CalFresh EBT benefits by last name (H) finally deposited in Orange County - timeline update

Yes, this is happening countywide in OC right now. They're using an alphabetical staggered deposit schedule this month due to system updates. According to what my eligibility worker told me last week, they're rolling out 3-4 letters per day to manage server load during the upgrade. The official schedule should be: A-D: 10th-11th E-G: 12th H-J: 13th (that's you, today) K-M: 14th N-R: 15th S-Z: 16th They're supposed to return to the normal issuance schedule next month, but they should have sent notices about this change. Did you get anything in the mail or on your BenefitsCal account?

mine hit 2day too!! last name Harris. been on phone 4ever tryin to figure out wats going on. my regular date is the 11th so i thght something was wrong with my household reporting or somethin. glad to see its not just me lol

This staggered schedule is actually a very temporary measure for May only due to the CalFresh system maintenance and upgrade they're implementing statewide. Orange County seems to be particularly affected because they're one of the first counties transitioning to the new unified benefits platform. I work with a community organization that partners with Social Services and we were told the notification letters went out late - many people won't receive them until after their benefits are already deposited. Not ideal communication at all. Important note: If you have any urgent need before your scheduled alphabet date, you can request an emergency allocation by contacting your eligibility worker directly. They can process same-day emergency benefits for households experiencing hardship due to this delay.

Count yourself lucky, I'm a W and apparently have to wait until the 16th!!! This is completely unfair. Why should people at the end of the alphabet have to wait longer? They should have done it the other way around if anything, or just not messed with the system at all. My kids are on reduced school lunch and we depend on our regular deposit date. SO FRUSTRATING.

I got mine too (last name Hernandez). I was actually at the grocery store when I got the text alert from BenefitsCal that my benefits had been deposited. Talk about good timing! The cashier was about to start removing items because I thought I only had $45 left on my regular debit card. Did anyone else notice that the deposit amount was slightly higher than usual? I normally get $780 for myself and my two kids, but this month it was $812. Not complaining, just curious if the benefit amounts changed.

my friend has last name Johnson and she didnt get hers yet. this system makes no sense!! shes trying to call but keeps getting hung up on. this is so typical of calfresh always making things more complicated

do we think this means the june deposit dates will be back to normal?? i already wrote down all my bills for next month based on the regular schedule

I just called the Orange County Social Services Agency about this because I was confused too (my last name starts with I). The representative explained that this temporary schedule is part of their transition to a new benefits management system that's supposed to make everything faster in the long run. For anyone experiencing hardship due to the delay, you can apply for expedited benefits by submitting an emergency request through your BenefitsCal account. Click on "Contact My Worker" and select "Emergency Assistance Request" from the dropdown menu. Make sure to explain that the delay is causing immediate food insecurity. They're prioritizing these requests and typically processing them within 24-48 hours.

This is such a relief to read! My last name is Hamilton and I got my benefits around 2 PM today after checking obsessively since the 10th. I was starting to wonder if I had missed some important paperwork or if there was an issue with my case. The lack of communication from the county about this change is really frustrating - I would have been so much less stressed if I had known this was a planned system upgrade rather than thinking something was wrong with my account. At least now I know what to expect and can plan better. Thanks for sharing this timeline breakdown, it's super helpful for everyone else who might be panicking like I was!