to know about income sources that might reduce your unemployment benefits - like part-time work, 1099 gigs, disability payments, etc. EBT/CalFresh is a food assistance program and isn't considered income. However, when you apply for EBT, you DO need to report your unemployment benefits as income to the CalFresh office, as this could affect your food benefit amount. So it works one way but not the other - unemployment doesn't care about your food benefits, but food benefits program cares about your unemployment income.
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Sofia Martinez
•Oh, I didn't realize that! I definitely need to report my unemployment to CalFresh then. I already mentioned on my EBT application that I'd be receiving unemployment soon. Thanks for explaining how it works both ways.
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Zainab Yusuf
WRONG INFORMATION being given here!!! You absolutely MUST report ALL benefits to EDD!!! My cousin didn't report her disability payments and got hit with a HUGE overpayment and fraud investigation!! Don't listen to these people telling you it's fine!!! EDD will find out and you'll be sorry!!!
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Miguel Alvarez
•You're confusing different types of benefits. Disability payments are absolutely reportable to EDD because they are considered income replacement, just like unemployment. EBT/CalFresh is food assistance, not income. They are completely different categories. The EDD certification form specifically asks about income types that would reduce your benefits (part-time work, disability, retirement, etc). Food assistance is not one of those categories.
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Connor O'Reilly
Hey there, I went through the exact same situation last year. Lost my retail job and applied for both programs. The important thing to understand is that EDD and CalFresh are completely separate programs with different reporting requirements. When certifying for unemployment, you DON'T need to report your EBT benefits. EDD only wants to know about actual income (wages, part-time work, gig work, etc.) that might reduce your unemployment benefits. BUT, for your CalFresh application, you DO need to report your unemployment benefits, as that counts as income for determining your food benefit eligibility and amount. Hope that helps! The whole process is confusing with all the different government programs.
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Sofia Martinez
•Thank you, this makes sense. It's good to hear from someone who's been through both systems. Did your unemployment benefits affect how much you got in food benefits?
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Connor O'Reilly
•Yes, they definitely did. My CalFresh benefits were lower because of my unemployment income, but I still qualified for some food assistance. The amount changes based on your total household income, so your situation might be different. Make sure to be accurate with both agencies about your current situation.
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Yara Khoury
Off topic but has anyone else been trying to call EDD about certification issues and can't get through? I've been calling for DAYS and either get disconnected or told they're at max capacity. So frustrating!!
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CyberSiren
•UGH YES!!! Been trying to reach them for a week straight about my missing payment. System is completely broken!
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Connor O'Reilly
•I had the same problem last month when my certification got stuck in pending. After wasting hours trying to get through the regular way, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. Saved me days of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Totally worth it when you're dealing with something important like missing payments.
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Ava Thompson
when i was gettin unemployment i was on ebt to. never told edd nothing abt my ebt and never had problems so ur good
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Sofia Martinez
•Thank you! Seems like that's what everyone is saying - they're separate programs that don't affect each other.
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Dmitry Volkov
To summarize what everyone has correctly said: 1. You do NOT need to report EBT/CalFresh to EDD when certifying for unemployment. 2. You DO need to report your unemployment benefits to CalFresh/EBT program. These are separate assistance programs with different reporting requirements. EBT is not considered income for unemployment purposes. The income questions on your biweekly certification are asking about actual earnings from work or other income sources that would reduce your unemployment benefits.
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Sofia Martinez
•Thank you for the clear summary! This has really helped put my mind at ease. I was overthinking it and worried about doing something wrong that would mess up my benefits. I'll keep certifying normally and not worry about reporting the EBT.
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