The United States federal government began a partial shutdown on October 1, 2025. This event lasted approximately 43 days, making it the longest government shutdown in the country’s history, and affected payments such as CalFresh (SNAP benefits) or Social Security benefits among many others. .
The shutdown ended around November 12 and 13 of the same year, following President Trump’s signing of a Continuing Resolution, identified as H.R. 5371. This legislation approved funding for government operations until September 30, 2026, ensuring that programs such as SNAP/CalFresh would not be immediately disrupted in the future.
USDA and California Issue Delayed CalFresh Benefits
The direct impact on CalFresh benefit distributions for November 2025 was significant. Payments for October had been distributed according to the usual schedule, between the 1st and 10th of that month, following the established procedure based on the last digit of each beneficiary’s case number. However, November was marked by widespread delays in the issuance of benefits.
At the beginning of November, funds were not loaded onto beneficiaries’ EBT cards. This situation stemmed directly from the USDA’s lack of budgetary authority to make expenditures during the shutdown.
A series of legal actions, including lawsuits filed by the state of California and other entities, resulted in court orders that forced the government to use contingency funds.
As a result of these measures, a limited number of households received partial or full disbursements in early November, approximately between the 6th and 10th of the month. However, a significant portion of beneficiaries received no payment at all or only a fraction of their full monthly benefit.
Finally, the CalFresh Benefits Were Disbursed
With the formal conclusion of the government shutdown on November 12 and 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and California state authorities immediately began the process of issuing the remaining November benefits. The reactivation of the payment systems was triggered by the signing of the continuing resolution that restored spending capacity to the agencies.
Regarding the back pay for November benefits, the answer is yes: they are being paid in full and retroactively. All eligible households that met the requirements to receive assistance during that month will receive the full amount due, despite the initial delay in distribution.
According to state’s officials, the outstanding payments began being loaded onto EBT cards in the days immediately following the end of the shutdown.
Most beneficiaries have already received, or will receive by November 20, their full November payment, including in cases where a partial payment had already been distributed as a result of previous court orders. SNAP/CalFresh benefits are not lost; program regulations stipulate that months with back payments must be paid retroactively once federal funding is restored.
Normalization of the CalFresh Payment Schedule
Starting in December 2025, the CalFresh program will fully resume its normal payment schedule. Funds will be deposited into beneficiaries’ accounts between the 1st and 10th of each month, according to the last digit of their assigned case number.
This return to the regular schedule is possible thanks to the budgetary certainty provided by the continuing resolution, which funds the government through the end of fiscal year 2026.
No Changes in the CalFresh Schedule
The specific distribution for December 2025 will follow the established sequence. Beneficiaries whose case number ends in 1 will receive their funds on December 1. Those ending in 2 will receive them on December 2, and so on down to those ending in 0, who will be served on December 10. This same distribution pattern will be applied for all subsequent months, ensuring predictability and stability in access to benefits.
Authorities have claimed that the funds corresponding to November 2025 have not been lost, but that it was only a delay beyond the control of the state of California.
