How to check my CalFresh pending deposit amount on EBT card?
Been seeing people talk about a pending amount they can see for their CalFresh benefits before it hits their EBT card. My sister mentioned checking hers yesterday and said her deposit is coming tomorrow? I've had CalFresh for almost 2 years now but always just wait for the text message saying benefits are available. Is there actually a way to see what's coming before it hits my card? Would be super helpful for planning my grocery shopping budget this month since prices are crazy high now. I check my EBT balance through the app but never seen anything about pending amounts??
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Skylar Neal
There's actually 2 ways to check pending deposits. The easiest is calling the EBT customer service number on the back of your card (it's automated) - when you check your balance, it'll sometimes tell you 'Your next available benefit will be $XXX on [date]'. The other way is logging into BenefitsCal.com and checking your 'Benefits Summary' page. It usually shows pending deposits about 3-5 days before they hit your card.
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Vincent Bimbach
•thx for this! ive had calfresh for 3 yrs and never knew u could see pending amounts lol always just waiting for the surprise deposit
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Kelsey Chin
I think everyone is talking about the text notifications. You have to sign up for text alerts and they'll send you a message when your benefits are about to be deposited. If you didn't sign up for that option you wouldn't get them. Check your county office website - there should be a form to fill out to get text alerts.
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Brady Clean
•That's not what I mean. People are talking about seeing an actual dollar amount that's going to be deposited *before* it hits the card. Like my sister knew exactly how much she was getting tomorrow.
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Norah Quay
The most reliable way to check pending CalFresh deposits is through the BenefitsCal portal. Login to your account, go to 'Benefits Summary' and look for the 'Upcoming Benefits' section. It typically displays your pending amount 3-5 days before the deposit date. This feature was upgraded in 2024 to provide more advance notice. If you're having trouble accessing your account or the information isn't showing up correctly, calling your county worker directly is the best option. Many people struggle with getting through on the phone lines though. I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they'll get you connected to a real person at your county office without the endless hold times. They have a quick video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Brady Clean
•Thank you! I just logged into BenefitsCal and found it under Benefits Summary. It shows I'm getting $382 on the 14th. This is super helpful!
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Leo McDonald
AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS ITS RIDICULOUS that we have to jump through hoops just to see what benefits we're getting?!?! In 2025 we should be able to just check everything on the EBT app!!! The app is SO BASIC compared to literally any other financial app. We can't see pending deposits, can't see transaction history older than like 2 months, can't export data... it's like they WANT to make it hard for us to manage our benefits!!!
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Jessica Nolan
•Actually, they've been gradually improving the EBT app. The latest update (version 3.8) now shows pending deposits under "Upcoming Benefits" but it's still rolling out to all users. If you don't see it yet, make sure your app is updated to the latest version. They're also planning to add 6-month transaction history in the next update according to the CDSS newsletter.
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Angelina Farar
Everyone keeps talking about BenefitsCal but what if you're in a county that still uses MyBenefits CalWIN? I can NEVER find any pending deposit info on there. It's so frustrating that different counties use different systems with different features. My cousin in LA can see everything online but I'm in a CalWIN county and half the features don't work right.
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Skylar Neal
•For CalWIN counties, you actually need to call the IVR system (phone number on back of EBT card) and follow the prompts. After you hear your current balance, stay on the line and it'll usually tell you about pending deposits. They're supposed to migrate all counties to BenefitsCal by end of 2025, but who knows if that'll actually happen on schedule.
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Vincent Bimbach
does anyone know if pending amounts ever change? like if it says im getting $275 next week could it suddenly change to a different amount before it actually deposits???
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Norah Quay
•Yes, pending amounts can occasionally change if there's a last-minute adjustment to your case. This might happen if: 1. The county processes new information about your household or income 2. There's a correction to a previous miscalculation 3. A policy adjustment or benefit increase takes effect 4. You reported a change right before the benefit calculation However, changes to pending amounts are fairly uncommon. Once you see an amount listed as pending, it typically stays the same unless something significant changes with your case.
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Brady Clean
Update: I checked BenefitsCal like people suggested and found my pending deposit! This is going to be so helpful for budgeting. Also found out I have a SAR7 due next month that I totally forgot about, so thanks for sending me to that website! One question though - does anyone know if the deposit date ever changes? Like if it shows my benefits will deposit on the 14th, could it come earlier or later?
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Jessica Nolan
•The deposit date is pretty reliable, but occasionally it can come a day early, especially if your regular date falls on a weekend or holiday. It almost never comes later than the scheduled date. Glad you found the pending deposit info and spotted that SAR7 deadline - missing those forms is the #1 reason people lose their benefits unexpectedly!
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Mateo Martinez
Pro tip: If you're having trouble finding the pending deposit info on BenefitsCal, try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser. The site can be glitchy sometimes. Also, the pending amounts usually show up around the 3rd of each month for mid-month deposits and around the 18th for end-of-month deposits. If you still can't see it after a few days, definitely call your county office - sometimes there are technical issues on their end that prevent the info from displaying properly.
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StarSailor
•Thanks for the browser tip! I was having issues with BenefitsCal loading properly on Chrome but it worked fine on Firefox. Also really helpful to know about the timing - I was checking too early in the month and getting frustrated that nothing was showing up. The deposit schedule info makes total sense now that I think about it.
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Emma Wilson
Just wanted to add that if you have the ConnectEBT app (the official one), they recently added a "Benefit Schedule" feature that shows your deposit dates for the next 3 months. It doesn't always show the exact dollar amount like BenefitsCal does, but it's super convenient for planning when your benefits will hit. You can find it under the "More" tab at the bottom of the app. Also, if you're getting SNAP Emergency Allotments or any special pandemic benefits, those sometimes show up separately from your regular CalFresh amount, so don't be confused if you see multiple pending deposits listed!
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Camila Castillo
•This is super helpful! I had no idea about the ConnectEBT app having a benefit schedule feature. Just downloaded it and found the "More" tab you mentioned. Quick question though - what are Emergency Allotments? I see people mention them sometimes but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be getting those or if they're still a thing? My benefits seem pretty consistent month to month so I'm wondering if I'm missing out on something I should be applying for.
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