CalFresh benefits didn't deposit after holiday weekend - payment delay?
Anyone else still waiting for their February benefits to hit their EBT card? Mine usually deposits on the 10th, which was Sunday during the long weekend. I thought for sure they'd be there this morning (Tuesday) but my balance is still the same. Called the EBT hotline but it just says my balance with no explanation. My kids are home for February break and I planned meals assuming I'd have the benefits today. Starting to worry since we're pretty much down to ramen and peanut butter. Is this happening to anyone else or should I be concerned something's wrong with my case?
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Gavin King
This is normal for holiday weekends. CalFresh deposits can be delayed up to 3 business days when there's a holiday. Since yesterday was a federal holiday, today would technically be the first business day after your scheduled deposit. Most people should see their benefits by tomorrow, but it can occasionally take until Thursday in some counties. I'd wait one more day before getting too concerned.
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Mohammed Khan
•Thank you!! That's a relief. Nobody explained that to me before. Do you know if this happens every holiday or just certain ones?
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Nathan Kim
mine didnt come either!! supposed to be yesterday but nothin yet. glad its not just me
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Mohammed Khan
•Let me know if yours comes in tomorrow! I'll update when mine does.
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Eleanor Foster
This happens every holiday weekend. So frustrating they don't warn people ahead of time. I've been on CalFresh 3 years and it ALWAYS happens but they never send a notice or anything.
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Lucas Turner
•EXACTLY!!! They could at least text us or something! Some of us have KIDS TO FEED and can't just wait around wondering when our benefits will show up! My worker never mentions this when we do recertification either. It's like they want us to panic.
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Kai Rivera
I used to run into this problem constantly with holidays. The automated EBT system never gives you any useful information about delays. If you need to speak with someone at your county office about this (or any CalFresh issue), I've had good luck using Claimyr.com - it holds your place in the phone queue and calls you back when a worker is available. Saved me hours of waiting on hold when I had an emergency situation last month. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Mohammed Khan
•Thanks for the tip! If my benefits don't show up by Thursday I'll definitely try this. Hate being stuck on hold forever just to ask a simple question.
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Anna Stewart
This has happened to me before - did you hit your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) recently? Sometimes if your last reporting period showed higher income, they might be reviewing your case which can cause delays. Or it could just be the holiday weekend like others said.
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Mohammed Khan
•I don't think so? My income has been pretty steady. I work part time at the same place making about $1,700/month for our household of 3. I did submit my SAR7 last month but got a confirmation letter that they received it.
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Nathan Kim
update: mine came in this morning! check your card
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Mohammed Khan
•THANK YOU for updating! Just checked and mine came through too!! What a relief. Guess it was just the holiday delay after all.
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Layla Sanders
Did your quarterly review (SAR7) get processed properly? Same thing happened when I forgot to include my pay stubs with SAR7 and benefits were held. Make sure you didn't get any notices in the mail requesting additional verification.
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Gavin King
•The OP mentioned their benefits arrived this morning - looks like it was just the holiday weekend delay after all. But your point about SAR7 processing is a good one for future reference. Missing verifications on the Semi-Annual Report is one of the most common reasons for unexpected benefit delays.
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QuantumQuasar
Glad to hear your benefits came through! This is such a common issue that really stresses people out. For future reference, here's what I've learned about CalFresh deposit timing: Federal holidays always push deposits back to the next business day, and sometimes it takes an extra day for the banking system to catch up. Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Presidents Day weekends are the worst for this. I keep a small emergency stash of non-perishables now specifically for these situations - learned that the hard way after being caught short during a Thanksgiving weekend delay a couple years ago.
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Emma Wilson
•That's really smart advice about keeping an emergency stash! I wish I had thought of that before this happened. Do you have any recommendations for good non-perishable items that work well for families with kids? I'm thinking rice, pasta, canned goods - but wondering if there are other shelf-stable options that are nutritious and kid-friendly for future holiday delays.
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