Confused about September CalFresh EBT deposits - one more coming or was August the final month?

The 2 deposits in August were probably your regular August benefit plus the emergency supplemental allotment that some counties are still providing. But those emergency benefits were supposed to end back in February! u should check ur BenefitsCal account or call ur county office to confirm whats going on with ur case specifically

Thanks for responding! I checked my BenefitsCal account but it's not showing any upcoming deposits. I'll try calling the county office but I've been on hold for 2+ hours the last two times I tried. So frustrating!

To clarify, there are no longer any emergency allotments for CalFresh in California as of 2023. The standard issuance schedule for CalFresh benefits is that you receive benefits once per month based on the last digit of your case number. If your case number ends in 4, your benefits should be available on the 4th of each month.\n\nSince you received two deposits in August, this could indicate several possibilities:\n1. A retroactive payment from a previous month\n2. An adjustment based on reported changes\n3. A supplement due to a disaster declaration in your county\n4. A correction if your benefits were underpaid previously\n\nI recommend checking your EBT account transaction history to see if there's a description for the second deposit. Also, you should have received a Notice of Action explaining any changes to your benefit amount.

wait so those emergency extra payments aren't a thing anymore??? i swear my neighbor said she still gets them every month! is this different county by county or something?

The emergency allotments for CalFresh ended across all California counties in 2023. What you're describing sounds like you may have received your regular September benefits early - at the end of August rather than on September 4th. This occasionally happens when the regular issuance date falls on a weekend or holiday.\n\nYou can verify this by checking your EBT card transaction history through the EBT app or by calling the number on the back of your card. The transaction description should indicate which month the benefits are for.\n\nIf you're still unsure, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a CalFresh worker quickly instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a service that holds your place in line and calls you back when a worker is available. I used it last month when I had a similar confusion about my benefit amount changing. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

Thank you so much for this detailed response! I checked my EBT transaction history and you're right - the second August deposit is actually labeled as

This is SO confusing!! Im in the same boat and thought maybe they were giving us extra food money because of inflation or something. Prices at the store are INSANE lately, my benefits barely last 2 weeks anymore 😩

I feel your pain! Grocery prices have gotten ridiculous. Have you tried applying for an increase based on your expenses? If your rent, utilities, or medical costs have gone up, you might qualify for more benefits. You can submit these expenses during your recertification or on your SAR7 form.

i had this EXACT same question!!! the way they deposit is super confusing and every county seems different? im in alameda and my worker told me that sometimes they do early deposits depending on holidays and weekends. But one time I got a random deposit and turns out it was back-benefits from when they miscalculated my income. maybe check ur mail for any notices?

I haven't received any notices in the mail recently, but after checking my transaction history it looks like the second August deposit was actually my September benefits issued early. Mystery solved! You're right though, the system is super confusing.

ppl need to stop complaining about free $$ lol just take what u get and be grateful some of us dont qualify at all even tho we need it

It's completely reasonable for recipients to want clarity about their benefits. CalFresh isn't

Happy to share what I know about the current CalFresh issuance schedule for 2025:\n\n1. Regular benefits are issued once per month based on the last digit of your case number (1-10th of the month)\n2. There are no more emergency allotments as of 2023\n3. Benefits are sometimes issued 1-2 days early when the regular issuance date falls on a weekend or holiday\n\nIf you received two deposits in August, the most likely explanation is that your September benefits were issued at the end of August because September 4th was close to the Labor Day weekend. This is common practice to ensure recipients don't experience delays due to holidays.\n\nYou can always verify which month's benefits you received by checking your EBT card transaction history through the EBT mobile app or by calling the customer service number on the back of your card.

Thank you for this clear explanation! I checked my transaction history and that's exactly what happened - my September benefits came at the end of August. I wish they would make this clearer when they do early deposits. At least now I know what to expect around holidays.

I'm new to CalFresh and this thread has been super helpful! I just want to add that if anyone else is confused about their deposits, you can also check your benefit letter or log into your county's online portal. Mine shows a calendar view of when my benefits will be deposited each month, which has been really useful for planning my grocery budget. Also, I learned that if you ever think there's an error with your deposit amount, you have to report it within 90 days or you might lose the right to get it corrected. Just thought that might be useful info for others navigating this system!