When do CalFresh benefits get loaded on EBT card each month? Dates confusing me
I've been on CalFresh for almost 3 months now and I still can't figure out exactly when my benefits are supposed to hit my EBT card. They seem to come on different days each month? My caseworker just said something about it depending on my case number but wasn't specific. Does anyone know how to tell WHEN in the month I'm supposed to get my benefits? I'm trying to budget for my kids' food and it's stressful not knowing exactly what day the money will be there. Do they send a notification or something?
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Luca Bianchi
CalFresh benefits are distributed over the first 10 days of each month based on the last digit of your case number. If your case number ends in 1, you get benefits on the 1st. If it ends in 2, you get them on the 2nd, and so on. If your case number ends in 0, benefits are deposited on the 10th. You can actually check your case number on your approval notice or on your BenefitsCal account to know exactly which day you'll get your benefits every month.
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Zara Shah
•Ohhh that's why! My case number ends in 7 so I guess that's why I get it on the 7th. Thank you so much, this helps a lot with my budgeting. Is this the same for everybody in California or does it change by county?
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GalacticGuardian
i think its based on ur last name or someting. mine coms on the 4th evrey month but my sis gets hers on the 6th. we dont have the same last names tho so mabye thats it?? idk i just know mine always coms on the 4th
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Luca Bianchi
•It's definitely based on the last digit of your case number, not your last name. You and your sister must have case numbers ending in different digits. If yours comes on the 4th, your case number ends in 4. Her case number probably ends in 6 since she gets benefits on the 6th.
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Nia Harris
My benefits always come on the 8th of every month. Like clockwise. I think it depends on when you applied maybe? Or your birthday? Idk but it's always the 8th for me.
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Mateo Gonzalez
•It's not your birthday or application date. Please read the correct answer above - it's based on the last digit of your case number. Your case number must end in 8, which is why you get benefits on the 8th of each month. This has been the system in California for many years now.
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Aisha Ali
When I had trouble figuring out my benefit deposit schedule last year, I spent HOURS trying to get through to my county office. After getting disconnected three times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person in under 10 minutes. They have this system where they call the CalFresh office for you and then connect you once they reach a real person. Saved me so much frustration! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. The worker I talked to explained the whole schedule to me and even helped me with some other questions I had about my benefits.
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Zara Shah
•Thanks for this tip! I might need to call them about something else too. Did you have to wait long once they connected you?
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Aisha Ali
•Nope! That's the whole point of their service - they do the waiting for you. Once they got through, they just connected me directly to the worker. Total game changer if you've ever spent hours trying to reach someone at the county office.
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Ethan Moore
I used to work for a community food assistance program, and this is one of the most common questions we got. To be clear, CalFresh benefits are deposited onto your EBT card on a staggered schedule from the 1st through the 10th of each month. The exact day is determined by the last digit of your case number (not your EBT card number). This system was designed to prevent everyone from shopping on the same day and overwhelming grocery stores. Here's a quick reference: - Last digit 1: Benefits available on the 1st - Last digit 2: Benefits available on the 2nd - And so on through... - Last digit 0: Benefits available on the 10th If you ever lose track of your case number, you can find it on any correspondence from the county, or by logging into your BenefitsCal account. You can also call the EBT customer service number on the back of your card to check your next deposit date.
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Zara Shah
•Thank you for such a detailed explanation! Since I know my benefits come on the 7th now, I'm assuming my case number ends in 7. Is there any chance this could change randomly, or will it always be on the 7th as long as I'm on CalFresh?
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Ethan Moore
•Your benefits will continue to be deposited on the 7th of each month as long as you're eligible and your case remains open. The deposit day is tied to your case number, which typically doesn't change unless you close your case completely and reapply later (which might assign you a new case number). Even during recertification, your case number usually stays the same, so your deposit day wouldn't change.
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Yuki Nakamura
The CalFresh system is SO FRUSTRATING!! I've been on benefits for 2 years and they've randomly changed my deposit date TWICE with zero notification! I was expecting money on the 3rd like usual and suddenly nothing showed up until the 9th!! How are we supposed to feed our families when they just change things without telling us??? This is why people hate dealing with these government programs - they never consider how their "system changes" affect real people trying to survive! 😡
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Ethan Moore
•I understand your frustration, but the deposit dates don't change randomly - they're tied to your case number. If your deposit date changed, it's almost certainly because you had a case closure and reopening, which would have assigned you a new case number with a different last digit. When was your last recertification or did you have any period where your benefits stopped and then started again? That would explain the change in deposit dates.
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Yuki Nakamura
•They closed my case for supposedly not turning in a SAR7 that I DEFINITELY mailed in, then I had to reapply. So yeah I guess that's when it changed. But they should at least TELL people this could happen! Nobody explained this to me - I had to learn the hard way when my kids had no food because I was expecting money on the usual day.
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Nia Harris
Does anyone know if the deposit time is the same every month too? Like does it always hit at midnight or can it come later in the day? Sometimes I check at 12:01am and nothing's there yet lol
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Mateo Gonzalez
•In my experience, benefits are usually loaded very early in the morning on your assigned day - typically between midnight and 2am. If you check at 6am on your assigned day, they should definitely be there. I've never seen them come later in the day, but I suppose system issues could delay it occasionally.
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Zara Shah
Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I checked my approval letter and my case number does end in 7, which matches up with when I've been getting my benefits. I'll mark the 7th on my calendar each month so I can plan better. This community is so helpful! 😊
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GalacticGuardian
•glad u figured it out! im gonna go check my case # now cuz i was always confused too lol
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