Do I need a new EBT card when moving from Orange County to LA? CalFresh county transfer question

Welcome to LA! You don't need a new physical EBT card - the same card works throughout California. BUT you DO need to report your address change ASAP (don't wait for your SAR7) because you need to transfer your case between counties. Call your old county office and tell them you moved, they'll start the transfer process. If you don't do this, you might miss important notices and eventually lose benefits. I just did this last year moving from San Diego to LA and the process took about 2 weeks. I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to the county office quickly - they have this service where they call and wait on hold for you then connect you when a worker answers. Saved me literally hours of hold time! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

You absolutely need to report your move between counties immediately. Your EBT card itself will continue to work (the plastic card is the same statewide), but your CalFresh case needs to be transferred from Orange County to Los Angeles County right away. This is considered a mandatory mid-period report - you can't wait until your next SAR7. Here's what to do: 1. Call Orange County Social Services (the county you're moving FROM) and inform them you've moved 2. Provide your new LA County address 3. They should initiate an Inter-County Transfer (ICT) 4. You'll get notices from both counties during the transfer If you don't report the move, you risk having your benefits discontinued if important notices are sent to your old address. The case transfer generally takes 30 days to complete.

OMG when I moved counties they MESSED UP my benefits for 2 months!!! Make sure u call like 5 times to confirm the transfer went thru!!!! They kept sending my paperwork to my old address even after I updated everything. so frustrating!

To add to what others have said, here's a little more detail about the Inter-County Transfer (ICT) process: - You should report your move within 10 days (this is required) - Your benefits will continue uninterrupted if everything is processed correctly - Your certification period stays the same, only the managing county changes - Your EBT card and account number remain the same - You can also report your move through BenefitsCal.com if you have an online account - Make sure both counties have your current phone number in case they need to reach you LA County has a lot more CalFresh recipients than Orange County, so sometimes processing can take longer here. If you haven't received confirmation of your transfer within 2 weeks, follow up with both counties.

when i moved from riverside to san bernardino last year nobody told me i had to report it right away and i lost my benefits for like 2 months while they figured it out. had to reapply completely. such a pain. definitely call asap dont wait

Everyone is right about reporting your move immediately, but I want to emphasize you should DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Get the name of everyone you speak with, case numbers, and confirmation numbers. The county transfer process can sometimes have hiccups. Also, while your EBT card itself will continue to work, sometimes there can be a delay in benefits being loaded while your case transfers. I recommend saving some of your current month's benefits just in case there's a gap. Better to be prepared than to be caught without food money if there's a delay.

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'll call Orange County tomorrow and start the transfer process. I'll make sure to document everything like suggested. Really appreciate all the advice - this community is great!

Good luck with your transfer! Just wanted to add that if you have any issues getting through to Orange County by phone, you can also visit their office in person at 1300 S Grand Ave in Santa Ana. Sometimes it's faster than waiting on hold, especially if you're having trouble reaching them. Also, once your case transfers to LA County, your new managing office will likely be based on your specific address in LA - they have multiple district offices throughout the county. You should receive a notice telling you which office will handle your case going forward. Welcome to LA and hope your job is going well!

Just wanted to add that if you run into any issues during the transfer process, you can also contact the CalFresh Customer Service Line at 1-877-847-3663. They can help track your case transfer status and troubleshoot any problems between counties. I had to use this when my case got stuck in limbo between Alameda and Contra Costa counties last year. They were able to see exactly where things stood and got both counties talking to each other again. Also, keep checking your BenefitsCal account online - the case status updates there pretty regularly during transfers so you can monitor progress. The whole process seems scary but it's pretty routine for them once you get the ball rolling!

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I went through this exact same thing last month! Moved from Ventura County to LA and was super worried about the whole process. Everyone's advice here is spot on - definitely report ASAP and don't wait for your SAR7. One thing I'd add is that LA County has been pretty good about sending text updates during the transfer process if you have a cell phone number on file. I got texts letting me know when they received my case from Ventura and when the transfer was complete. Made me feel way less anxious about the whole thing! Also, if you're working and have limited time to call during business hours, the BenefitsCal website really is your friend. I was able to submit my address change online at like 10pm and it started the process automatically. Way easier than taking time off work to call. The whole thing took about 3 weeks for me but my benefits never stopped. Your EBT card will keep working the whole time - I was worried about that part for nothing. Good luck with everything and congrats on the new job!

As someone who just went through a county transfer myself (moved from Sacramento to LA County about 6 months ago), I wanted to add a few practical tips that really helped me: 1. When you call Orange County tomorrow, ask them to email you confirmation that they've initiated the Inter-County Transfer - having that documentation saved me when there was a small hiccup in my case. 2. If you're comfortable sharing, let them know your new employer information during the call since you mentioned starting a new job. Sometimes income changes need to be reported along with address changes, and it's easier to handle both at once. 3. Download the "myBenefits CalWIN Mobile" app if you haven't already - it's super helpful for checking your case status and benefit balance during the transfer process. The move from OC to LA is exciting! I love it here. Your EBT card will definitely work throughout the process, and honestly the whole thing was way less stressful than I expected after reading all the horror stories online. Most transfers go smoothly when you report promptly like you're doing. Welcome to LA and good luck with the new job!

Hey Anastasia! I just wanted to chime in as someone who works with folks navigating CalFresh transfers pretty regularly. Everyone here has given you excellent advice! One small thing I'd add - when you call Orange County tomorrow, if possible try to call right when they open (usually 8 AM) as that's typically when wait times are shortest. Also, since you mentioned being new to California, don't feel bad about asking them to explain each step of the process. The workers are used to helping people who are unfamiliar with how county transfers work. I'm really impressed that you're being so proactive about this - reporting your move right away is exactly the right thing to do. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking "it's just an address change" but county transfers are definitely more complex than that. You're already ahead of the game by asking these questions and getting informed before problems arise. The LA CalFresh community is pretty supportive so don't hesitate to reach out here if you run into any snags during the transfer process!

Just wanted to add one more tip that saved me when I moved from Riverside to LA County last year - make sure to update your address with your local food banks and community resources too! I was so focused on the CalFresh transfer that I forgot to update my info with the food pantry I'd been using in Riverside. When my benefits had a brief delay during the transfer (just a few days, but still stressful), I tried to go to my usual food bank and realized they couldn't help me since I was no longer in their service area. Luckily there are tons of great food resources in LA County, but it would have been smoother if I'd researched them ahead of time. 211 (dial 2-1-1) is super helpful for finding local food assistance if you need backup support during your transfer. You're doing everything right though - reporting immediately is key!

Just wanted to share that I went through this exact process when I moved from San Francisco to LA County about 8 months ago. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple checklist to track everything: ✓ Call origin county (Orange County in your case) to report move ✓ Get confirmation number/email of transfer initiation ✓ Update address on BenefitsCal.com ✓ Verify phone number is current for text updates ✓ Download myBenefits CalWIN app to monitor status ✓ Research local LA food resources as backup ✓ Document all interactions (names, dates, reference numbers) The process took about 2.5 weeks for me and went smoothly. Your EBT card will work the entire time - I was able to shop normally throughout. LA County actually has some really helpful online resources once your case transfers over, including virtual appointments for some services which I found way more convenient than in-person visits. Good luck with your transfer and welcome to LA! The job market here is great and you picked a good time to make the move. Don't stress too much - county transfers happen all the time and the system is pretty well set up for it.

I'm also pretty new to CalFresh and this whole thread has been incredibly educational! I had no idea that moving between counties was so different from just updating an address. The checklist that Sean shared is gold - I'm saving that for future reference even though I'm not moving anytime soon. It's really reassuring to see how supportive this community is and how many people have successfully navigated county transfers. Anastasia, you're definitely handling this the right way by being proactive and asking questions upfront. Wishing you the best with your transfer process and congrats on the new job in LA!