When will February 2025 CalFresh emergency allotments hit EBT cards in LA County?
Has anyone heard exactly when LA County is releasing the emergency allotments for CalFresh this month? My regular benefits just loaded yesterday (the 10th), but no emergency amount yet. Last month they came on the 15th but sometimes they're earlier. My rent just went up $175 and I'm really counting on that extra amount this month. Called the EBT customer service but the automated system just gave me my regular balance. Anyone know the February schedule for LA County specifically?
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Mateusius Townsend
mine came in on the 16th last month so probly around then again
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Demi Hall
•Thanks! Did your regular benefits and emergency amount come separately last month too?
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Kara Yoshida
I HATE how they never give us a straight answer about this!!!! I called yesterday and the automated system kept saying "your benefits have been issued" but ONLY meant the regular amount. Why can't they just tell us a consistent date? Every month it's guessing games while we try to budget for our families. So frustrating!!!!
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Philip Cowan
•I feel you. Last month I planned my grocery trip for the 14th thinking the emergency amount would be there, and it wasn't loaded until the 16th. Had to put stuff back at the register which was embarrassing.
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Caesar Grant
The emergency allotments for LA County in February 2025 are scheduled for release between the 14th and 17th of the month. CalFresh emergency allotments always come after your regular benefits, usually 5-7 days later, but the exact date can vary slightly by county. For LA County specifically, they tend to release in batches over a 3-4 day period based on the last digit of your case number. Keep in mind that emergency allotments aren't guaranteed every month - they're tied to the state emergency declaration and federal approval. They typically announce each month if they're continuing, but sometimes the announcement comes last-minute. You can check for official updates on the CDSS website or the LA DPSS site.
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Demi Hall
•Thank you for the detailed info! I didn't realize they released them based on case numbers. Mine ends in 7, if that matters. And good point about them not being guaranteed - I've just gotten used to receiving them every month. Is there a way to find out if they're approved for future months?
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Lena Schultz
Have you tried calling the LA County DPSS directly? The EBT customer service line won't have specific info about emergency allotment dates - they only handle card-related issues. You need to speak with an actual CalFresh worker at the county office to get accurate information about the emergency allotment schedule for this month. I had success using Claimyr.com to get through to a real person instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a service that calls DPSS for you and connects you when a real person answers. Saved me literally hours of waiting. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 - worked great when I needed to ask about my SAR7 processing time.
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Gemma Andrews
•Do they actually know the dates tho? I called my county office last month and even the worker I spoke to didn't know the exact date when emergency benefits would load. They just said "within the month" which wasn't helpful at all.
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Lena Schultz
•In my experience, if you specifically ask about the emergency allotment schedule for your county, most workers do have access to that information. They can see the batch processing dates in their system. You just have to be very specific about what you're asking - not just "when will I get my benefits" but specifically about the emergency allotment schedule for LA County.
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Pedro Sawyer
Ugh I hate how confusing all this is. I thought emergency allotments were ending? My cousin in San Bernardino County said they got a notice that February is the last month, but I haven't gotten anything like that. Do different counties have different rules? My caseworker never explains anything clearly and I'm afraid to ask too many questions in case they look for reasons to cut my benefits. Last time I called with a question they started asking for all kinds of extra verification I didn't have.
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Caesar Grant
•Emergency allotments are statewide, so they either continue or end for all counties at the same time. The confusion might be because they announce continuations month-by-month. Currently, they're approved through February 2025, but there hasn't been an announcement yet about March. This is normal - they often don't announce until the previous month is almost over. And please don't worry about asking questions! Asking for clarification about your benefits won't trigger any kind of review. The verification they asked for was likely part of a normal processing requirement, not because you called with questions.
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Pedro Sawyer
•thanks for explaining! my anxiety just goes through the roof with anything benefit related because I'm supporting 3 kids on my own and can't afford to lose anything. makes sense about the statewide thing.
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Demi Hall
Just wanted to update everyone - my emergency allotment just hit my EBT card today (Feb 15th)! Checked my balance this morning and it wasn't there, then checked again after dinner and the extra amount had been added. So for anyone else waiting in LA County, they're processing them now!
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Mateusius Townsend
•thx for update! gonna check mine now
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Kara Yoshida
•Still nothing on mine yet! My case number ends in 9 so maybe they're going in order? Will check again tomorrow. Thanks for letting us know they started going out!
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Philip Cowan
My sister works for Sacramento County and she told me emergency allotments happen the same days for all counties, it's just that they spread them out over a few days so the system doesn't crash. She said to always count on it being between the 15th-18th every month. The emergency allotments are all done through the same state computer system, not individual counties. Hope that helps!
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Pedro Sawyer
•Oh that makes sense about spreading them out! I was wondering why some people get them on different days. My friend and I both have CalFresh in the same county but almost always get our emergency amounts on different days, even though our regular benefits come on the same day. The system is so confusing sometimes!
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