The CalFresh program, California’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits), will distribute its benefits for December 2025 in the first ten days of the month, returning to normal after the severe delays caused in November by the federal government shutdown that was subsequently resolved in Congress.
The distribution follows the standard staggered model, determined by the last digit of the beneficiary’s CalFresh case number. No holiday adjustments are anticipated in this cycle, as December 1, 2025, falls on a Monday, a business day. The disbursement of funds is an automated administrative process that recipients can track through their online accounts or authorized mobile applications.
California staggers payments over the first 10 days of the month. Your deposit date is tied to the last digit of your case number, as the following list.
Here’s the December 2025 CalFresh Schedule
| Last Digit of Case Number | December Deposit Date |
| 1 | December 1 |
| 2 | December 2 |
| 3 | December 3 |
| 4 | December 4 |
| 5 | December 5 |
| 6 | December 6 |
| 7 | December 7 |
| 8 | December 8 |
| 9 | December 9 |
| 0 | December 10 |
If your case number ends in 0, you’ll always be one of the last groups funded.
Official information confirms that the schedule for December 2025 remains unchanged from the usual plan. The lack of federal or state holidays coinciding with the main issuance dates contributes to this operational normality. County social services departments have not issued any alerts regarding changes or disruptions to the program for this specific month.
Maximum CalFresh / SNAP Benefits in December
CalFresh benefit amounts are calculated using a federal formula that considers household size, gross and net income, and certain allowable deductions. The maximum monthly amounts, effective October 1, 2025, set the limit for households with very low or no income.
As of December, these maximum limits include the 2026 2.8% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA):
| Household Size | Maximum Monthly Amount |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $298 |
| 2 people | $546 |
| 3 people | $785 |
| 4 people | $994 |
| 5 people | $1,183 |
| 6 people | $1,421 |
| 7 people | $1,571 |
| 8 people | $1,789 |
| Each additional person | +$218 |
These are for households with very low or no income; your actual amount is calculated by subtracting 30% of your net income from the maximum, according to the program’s standard explanation.
Consequently, the vast majority of recipients receive an average allocation lower than the published maximum amount, adjusted for their reported and verified economic situation.
Accurately estimating benefits requires using official tools or consulting directly with a case worker. Participants are encouraged to use the calculator available on portals such as GetCalFresh.org or contact your local CalFresh office for a personalized projection. These tools incorporate all applicable deductions, such as housing and dependent care expenses, to generate a figure closer to your final deposit.
November Payments Resolved After Federal Shutdown
A situation unrelated to the December cycle affected the previous month’s distribution. November 2025 payments experienced significant delays due to a federal government shutdown that impacted funding for programs like SNAP/CalFresh.
This event resulted in the initial issuance of partial or significantly delayed payments beginning in late October and early November. Distribution confusion was reported in several counties during that period.
The current status of those previous funds is resolution. “The shutdown was resolved, and full payments were issued starting November 6-7 in most counties (for example, in Santa Clara and San Diego, where the full benefits were loaded onto EBT cards).” Officials confirmed that by December 3, 2025, all November payments had been transmitted to the EBT card systems. No November payments will be rescheduled during December.
Recipients who still notice discrepancies in their November payments should initiate an individual verification. “If you haven’t received your payment or there’s a pending adjustment, check your balance in the EBT app or call 1-877-328-9677, as some individual cases may experience additional delays due to local processing,” a spokesperson told.