Middle Class Tax Refund vs CalFresh benefits - When will 2025 refunds be issued?
Hey everyone! I'm a bit confused about the California Middle Class Tax Refund (not related to CalFresh, I know). My family received one last year, but I'm hearing rumors about another round in 2025? We have 2 kids and I'm trying to budget ahead. Does anyone know if they're doing it again, and what the amounts might be with dependents? Last time I think we got around $900 but I'm not sure if that was the standard amount for our household size. Also wondering if this would affect my CalFresh benefits at all if we do get it? Thanks for any info!
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Sofia Rodriguez
Just to clarify - the Middle Class Tax Refund was a one-time payment program from 2022-2023 to help with inflation. It's totally separate from CalFresh. The payment amounts ranged from $200 to $1,050 depending on income, filing status, and dependents. A family of 4 with moderate income typically received around $750-950, so your $900 sounds right. As of now, there's no official announcement about another MCTR for 2025. The state budget is actually facing deficits, so I'd be surprised if they did another round. Regarding CalFresh - tax refunds (including MCTR) are NOT counted as income for CalFresh eligibility, so even if they do issue another one, it shouldn't affect your benefits at all.
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NightOwl42
•Thanks for clearing that up! I was getting confused because my cousin mentioned something about another payment coming. Good to know it wouldn't affect my CalFresh even if they did do another round. We're going through recertification next month and I didn't want any surprises.
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Dmitry Ivanov
i got mine last oct it was like $350 for just me no kids. sister got $700 with 1 kid. think it depends on your income and stuff. dont think theres another one coming tbh the gov is broke lol
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Ava Thompson
•The amounts were actually based on your 2020 tax filing status and income. Single filers with income under $75,000 got $350. Joint filers with income under $150,000 got $700 plus another $350 if they claimed dependents. So that matches what you and your sister received. And yes, California is facing a $38 billion budget deficit for fiscal year 2025-26, so another stimulus payment is extremely unlikely.
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Miguel Herrera
To add some clarity here - the Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) was specifically a 2022-2023 inflation relief payment. There is NO second round planned for 2025. For families with dependents in the original program: - Joint filers making under $150,000: $1,050 with dependents - Joint filers making $150,000-$250,000: $750 with dependents - Joint filers making $250,000-$500,000: $600 with dependents As others mentioned, this payment did not count as income for CalFresh eligibility determination. Tax refunds and one-time payments generally don't affect your CalFresh benefits. If you're concerned about your CalFresh benefits, I'd recommend focusing more on your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) and making sure you're reporting any regular income changes that exceed the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) listed on your last approval notice.
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NightOwl42
•This is super helpful, thank you! We're probably in that middle category based on our income. And good reminder about the SAR7 - ours is due soon and I need to make sure I report my husband's recent raise. It's only about $180 more per month but I think that crosses the reporting threshold.
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Zainab Ali
I'M STILL WAITING ON MY CARD FROM LAST YEAR!!! Applied in October 2022 and never got anything. Called the "help" line about 50 times and just got disconnected. Anyone else have this problem??
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Connor Murphy
•That's really frustrating! I had a similar issue but with my CalFresh benefits - endless hold times and disconnections. I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it keeps your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. I know they work with the MCTR helpline too. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 But honestly, for the MCTR specifically, you might be out of luck at this point. The deadline to claim it was February 2023 if I remember correctly.
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Zainab Ali
•OH GREAT so I've been waiting for NOTHING??? No one ever told me there was a deadline!!! This state is useless
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Yara Nassar
This thread is about CalFresh benefits. The California Middle Class Tax Refund has nothing to do with CalFresh or EBT. They're completely different programs. You should be asking on a tax forum.
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Miguel Herrera
•While they are different programs, many CalFresh recipients also received the MCTR, so it's a reasonable question in this community - especially since people often wonder how different types of income or payments might affect their benefits. I think it's helpful to clarify that one-time payments like tax refunds don't count against CalFresh eligibility.
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Yara Nassar
•fair enough i guess. just seems off topic when there are actual calfresh questions that need answering
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NightOwl42
Thanks everyone for the helpful info! Just to follow up - I called my county CalFresh office today to confirm about tax refunds not counting toward income. The worker said that's correct - tax refunds, stimulus payments, and one-time payments like MCTR don't count as income for CalFresh. She also helped me calculate my new Income Reporting Threshold with my husband's raise, and we're still well under the limit for a family of 4, so our benefits should stay the same. Such a relief!
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Ava Thompson
•Great to hear! It's always best to verify directly with your county worker. For anyone else reading this who might be confused, remember that while one-time payments don't count as income, regular ongoing income like wages, unemployment, disability, or child support definitely DO count and need to be reported on your SAR7 or when they exceed your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold).
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Aaron Lee
Just wanted to add for anyone else who might be wondering - I work at a nonprofit that helps people with benefits applications, and we get this question a lot. The key thing to remember is that CalFresh looks at your MONTHLY income, not lump sum payments. So things like tax refunds, stimulus checks, the MCTR, even things like insurance settlements or back pay from disability don't count toward your monthly income limit. However, if you put that money in a bank account, it DOES count toward your asset limit (which is $2,750 for most households, or $4,250 if someone in your household is elderly/disabled). Most people don't hit those asset limits, but it's worth knowing about. Also, if you use a lump sum payment to buy something that generates regular monthly income (like investing it), then that new monthly income would need to be reported.
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Madison Tipne
•This is really helpful information! I had no idea about the asset limits. We keep our tax refund in savings for emergencies, but it sounds like as long as we're under $2,750 total in the bank we should be fine. Do you know if they actually check bank balances regularly, or just when you apply/recertify? Also, what counts as "assets" - is it just cash and savings accounts, or does it include things like your car or household items?
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Alfredo Lugo
•Great question! They typically only check assets during application and recertification, not monthly. For assets, it's mainly liquid assets - cash, checking/savings accounts, stocks, bonds. Your primary home and one vehicle per household member don't count. Household items like furniture and appliances also don't count. So if you have a car worth $10k, that wouldn't count toward your $2,750 limit - just the cash in your accounts. The asset test is really designed to make sure people aren't sitting on large amounts of readily available cash while getting benefits.
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Mei Liu
This whole discussion has been really eye-opening! I'm new to both CalFresh and navigating California benefits in general. As someone who just moved here from another state, I had no idea about things like the Middle Class Tax Refund or how different types of payments interact with benefits. It's reassuring to know that one-time payments like tax refunds won't mess with my CalFresh eligibility. I'm still learning all the rules about reporting income changes and asset limits - it seems like there are a lot of nuances that aren't immediately obvious when you first apply. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge here, especially about the Income Reporting Threshold and asset limits. This kind of peer-to-peer information sharing is invaluable for people trying to navigate the system!
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Mason Davis
•Welcome to California! Moving states can definitely be overwhelming when it comes to figuring out all the different programs and rules. You're absolutely right that there are a lot of nuances that aren't clear upfront. One thing I'd recommend is keeping good records of any income changes and when they happen - it makes filling out your SAR7 much easier later. Also, don't hesitate to ask your county worker questions during your next contact with them. Most are pretty helpful once you get through to them. This community is great for getting real-world insights from people who've been through similar situations. Feel free to ask questions as they come up!
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