When will January 2025 CalWORKs extra allotment be available on EBT cards?
Does anyone know exactly when the extra CalWORKs allotment will hit our EBT cards in January? My worker mentioned something about getting additional funds this month but wasn't clear about the date. I've got rent due on the 5th and really need to know if this money will be available before then. Called the county twice but got stuck in the automated system both times. Anyone else getting this extra money and know when it's supposed to be deposited?
17 comments


Elijah Knight
wat extra allotment? nobody told me about any extra $ for january. is this only for people with kids or something?
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Brooklyn Foley
•The January supplemental payment is part of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that was approved for 2025. It's not just for families with children - all CalWORKs recipients should get it. They're distributing it separately from your regular Cash Aid payment this month because of how the system updates were implemented. The funds should be available on January 10th according to the CalWORKs bulletin that was sent to county offices last month.
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Jay Lincoln
I think you're talking about the COLA increase?? My worker said it's coming on the 10th of January. But I'm not 100% sure we're talking about the same thing. Is this the regular CalWORKs cash aid or something different? I'm confused because I keep hearing different things from different people at the office. One person told me it would be with my regular deposit and another said it would be separate.
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Sophia Carson
•Yeah I think it's the COLA increase! Thanks for the Jan 10th date - that helps but unfortunately it's after my rent is due. Ugh. My worker definitely said it would be separate from the regular payment. Did they tell you how much it's supposed to be?
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Jay Lincoln
•They told me it depends on your family size and grant amount. For me (single parent with 2 kids) they said about $85 extra. But I've heard some people are getting different amounts so I think it varies. Really wish they'd be more consistent with their information!!
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Jessica Suarez
The January 2025 supplemental payment (often called the "extra allotment") for CalWORKs recipients is scheduled to be deposited on January 10th. This is the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that was approved in the state budget. It's being distributed separately from your regular CalWORKs payment this month due to programming requirements in the CalWIN system. The amount varies based on your household size and grant amount, but generally ranges from $30-$110 per household. This is separate from your regular Cash Aid payment and will show as a distinct transaction on your EBT card history. Unfortunately, there's no way to get this payment earlier than the 10th as it's a system-wide distribution date.
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Sophia Carson
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! That makes sense now. Just wish they would've made this more clear when I talked to my worker. Guess I'll have to figure something else out for my rent situation.
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Marcus Williams
On a slightly related note, has anyone else noticed that the CalWIN system seems to be glitching lately?? I tried to check my benefit status online yesterday and it kept logging me out. Wonder if it's related to them programming in these new payments or whatever.
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Lily Young
•YES!!! The entire BenefitsCal portal has been a NIGHTMARE this week! I couldn't even see my upcoming payments and the message center wasn't working AT ALL. Called and waited for 2 HOURS only to be told "the system is undergoing updates" - conveniently right when people need to check their January benefits! They do this EVERY TIME there's a change!
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Kennedy Morrison
Hey, I had the same problem last month trying to figure out when my payment was coming. After spending days trying to get through on the regular line, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at the CalWORKs office in like 25 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Saved me so much headache and I actually got answers about my payment. Might help if you need more specific info about your case and the extra money.
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Marcus Williams
•does that actually work? i tried calling so many times last month about my SAR7 and just gave up cuz nobody ever answered
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Kennedy Morrison
•Yeah it actually did work for me! I was super skeptical too but I was desperate after calling for 3 days straight and getting nowhere. They got me through to a person who could actually look up my case info.
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Elijah Knight
wait does this mean theyr giving us more money every month from now on or just january? im so confused
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Brooklyn Foley
•The COLA increase is permanent - it raises your base grant amount going forward. In January, it's being paid as a separate deposit on the 10th, but from February onward, it will just be included in your regular payment amount. So yes, this is an increase to your monthly benefit that continues, not just a one-time payment.
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Lily Young
I just got off the phone with my county office (after THREE CALLS and being disconnected TWICE). They confirmed January 10th for the extra payment. But here's the ridiculous part - they're calling it an "adjustment payment" not an "extra allotment" which is why some workers are giving different information. TYPICAL bureaucratic nonsense, calling the same thing different names and confusing everyone!! They need to get their terminology straight!!
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Sophia Carson
•Thank you for confirming! That explains why there was confusion when I asked about the "extra allotment" - my worker probably knew it as the "adjustment payment" instead. So frustrating when they use different terms for the same thing.
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Wesley Hallow
My sister got the extra money last year too. It should show up as a seperate deposit. If its like last year itll say something like "CAW ADJ" on your EBT transaction history when it hits your account.
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