SSI and CalFresh in 2023: Changes You Should Know About

SSI/SSP Grant Increase Starting in January 2023

The SSI/SSP grant increased significantly in January 2023.

Maximum grant for an individual: $1,133.73
Maximum grant for an eligible couple: $1,927.62

The grant increase comes from the combination of an increase in the state supplement to the SSI grant (the SSP), plus the annual SSI federal cost-of-living adjustment. The SSP increase represents actions in the past two state budgets to reverse the devastating SSP grant cuts that date back more than a decade to the Great Recession.

Resource: SSI payment rates in California

Extra CalFresh is Ending in 2023: What you need to know

What is changing?

February is the last month for the extra CalFresh payment, officially called Emergency Allotments, which people receive in mid-March. People will not receive an emergency allotment in April, meaning you will only get your regular CalFresh payment loaded to your EBT card in the first half of the month. There will be no second payment later in the month.

*If you choose to save some of your CalFresh benefits to use in a later month, just make sure to use your EBT card at least once within a 9-month period to make sure your card isn’t frozen

What should I do? 

Without the extra CalFresh, your benefit amount is based on your income and the expenses the program allows you to report. You should report up-to-date information as soon as possible so that you receive all of the benefits you are eligible for.

Make sure you report important changes, like: 

  1. Your Address: You may miss important updates if the county does not have your current address.

  2. Medical expenses: Do you pay more than $35 in medical expenses per month? Providing proof of these expenses may help you qualify for more CalFresh. Learn more here. 

  3. Did your rent, mortgage, or property taxes increase? In some cases, reporting this may help you qualify for more CalFresh.

  4. Were there changes to your household size?

Resources