EBT funds missing February 1st - has BenefitsCal system update caused widespread benefit delays?

same here!!! nothing on my card either. my neighbor didnt get hers too. someone at the grocery store said it was cuz of the govt shutdown but i don't think thats right??

Thanks for confirming I'm not alone! The government shutdown thing confused me too, but I didn't think that would affect state benefits like CalFresh. Ugh, this is so stressful.

This isn't related to any government shutdown. The most likely cause is the BenefitsCal system update that rolled out in late January 2025. Many counties are experiencing delays in benefit issuance. When the state implements major system changes, there are often temporary disruptions in the automated issuance schedules. Your benefits aren't gone, just delayed - should appear within 72 hours based on what happened with previous updates. If your benefits don't appear by February 4th, then you should contact your county office.

not true for everyone! my worker told me some accounts got accidentally flagged for verification during the system update. if u dont get benefits by 4th u should definitely call, they might need documentation they never told u about!!!

I AM LIVID RIGHT NOW!! Been on CalFresh for 5 years and EVERY SINGLE time they do a \

I feel your frustration! I was in the same situation last October when they updated the income reporting system. What worked for me was using Claimyr to get through to a live person at the county office. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they basically hold your place in line and call you when a worker picks up. Saved me hours of waiting. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. My benefits were fixed that same day once I actually got to speak to someone.

is anyone else getting a message when they login to BenefitsCal saying

I'm seeing that too. According to the CalFresh handbook, the yellow banner indicates your case is being processed in the updated system. If you click on \

omg thanks!! i just checked and they need my pay stubs again even tho i already submitted them in december!! would have never known without checking that page

UPDATE FOR EVERYONE: Just got off the phone with a CalFresh supervisor (after calling right at 8am when they opened). The BenefitsCal update caused a delay in benefit issuance for approximately 30% of recipients across California. Benefits should be loaded by end of day February 2nd for most affected accounts. If you don't receive benefits by February 3rd, you need to call your county office as your account may have been flagged for one of these specific reasons:\n\n1. Income verification inconsistencies detected by the new system\n2. Household composition questions (particularly for households with recent changes)\n3. Identity verification flags (especially for cases migrated from the old system)\n\nIf you can't get through by phone, you can also submit an urgent inquiry through your BenefitsCal account messaging center with the subject line \

THANK YOU for this detailed update! Just checked my account and my benefits were actually just loaded about an hour ago. Such a relief! For those still waiting, hope yours come through soon too.

mines still not there 😭 gonna try that urgent message thing

DONT BOTHER with the message thing!! I sent one this morning and got an automated reply saying they'll respond in 3-5 BUSINESS DAYS!! What are we supposed to eat until then?? This is EXACTLY why I keep saying the system is broken!!

For those still experiencing delays, here are some immediate steps you can take:\n\n1. Check if you're eligible for emergency CalFresh benefits due to the issuance delay. Call the Emergency Benefits Hotline: 1-877-328-9677\n\n2. Contact your local food bank for immediate assistance while waiting for benefits: https://www.cafoodbanks.org/find-food-bank/\n\n3. When calling your county office, specifically mention \

This is incredibly helpful! I just called my kids' school and they're going to send home extra weekend meal packs for families affected by the delay. For anyone reading this later - my benefits did eventually come through late on February 2nd, so there's hope!

Just wanted to share my experience for anyone still dealing with this - I'm in Sacramento County and my benefits finally loaded this morning (Feb 3rd). What really helped was calling the county office and specifically asking them to check if my case got flagged during the BenefitsCal migration. Turns out they needed me to re-verify my address even though I've lived in the same place for 3 years! The worker was able to clear it immediately over the phone once I confirmed my address. If you're still waiting, definitely ask them to check for any verification flags on your account - sometimes it's something simple they can fix right away.