CalFresh February issuance alphabetical schedule - anyone with last name T gotten benefits loaded yet?
So I'm totally confused about this alphabetical issuance thing for February. The county sent me some notice saying they're now loading EBT cards by last name, and our household is supposed to get ours between the 12th-14th (last name starts with T). It's already the 13th and NOTHING has been loaded on my card yet. Getting really worried since we're almost out of food and I planned shopping around when benefits should arrive. Has anyone else with last name starting with T gotten their February benefits yet? Is there some kind of delay happening? System issues? I've been on CalFresh for 3 years and never dealt with this alphabetical schedule before.
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Ian Armstrong
nothing here either, last name Taylor. called the number on back of card and it says 'no benefits available' which is making me panic tbh
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Molly Chambers
•At least I'm not alone! Have you tried calling the county office? I tried twice but got stuck in that automated system and eventually hung up after 40 minutes waiting.
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Eli Butler
My last name starts with U and I got mine yesterday afternoon, so they're definitely working through the alphabet. The notice I got said T-V was supposed to be the 12th-14th, so you should get yours by tomorrow at latest. If not then def call the county.
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Molly Chambers
•Thanks for the info! That's a relief. I'll wait until tomorrow evening before panicking more.
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Marcus Patterson
The alphabetical issuance schedule started in January 2025 for all California counties to manage the increased caseload. Before you panic, check the BenefitsCal portal if you can - sometimes your online account shows pending benefits before they actually load to your EBT card. If nothing shows by the 14th end of day, you should definitely contact your county office. The T-V grouping is supposed to be processed by the 14th, but actual card loading can take up to 24 hours after processing.
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Lydia Bailey
•this is RIGHT!! my worker told me same thing when i called bout this last month. takes whole day sometimes after they process for money to show up on card.
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Mateo Warren
Last name Torres here - just checked my account 15 minutes ago and my benefits just appeared! So they're definitely processing T names today. I've noticed they typically do the deposit in batches throughout the day, so keep checking your card. If it's not there by tomorrow morning, there might be another issue with your case specifically.
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Molly Chambers
•That's good to hear! Just checked mine again and still nothing, but I'll keep checking throughout the day. Hoping it's just taking time to process everything in batches like you said.
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Sofia Price
If your benefits don't show up by end of day tomorrow, you should definitely try calling your county CalFresh office. I know how frustrating those phone systems can be though - I was trying to reach someone last month about a verification issue and kept getting disconnected after waiting 30+ minutes. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you back when a worker is available. Saved me hours of waiting and actually got my issue resolved. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Worth it when you're dealing with urgent benefit issues.
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Molly Chambers
•Thanks for the suggestion! I've never heard of that service before but might try it if my benefits don't show up tomorrow. Those phone waits are absolutely brutal.
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Ian Armstrong
•does that thing actually work? i hate calling the county so much i usually just drive down there but then i waste half my day
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Alice Coleman
This alphabetical issuance is SO STUPID!!! I'm Thompson and got mine yesterday but my sister is Thomas and still hasn't gotten hers! MAKES NO SENSE. The whole system is just designed to make it harder for people to get their benefits. Why can't they just give everyone their benefits on the 1st of the month like they used to?!?
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Marcus Patterson
•The staggered issuance schedule was actually implemented to reduce system overloads that were happening when all benefits were released on the same day. Too many people were trying to use their benefits at once, which was causing transaction failures and system crashes at grocery stores. While inconvenient at first, the alphabetical system should be more reliable once everyone adjusts to their new issuance dates.
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Lydia Bailey
my last name S and i was confused to cuz mine came late this month. think they behind schedule maybe
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Mateo Warren
•Actually, the S group should have received benefits between the 9th-11th according to the new issuance schedule. If you just received them, you might want to check your case for any other issues that could have caused a delay. Sometimes there are verification items pending or SAR7 issues that can affect timely issuance.
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Molly Chambers
UPDATE: My benefits just loaded about an hour ago! So for anyone else with a T last name who's still waiting, they're definitely processing them today. Thanks everyone for the help and information!
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Eli Butler
•Great news! Glad it worked out without having to deal with the county office.
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Ian Armstrong
mine came through too!!! time to go shopping lol
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