CalFresh EBT balance not showing up for February - system glitch or benefits issue?

same here!! mine always comes on the 8th and nothing yet. tried calling the county but they just put me on hold forever and then the call dropped

This happens sometimes with system delays. A few things to check: 1) Log into BenefitsCal and check your messages for any notices 2) Make sure you didn't miss submitting your SAR7 (even though you recertified in Nov, you still need to do your Semi-Annual Report) 3) Call your county office and ask specifically if there's a benefit hold on your account If you recertified in November, you would have had to submit a SAR7 in April (6 months after recert). If you missed that, they may have discontinued your benefits.

Don't panic yet. There was definitely a CalFresh issuance delay announcement for certain counties this month - I heard about it at work (I'm not a caseworker but work at a food bank). Some counties' EBT systems are being updated and causing 3-5 day delays for February benefits. Which county are you in?

Sacramento is definitely one of the affected counties! From what I heard, they should be caught up by the 15th-16th. If you don't see your benefits by then, definitely call your county office.

Try Claimyr if you need to reach a real person at the CalFresh office. I was having the same issue with my January benefits being delayed and kept getting disconnected when calling. Used this service that holds your place in line and calls you back when a worker is available. Saved me hours of frustration. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 or go to claimyr.com. Got through to a real person who confirmed my benefits were just delayed due to the system updates.

I'm a community resource specialist and can confirm there was a CalFresh issuance delay announcement for Sacramento and several other counties due to a system update. Benefits should be deposited within the next 3 days. However, it's also important to note that the SAR7 and recertification are separate requirements. Recertification is annual (every 12 months), while the SAR7 is required at the 6-month mark between recertifications. If you recertified in November, you should have received a SAR7 form in April to report your income and household changes. If you never received or submitted your SAR7, that could potentially cause a benefit discontinuance. In that case, you would need to contact your worker to resolve the issue.

This hapened to me last year and it was becuz I moved and didnt report my new address within 10 days. Even though my mail was being forwarded they said I still had to report it directly to them. They restored my benefits after I filled out a form explaining why I didnt report the change on time. Could that be ur issue?

EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW that they've been randomly selecting cases for "income verification" without telling people!!! My case worker FINALLY told me this after I went to the office in person. They didn't even send a notice!! I had to provide 3 months of pay stubs even though nothing changed in my income. This is RIDICULOUS and they're doing it to try to kick people off the program!!!

UPDATE: My benefits just loaded today (Feb 14th)! Looks like it really was just the system delay that @helpfulperson mentioned. So relieved! For anyone else in Sacramento County still waiting, check your balance again - yours might be coming through too.

Glad it worked out! Since we're on the topic, here's a reminder for everyone: always mark your calendar for these important CalFresh dates to avoid future issues: 1) Your specific benefit issuance date (when funds load each month) 2) Your SAR7 due date (6 months after certification/recertification) 3) Your annual recertification month Also, sign up for text/email alerts through BenefitsCal if you haven't already - they'll send reminders about upcoming deadlines so you don't miss anything important.