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CalFresh payment delay today - March 2025 benefits not deposited on EBT card
I'm freaking out a little bit. My CalFresh benefits are ALWAYS loaded on the 10th (today) but nothing has shown up on my EBT card yet. I checked my balance online and through the phone system and it still shows $0. Called the county office but just got the automated message saying 'high call volume' and then it hung up on me! Has anyone else not received their March 2025 benefits yet? I have 3 kids and literally nothing in the fridge right now. Do we know if there's some kind of system issue going on? My recertification isn't due until May so that shouldn't be the problem.
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CalFresh benefits posted but no EBT replacement card after 5 days - anyone waited longer?
I'm literally at my wits end with this whole EBT card situation! My CalFresh benefits for July just posted today ($825 for my household of 3), but I STILL haven't received my replacement EBT card that I reported stolen 6 days ago. The county worker specifically told me "You'll have your new card within 5 business days" when I called to report both my cash benefits AND CalFresh/EBT card stolen. So now I have benefits sitting on an account I can't access, while I'm scraping together money for groceries. Has anyone else had to wait longer than the promised 5 days for a replacement card? I'm supposed to wait until Monday before calling them back to request ANOTHER card if this one still doesn't show up. So frustrating since my kids are home for summer break and eating everything in sight. Anyone dealt with this or know if I can somehow pick up a card in person instead of waiting for mail?
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This happened to me before and I ended up waiting TWO WEEKS for the replacement card! But that was during COVID so maybe that's why it took so long? Anyway on an unrelated note has anyone had trouble with their Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) recently? Mine is due next month and the website keeps crashing when I try to download the form.
YES!!! The BenefitsCal website is GARBAGE!!! I had to go to the office to get a paper SAR7 last month because the site kept saying ERROR every time I tried to upload my pay stubs!!!
Just wanted to follow-up on something important: when you get your replacement card, immediately update your PIN to something secure AND set up alerts on your EBT account. You can get text messages whenever your card is used. That way, if someone somehow gets your card information again, you'll know immediately. Also, many skimming thefts happen at ATMs, so if possible, only withdraw cash inside a bank location rather than at outdoor ATMs. Regarding your cash benefit claim on the EBT-106, the 90-day timeline is frustrating but keep following up. Document every call with date, time and who you spoke with. If they deny your claim, you have the right to appeal. In California, about 70% of appeal hearings for EBT theft end up being decided in the beneficiary's favor if you can show you weren't negligent with your card/PIN.
Thank you so much for these detailed suggestions! I didn't know about the text alerts - will definitely set those up with my new card. I'm keeping detailed notes of all calls (including reference numbers) for the cash benefit theft case. It's just hard waiting when that money was meant for our rent.
When is CalFresh emergency allotment for October 2025 being issued? Dates vary by county?
I'm confused about the timing for the extra CalFresh allotment this month. Usually we get our regular benefits on the 11th, but I heard from my neighbor that the emergency supplements are coming on a different schedule for October. I've been budgeting really carefully and need to know when exactly these extra benefits will hit my EBT card. Does anyone know what day they're issuing the October emergency allotment? Does it vary by county? Last month it came on the 22nd for me (San Diego County) but I heard some people got theirs earlier.
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I just went through recertification last week and they told me the emergency allotments are going to continue until at least March 2026, which is good news! For October specifically, my worker said they're staggering the releases to avoid overwhelming the system. She also mentioned they're going to eventually combine regular and emergency benefits into one payment again, but not until January at the earliest.
That's great to hear they're extending it until March! Do you know if the amounts will stay the same or increase? Our family of 4 got about $340 extra last month which has been so helpful with grocery prices being so high.
i always check the EBT app it tells u exactly when ur getting paid both regular and emergency amounts
What EBT app are you talking about? The California one? Mine doesn't show future payments, just past transactions and current balance.
ya the connectEBT app. u have to go to account info then payment schedule its kinda hidden in there
CalFresh benefits not showing as pending for March 2025 - still active but no pending deposit?
Anyone else not seeing their CalFresh benefits showing as pending for March yet? I usually see mine in pending status at least a week before they load, but it's already the 27th and nothing's showing up. My account says I'm still active and eligible (just checked on BenefitsCal), and I submitted my SAR7 two months ago with no issues. Customer service line keeps disconnecting me after 45 minutes on hold. I'm getting worried since my current benefits are almost gone and I have 3 kids to feed. Is this happening to anyone else or should I panic?
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My sister had this happen but it was because she didn't report her teenager got a part-time job, and they found out through income matching with EDD. Even though her account showed active, they were calculating a benefit reduction. Not saying that's your situation, but sometimes there's more going on than just system glitches.
Oh that's concerning. No one in my household has gotten a new job, but my ex did finally start paying child support last month. It's only $325/month though, and I did report it on my last quarterly report. Do you think that could cause a delay?
Child support is countable income for CalFresh, but if you reported it properly on your SAR7, it should already be factored into your current benefit amount. A change in child support wouldn't typically cause your benefits to disappear completely without notice - they would send you a Notice of Action with the new benefit calculation. It sounds more like the system update issue others have mentioned.
UPDATE: My benefits just loaded this morning (the 1st) even though they never showed as pending! Full amount too. Looks like it was just the system update affecting the pending notification like everyone said. Relief!! Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance!
Great news! Glad to hear it worked out. This is good confirmation for others experiencing the same issue that it's just the notification system and not an actual benefit problem.
P-EBT eligibility confusion for under 6 year olds - conflicting enrollment deadlines?
I'm totally confused about the P-EBT eligibility requirements for children under 6. Some info says children need to be enrolled in CalFresh by May 31, 2025 to qualify, but other sources mention August 2022 as the cutoff date. My son was born in February 2022 and I enrolled him in CalFresh in March 2022. Based on the mixed information, I can't figure out if he qualifies for the under-6 P-EBT benefits or not. Has anyone successfully navigated this? The county office keeps transferring me between departments and nobody seems to know the definitive answer. Really need this extra food assistance for my little one since grocery prices are insane these days.
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i think the deadline for being on calfresh was def august 2022 cause my neighbors kid was born sept 2022 and they were denied even tho they applied for calfresh right away!! its super unfair how they cut it off like that
Yes, the August 2022 cutoff is firm for this phase. The program was designed to help children who were affected during specific periods of the pandemic. Future phases might have different cutoff dates if they extend the program again.
One more important point - make sure your son's Social Security Number is correctly entered in your CalFresh case. I've seen several cases where eligible children didn't receive P-EBT because of data mismatches between their CalFresh record and their school/birth records. If you can access your BenefitsCal account online, verify all his information is correct. This will save you headaches down the road!
I never thought to check this! I'll log into my BenefitsCal account tonight and make sure everything matches his birth certificate and SS card. Better to catch any errors now than deal with it later.
Daniel Price
My benefits finally just showed up! Check your balance again - maybe the system update is finishing now?
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Lauren Johnson
AuthorOMG THANK YOU for letting me know! Just checked and mine came through too! What a relief. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
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Caleb Stone
mine 2!!! just got my text alert from ebt!
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Jade Santiago
Glad to hear your benefits came through! For future reference, these system updates usually happen quarterly, and there's actually a schedule posted on the CDSS website. Next time you might want to check there if your benefits seem delayed. Also, signing up for EBT text alerts (if you haven't already) will notify you immediately when funds are deposited to your card.
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Lauren Johnson
AuthorThank you! I didn't know about the quarterly updates or the CDSS website posting that information. I'll definitely sign up for the text alerts - would have saved me a lot of stress today!
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