This is such a relief to read! I got a $743 deposit yesterday and have been stressed all night thinking it was some kind of system error. My usual benefit is around $230, so seeing almost triple that amount was scary - I kept thinking they'd realize the mistake and demand it back somehow. After reading everyone's explanations about the COLA adjustment, I feel so much better! It's frustrating that there wasn't better communication about this from the county, but I'm grateful for communities like this where we can share information and help each other understand what's happening. Going to check my BenefitsCal account now to confirm it shows as an adjustment payment. Thank you everyone for taking the time to explain this!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a CalFresh recipient who just got an unexpected $512 deposit this morning and was completely confused about where it came from. My regular monthly benefit is around $165, so this was more than triple my usual amount. I was honestly afraid to even check my account balance because I thought it might be some kind of system glitch that would get me in trouble somehow. Reading through everyone's experiences and the detailed explanations about the COLA adjustment has put my mind at ease. It's so frustrating that the counties don't communicate these changes clearly - you'd think a benefit increase this significant would come with proper notification! I'm definitely going to check my BenefitsCal account to confirm it shows as an adjustment payment, but based on what everyone is saying, it sounds like this is completely legitimate. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and explanations, especially those who called their county offices to verify. Communities like this are so valuable when the official channels fail to keep us informed properly!

To directly answer your original question with the most current information: as of January 2025, the highest GR/GA grant amounts in California counties are: 1. San Francisco: $619/month 2. Los Angeles: $347/month 3. Alameda: $336/month 4. Santa Clara: $326/month 5. San Mateo: $312/month Sacramento is around $245/month currently. But as everyone has pointed out, higher benefits often correlate with higher costs of living. The most important question is what's available in YOUR county that you might not be accessing yet.

Smart decision to stay in Sacramento! I've been through a similar situation and moving for benefits rarely works out financially. Since you're staying put, here are some Sacramento-specific resources you might not know about: 1. Sacramento County has a Rapid Rehousing program that can help with rent - call 211 and ask specifically about "coordinated entry" 2. The Food Bank of Sacramento County has mobile food pantries that come to different neighborhoods - you can get this ON TOP of your CalFresh 3. Sacramento has expanded the Restaurant Meals Program for CalFresh - you can use your EBT card at participating restaurants if you're homeless, elderly, or disabled 4. Look into the Sacramento Works program - they sometimes have emergency financial assistance for people between jobs Also, when you apply for GR in Sacramento, ask about the "unemployable" determination if your health issues are documented. If they classify you as unemployable, the GR becomes a grant instead of a loan, meaning you don't have to pay it back later. Good luck with everything!

I've been following this amazing thread and wanted to chime in as someone who works as a benefits navigator helping people with CalFresh applications. You're absolutely handling this situation perfectly! Just to add one more layer of reassurance - I help people with "forgotten income" issues probably twice a month, and in 95% of cases where someone self-reports like you're doing, it gets resolved without major penalties. The combination of your proactive approach and California's BBCE rules really work in your favor. One quick tip that might save you time tomorrow: if your county has an online portal, consider uploading any documentation (like dividend statements) before you call. That way the caseworker can reference it during your conversation and you won't have to mail or fax anything later. Also, I've noticed some counties are more knowledgeable about BBCE exemptions than others. If the first person seems unsure about the asset rules for inherited stocks, definitely ask to speak with someone who handles complex eligibility determinations. Don't feel bad about advocating for yourself - these rules are genuinely complicated even for experienced workers. The fact that you found this community and prepared so thoroughly shows you're going to navigate this successfully. Your honesty and preparation are exactly what caseworkers appreciate. Can't wait to hear your positive update tomorrow!

Wow, this thread has been such an incredible resource! I'm amazed by how much detailed, helpful information everyone has shared. As someone who's also navigating CalFresh and worried about making mistakes on my application, reading through all of these experiences and advice has been incredibly educational. @Morita Montoya - I really admire how you're handling this situation. The fact that you realized your mistake and are proactively addressing it shows such integrity. From everything I've read here, it sounds like you're doing exactly the right thing by self-reporting and preparing thoroughly for your call. The information about BBCE rules, excluded resources for inherited assets, and the difference between honest mistakes versus intentional fraud has been eye-opening. I had no idea about many of these exemptions and protections that exist in California's CalFresh program. Special thanks to everyone who shared their professional perspectives and personal experiences - from the social services worker who explained how common these situations are, to the benefits navigator who gave that encouraging 95% success rate statistic, to all the community members who shared their own reporting experiences. This is exactly the kind of supportive, knowledgeable community that makes such a difference when people are dealing with these stressful bureaucratic situations. I'll definitely be bookmarking this thread for future reference. The comprehensive advice about documentation, specific questions to ask, and how to advocate for proper application of BBCE rules is invaluable. Looking forward to hearing your positive update tomorrow!

I'm new to this community and dealing with the exact same P-EBT mail delivery nightmare! My mail has been so inconsistent - our regular carrier retired and the substitutes keep missing entire streets some days. I have three kids who should be getting benefits and I've been panicking about the cards getting lost or delivered to wrong addresses. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea so many families were facing the same challenges! The 8am calling strategy that multiple people have mentioned seems to be the golden ticket, so I'm definitely setting my alarm tomorrow to try the hotline right when they open. I also had no clue that P-EBT was completely separate from regular CalFresh - that explains why updating my address through BenefitsCal didn't help at all! I'm going to check with my local post office too since they've been having major staffing shortages. Thank you to everyone who's shared their tips and success stories - it's such a relief to know there are actual solutions and that other parents have figured out how to navigate this confusing system!

I'm new to this community but experiencing the exact same mail delivery issues! My mail has been incredibly spotty - some days nothing arrives, then I'll get a week's worth of mail all at once. I have one child who qualifies for P-EBT through the school lunch program and I've been really stressed about missing the card. After reading through all these helpful responses, I'm definitely going to try calling the P-EBT hotline at 8am tomorrow since that seems to be the most successful time to get through. I had no idea that P-EBT was completely separate from regular CalFresh - that explains why I was so confused when my address update through BenefitsCal didn't seem to matter! I'm also going to check with my local post office since they've been having staffing issues too. It's such a relief to find other parents dealing with the same challenges and sharing practical solutions that actually work. Thank you everyone for making this stressful process feel less overwhelming!

Hi Isabella! I'm new to this community but just went through this exact same experience with my son's P-EBT card last week. Got that same terrifying "Can't access your account" message right after setting up the PIN, and I was convinced I'd have to start all over. But I tried using the card at Kroger the next morning with the PIN I had created, and it worked perfectly! Reading through all these responses, it's clear this is a super common glitch with California's P-EBT system - the PIN actually gets saved despite that scary error message. It's so frustrating that they haven't fixed this technical issue when it's obviously happening to tons of people. But at least now I know for future reference (and can warn other parents in my area) that the error doesn't mean the PIN setup failed. Thanks for starting this thread - it's going to be so helpful for other families dealing with this same confusing situation!

Hi Isabella! I'm new to this community but just had to chime in because I literally went through this exact same thing with my daughter's P-EBT card just three days ago! I got that same "Can't access your account" error right after setting up the PIN and was absolutely panicking that I'd messed something up. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm so relieved to see this is clearly a widespread system glitch and not user error. I ended up trying the card at Walmart yesterday with the PIN I had originally set up, and it worked perfectly! It's honestly ridiculous that California's P-EBT system has such a consistent technical issue with the confirmation process, but at least the actual PIN setup goes through despite that scary error message. Thanks so much for starting this thread - it's going to save so many other families the stress and confusion of wondering if they need to start the whole process over. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating these government benefit systems!