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What to do if you haven’t received your California inflation relief check

California Capitol Building in Sacramento (Getty Images)

(NEXSTAR) – California has paid out more than $6.7 billion in inflation relief payments to taxpayers, but not everyone has gotten what they’re due. Direct deposits and debit cards are still being issued, according to the Franchise Tax Board, the state agency managing the Middle Class Tax Refund payments.

Payments between $200 and $1,050 are still going out in the order designated in payment schedule, which means there are still batches of debit cards that haven’t been put in the mail. Additionally, the FTB is still tying up loose ends with direct deposits.


Most people expecting to have received a direct deposit should already see it reflected in their bank account, but “some returns require additional review,” the FTB explains. That could create a delay for some recipients. It could also mean getting a debit card instead of a direct deposit.

If you haven’t received your payment yet, the first thing you should do is confirm you qualify for the Middle Class Tax Refund.

Then, you should verify your spot on the schedule (see below). That will help determine if your payment is late or still scheduled to come.

If you believe you should have received your payment already but haven’t, the FTB suggests contacting customer service at 1-800-542-9332. A customer service agent will help you confirm you qualify, explain what payment you’ll receive and when.

Direct deposit payments:

RecipientsPayment issue date
GSS I or II direct deposit recipients10/07/22 through 10/25/22
Non-GSS recipients who meet direct deposit requirements10/28/22 through 11/14/2022

Debit card payments:

RecipientsDebit card mailing timeframe
GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with A – E)10/24/2022 through 11/05/2022
GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with F – M)11/06/2022 through 11/19/2022
GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with N – V)11/20/2022 through 12/03/2022
GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with W – Z)12/04/2022 through 12/10/2022
Non-GSS recipients (last name beginning with A – L)12/05/2022 through 12/17/2022
Non-GSS recipients (last name beginning with M – Z)12/19/2022 though 12/31/2022
Direct deposit recipients who have changed banking information since filing their 2020 tax return12/17/2022 through 01/14/2023

At least 12.4 million payments have already been issued, according to the FTB.

“We have already made millions of payments, and almost 23 million California taxpayers and their dependents have benefited,” an FTB spokesperson told Nexstar. “FTB employees continue to work hard to ensure these payments go out as quickly as possible. We want taxpayers to know that we are not done making these payments, and millions of Californians are still waiting to receive their Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) payments. We will continue to make payments through January 2023.”

The payments are scheduled to wrap up on Jan. 14, 2023. The state expects to send out 18 million inflation relief payments in total.