May CalFresh Benefits to Arrive May 1; April Benefits Added March 22

The State of California Department of Social Services normally issues benefits on EBT cards on the 1^st through the 10^thof each month. CalFresh EBT cards are like credit cards, where benefits are added monthly to help eligible low-income residents pay for food during the coming month.

However, April benefits were issued to Sonoma County CalFresh recipients early, on March 22. To shorten the period between monthly benefits being added to EBT cards, the State is issuing May benefits early.

In Sonoma County, the early benefits were issued to 12,991 residents.

CalFresh recipients may want to budget these early benefits so they stretch until the May benefits arrive, says Felisa Pinson, Division Director of the Sonoma County Human Services Economic Assistance Division, which manages the CalFresh program. If a family does run out of food, we encourage them to seek help at our local food banks to meet their needs.