CalFresh transfer from San Diego to Kern county - need advice on process

You don't need to close your case and reapply! California has an Inter-County Transfer (ICT) process specifically for this situation. When you move to Kern county, you need to report your address change to San Diego within 10 days. They'll initiate the transfer, and your case will move to Kern county automatically. Your benefits should continue uninterrupted if you follow the proper steps. Make sure you keep using the same EBT card - they won't issue a new one just because you moved counties.

i moved from alameda to orange last year and it was NOTHING like what that person said!!!!! had to reapply from scratch, lost benefits for 3 weeks, and they even made me provide verification docs i already submitted!!! the whole system is broken tbh

You should definitely call San Diego county ASAP, even before you move. I did a transfer from LA to Riverside and it was pretty smooth, but only because I gave them like a month's notice. You can also report the change on BenefitsCal.com under your account. Just make sure you have your new address ready. Kern will probably contact you within a couple weeks after the transfer to confirm your info.

So frustrating trying to reach anyone at county offices these days! I had to transfer between counties last year and spent DAYS trying to get through on the phone. I finally discovered Claimyr.com which got me through to a real person in minutes instead of hours on hold. They have this system that calls and waits on hold for you, then calls you when a real person answers. Saved me so much stress! There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. Much better than trying to visit an office in person during a move!

When I transferred from Sacramento to San Bernardino last year, I reported my move online through BenefitsCal and also called the Sacramento office. Even though the process is supposed to be smooth, I recommend keeping detailed records of everything. Save screenshots of your online reporting, note the date/time of calls, and get the names of workers you speak with. Also, once you move, follow up with Kern county after a week if you haven't heard anything. The ICT process works, but sometimes you need to be proactive to prevent delays.

Just to clarify some information here: The Inter-County Transfer process should be initiated by reporting your address change to your current county (San Diego). You can do this through BenefitsCal, by calling, or visiting an office. Your case should transfer automatically without interruption of benefits. However, some important things to know: 1. Your SAR7 and recertification dates don't change with a transfer 2. If you're due for either of these around the time of your move, complete them with your CURRENT county before moving 3. Kern County might contact you to verify your new address 4. The transfer should be completed within 30 days 5. If you haven't heard from Kern County within two weeks of your move, contact them directly Also, make sure all your household information is up-to-date before the transfer to avoid complications.

moved from san fran to san diego last month...the transfer thing is real but took FOREVER. almost 2 months for everything to finalize!!! make sure u have enough money saved up just in case theres delays. their system is sooooo slow lol

I want to address something important: If your income is changing with this new job in Kern County, you need to report that as well. If the change puts you over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), you must report it within 10 days of the change. This is separate from the address change/county transfer. For a household of 3 in 2025, the IRT is approximately $3,750/month gross income. Be sure to check your last recertification notice for your specific IRT amount. Failing to report income changes can result in an overpayment that you'd have to pay back.

One more thing that nobody mentioned - make sure your mailing address is updated everywhere! When I transferred counties, I missed a crucial letter because it went to my old address even though I had updated my physical address. Set up mail forwarding with USPS too, just to be safe.