CalFresh EBT deposit didn't load on weekend date - anyone else's benefits delayed?

Thank you so much! That's a relief to hear it might just be a weekend thing. I'll definitely check first thing tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed it shows up because we're really running low on food right now.

It's awful, isn't it? I'm borrowing from a neighbor just to get through tonight. So frustrating when you plan everything around that date. Please let me know if yours shows up tomorrow!

Thanks for the detailed response. I just checked BenefitsCal and everything shows active. We submitted our SAR7 last month and got the confirmation letter, so I don't think it's that. I'll wait until tomorrow morning and hope it's just the weekend delay you mentioned.

yep they dont care about us at all. my worker never answers the phone either. left 5 messages last month about a verification problem and never got a call back. ended up having to go to the office and waste 3 hours waiting

I tried calling but just got the automated system. It just verified my balance (which is $0) but didn't have any information about the delay. Couldn't get through to a human representative at all.

You should try Claimyr - it's been a lifesaver for getting through to actual CalFresh workers instead of just hitting the automated system. I was in the same situation a few months ago with a delayed deposit and couldn't reach anyone. Claimyr got me connected to a live person who fixed my issue in minutes. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Much better than waiting hours on hold or getting disconnected repeatedly.

I didn't get any notice about a date change! I'm going to go through my mail again to make sure I didn't miss something. That would explain everything if they changed our deposit date. Thanks for mentioning this.

np hope that helps! the notice was easy 2 miss, mine came in a plain envelope and i almost threw it away thinking it was junk mail lol

UPDATE: My benefits just loaded this morning (Monday)! Looks like it was just the weekend delay that several of you mentioned. I'll definitely be more prepared for this possibility in the future. Thanks everyone for your help and commiseration!

mine too!! just got mine this morning, so relieved. still annoying they can't just tell us it will be monday instead of making us panic all weekend 🙄

Thank you for the advice. I'm definitely going to keep some emergency backup food from now on. It's frustrating that the official policy doesn't match reality, but at least now I know what to expect. I appreciate everyone's help!

Welcome to CalFresh! Yes, based on what everyone's shared here, I'd definitely plan for Monday the 17th just to be safe. It seems like Saturday deposits are the most prone to delays. From what I've learned in this thread, there's no official way to find out if your county has weekend delays - you pretty much have to learn from experience unfortunately. I'd suggest doing your grocery shopping on Friday if possible, or at least having a backup plan for the weekend. You could also try calling your county office to ask, but based on other comments here, getting through to someone who knows might be challenging. Better to be prepared than caught off guard like some of us were!

@Isabella Tucker Welcome to the community! Based on everyone s'experiences here, I d'definitely plan for Monday the 17th instead of Saturday. I learned this the hard way with my recent deposit delay. One thing that might help is checking your BenefitsCal account regularly and maybe setting up text alerts if your county offers them. Also, some people mentioned that calling the EBT customer service line can sometimes give you system-wide delay information, though getting through on weekends is tough. I d'recommend having a small emergency food stash just in case - even something basic like rice, beans, and canned goods can help bridge those unexpected gaps. The uncertainty is definitely one of the most stressful parts of the whole system!

@Isabella Tucker Welcome! I d'definitely plan for Monday just to be safe. I ve'been on CalFresh for about 8 months now and Saturday deposits are notorious for being delayed. What I ve'started doing is checking my balance around 5am on Monday mornings - that s'usually when the delayed weekend deposits show up. You can also sign up for balance alerts through the EBT Edge mobile app if your state supports it, which sends you a text when funds are loaded. One tip I wish someone had told me when I started: always keep a few days worth of basic staples on hand because these delays happen more often than the official policy suggests. Rice, pasta, peanut butter, and canned goods have saved me multiple times when deposits were late!

@Javier Garcia That s'such a smart idea about tracking deposit patterns! I wish I had thought of that earlier. The notebook tracking system sounds really helpful for planning ahead. I m'definitely going to start doing that now that I know weekend delays are so common. The food bank suggestion is great too - I didn t'even think about looking for weekend emergency food programs. It s'really sad that we have to create all these workarounds because the system isn t'reliable, but I appreciate you sharing practical solutions. Do you happen to know if most food banks require any kind of pre-registration for their emergency programs, or can you usually just show up when you need help?