How long does transferring CalFresh benefits between LA County and Riverside County take?

You don't need to reapply! There's a formal intercounty transfer (ICT) process for CalFresh when you move between California counties. Here's what you should do: 1. As soon as you have your new address in Perris (which is indeed Riverside County), call LA County and report your change of address 2. They should initiate the transfer to Riverside automatically 3. Your case should transfer seamlessly with no gap in benefits The ICT process typically takes 30 days, but your benefits continue from LA until Riverside officially takes over your case. Make sure to keep your EBT card - it will still work during and after the transfer.

be careful with the transfers tho!!! i moved from san bernardino to LA last year and they LOST my case for 2 months!!! kept telling me "it's being processed" but my benefits stopped completely. finally had to go in person to the LA office and turns out they never recieved my documents from SB county. ended up having to reapply anyway and it was a HUGE HEADACHE. just have all ur documents ready in case!

When I moved from LA to Riverside last summer, I called LA County to report my move. They told me they'd transfer my CalFresh and Medi-Cal, but only CalFresh actually transferred. Had to reapply for Medi-Cal. The CalFresh transfer took about 6 weeks total but I still got benefits the whole time. Just keep checking your EBT card balance to make sure the money is coming in.

The official process is called an Intercounty Transfer (ICT). You should initiate it by calling your current county and reporting your address change. But honestly, reaching LA County CalFresh by phone is BRUTAL - I spent hours and got disconnected multiple times trying to do this exact thing. I finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to a live person at LA County within 20 minutes without me having to wait on hold. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Just go to claimyr.com and it makes the county call YOU when they're ready. Way better than getting disconnected after waiting forever.

Make sure you don't have a SAR7 or recertification due right around your move date. That can complicate things. If you do, try to complete it with LA County before you report your move, or it might cause delays. Also, ask LA if you should create a BenefitsCal.com account for Riverside or if your existing account will transfer automatically.

just make sure u get the name of whoever u talk to at LA county!! write down EVRYTHING. my friend did a county transfer and they claimed they never got her new address even tho she called THREE TIMES. no record of her calls at all! then they discontinued her for "failure to provide information" when they sent mail to her old address 🙄

Perris is nice btw. Cheaper than LA for sure. My sister lives there and pays like $400 less in rent than what I was paying in LA for the same size place. The Riverside County office in Perris is actually pretty efficient compared to LA too.

One more important thing - make sure you report your new rent amount to Riverside County once you move. If your rent is lower in Perris (which it likely will be compared to LA), your CalFresh amount might decrease slightly. But if your rent is similar or higher, make sure they have that documented to maximize your benefit amount.

when i moved counties they told me it would take 30 days but it actually took almost 2 months lol. but my benefits never stopped so thats good. just dont expect everything to happen on time with calfresh 😂

Also, just to clarify since there seems to be some confusion: the ICT process should automatically transfer both your CalFresh AND Medi-Cal. However, sometimes the systems don't communicate properly between counties. If you notice that one program transfers but not the other, you should contact Riverside County directly about the missing program. In theory, you should never need to reapply, but unfortunately the real-world experience can sometimes be different.

I went through this exact same situation last year when I moved from LA to San Bernardino County! Here's what worked for me: Call LA County as soon as you have your new address confirmed (even before you physically move). I called about 3 weeks before my move date and they started the ICT process right away. The key is getting it initiated early. Also, ask them to send you a confirmation letter or email about the transfer request - this saved me when Riverside claimed they never received my case info. Having that documentation helped resolve the issue quickly. One tip that really helped: I also called Riverside County directly about a week after LA said they initiated the transfer, just to confirm they were expecting my case. The worker there was actually super helpful and walked me through what to expect on their end. Your benefits should continue seamlessly during the transfer, but definitely keep checking your EBT balance regularly just to make sure everything is flowing properly. Good luck with the move - Perris is a great area!

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - if you're planning to use the Claimyr service that @Lily Young mentioned, I'd recommend trying it sooner rather than later. LA County's phone lines get especially busy at the beginning and end of each month when people are dealing with benefit renewals and issues. Also, since you mentioned you have kids, make sure to ask about WIC benefits too if you're currently receiving those. WIC transfers work differently than CalFresh and you might need to visit a WIC office in Riverside County within 30 days of your move to avoid any gaps in services. The stress of moving with kids while managing benefits is real, but it sounds like you're being really proactive about planning ahead. That's going to make all the difference!

I just wanted to share that I work at a nonprofit that helps families navigate benefit transfers, and everything everyone has shared here is really solid advice! A few additional tips from what I've seen work best: 1. Take photos/screenshots of your current benefit amounts and case details before you start the transfer - this helps if there are any discrepancies later 2. If possible, try to time your move so it's NOT during a month when your benefits normally reload (like if you usually get benefits on the 15th, try to avoid moving mid-month) 3. Consider opening a bank account in Riverside County before you move if you don't have one already - some people find it easier to manage everything when their banking is local to their new county The intercounty transfer process has definitely gotten better over the past few years, but having all your documentation ready and being proactive like you're doing is the best approach. Wishing you and your family a smooth transition to Perris!

I moved from Orange County to Riverside County about 8 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me since you're doing a similar move. First, definitely start the ICT process early like others mentioned - I called OC about 2 weeks before my move and it made everything much smoother. But here's something that really helped that I haven't seen mentioned yet: I created a simple folder with copies of ALL my documents (ID, proof of income, utility bills, rent receipts, etc.) and brought it with me to Riverside County just in case. The transfer itself took about 5 weeks, but my benefits never stopped. What was really helpful was that Riverside County actually called ME about 3 weeks after the transfer was initiated to confirm some details and let me know they had my case. I didn't expect that level of communication! One thing specific to your situation - since your husband is getting a new job, make sure to report that income change to Riverside County once he starts working. Even though it's the same job/same income, they'll want documentation from the new employer. The move from LA to Riverside County should go smoothly if you stay on top of it. Good luck with everything!