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Update for everyone: I just got off the phone with a supervisor at LA County DPSS (used the Claimyr service to get through). She confirmed the 2-theft policy but said they ARE making exceptions for people with children, seniors, and disabled individuals. You have to specifically request a \
btw if ur worried about making food last til next month check out ur local food bank. the one near me gives out really good produce on tuesdays and thursdays. definitely helps when im low at the end of the month
To answer your follow-up question about updating expenses: Yes, reporting your increased rent and medical expenses could potentially increase your benefit amount. Medical expenses over $35/month for elderly or disabled household members can be deducted, and housing costs are a major factor in benefit calculations. You can submit this information to your county office even between regular reporting periods if the changes would increase your benefits. Use the "Report of Change" form (some counties call it "Change Report Form" or "CW 377.5") to document these expenses and include copies of receipts or bills as verification. This can be done through BenefitsCal online or by mail/fax to your county office.
oh also they mite get rlly small benefits if they get SSI. my grandpa only got like $27 a month on EBT cuz his SSI was too high or somethin. still worth it tho
Quick correction - SSI (Supplemental Security Income) recipients in California aren't eligible for CalFresh at all because California includes a nutrition benefit in the SSI payment itself. However, if they're receiving Social Security retirement benefits (not SSI), then they can absolutely receive CalFresh. The minimum benefit for a qualifying household is $23 in 2025, but many seniors receive more, especially after medical expense deductions are applied.
Update: Thanks everyone for your help! We ended up going to BenefitsCal.com and started the application together. We got about halfway through but then realized we needed more documentation than we had on hand (they couldn't find their most recent Social Security award letters). Going to finish it tomorrow after gathering everything. The website was actually pretty user-friendly! I'm helping them navigate it, but the questions are straightforward. Much better than I expected. Will update again once we finish the process in case it helps others with elderly family members.
Our elementary school sent home a flyer about this last week. The Jan-May 2023 P-EBT is scheduled for distribution in March-April 2025, and benefits will be loaded onto existing 3.0 cards. For anyone who lost their card, you can request a replacement at 877-328-9677. Just a heads up - the replacement takes 7-10 business days, so if you need a new card, request it now before the benefits are loaded. Hope this helps!
wait so this is different from calfresh right? i get regular ebt but my kids still got pebt cards during covid. will they still get this benefit even tho our income went up and we dont get calfresh anymore?
Yes, P-EBT is completely separate from CalFresh. P-EBT eligibility is based on whether your children qualified for free or reduced-price school meals during the specific time period (in this case, January-May 2023). If your kids were eligible during that period, they'll receive the benefit regardless of your current income or CalFresh status. The eligibility was determined based on your situation in 2023, not now.
Mei Lin
this is why i HATE the calfresh system!!! they keep changing the rules and not telling anyone. first they give extra benefits then they take them away with NO NOTICE!!! how are we supposed to budget???
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Yuki Ito
•The emergency allotments actually ended with plenty of notice - counties sent letters to all recipients several months before the program ended in 2023. But I understand your frustration. Changes to benefits can be really disruptive, especially for those on fixed incomes.
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Mei Lin
•well i never got NO letter!!! and i bet the OP didnt either. typical government BS
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QuantumQuasar
Just to add one more thing - if you're seniors on fixed income and your IRT is N/A, you might want to check if you qualify for simplified reporting. Some seniors only need to report changes once a year instead of submitting the SAR7 every six months. Makes the paperwork burden much lighter!
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Ethan Taylor
•We actually do have simplified reporting! That's been such a blessing. We only have to do the annual recertification paperwork. I just wish they'd make the whole system easier to understand.
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