7 On Your Side has been helping thousands of people across the state. Our inbox has been flooded with viewers facing one hurdle after another.
Here are some of the top questions on what you need to do before the deadline.
If I received a card, do I have to activate it? Or will the funds be safe if the card hasn't been activated?
Yes, you have to activate it AND move the funds off of it before the deadline. ANY funds remaining on a Middle Class Tax Refund debit card - activated or not - will disappear at the deadline.
What is the actual deadline for getting money off of my card?
Thursday, April 30, at midnight.
RELATED: CA inflation relief cards expire April 30. Here's how to fix problems, see if you have money coming
Is my money okay if I started spending it before the deadline, and there's some left over on the card?
No. Any money that is still unspent or un-transferred from your card gets reclaimed by the state at the deadline. It needs to be OFF THE CARD to be "safe." Even if you spend everything except for one penny, the one penny will disappear at the deadline.
I can't get to the store in time to spend the money left on my card. What should I do?
You should transfer it off the card and have it sent to your bank account. You will need to activate the card and register it at mctrpayment.com or on the Money Network Mobile App. Then you will need to electronically transfer the money to a bank account via ACH transfer. The money should arrive within a few days.
RELATED: Californians flood ABC7 for last-minute help before inflation relief debit cards expire April 30
I didn't get a card and when I looked up my information with Money Network, it said I didn't have an account. What's going on?
If you received your tax refund that year as a direct deposit, you got these relief funds sent to you also as a direct deposit. Go through your statements for 2022 to see if you received any money from "FTB MCT REFUND." (Also, you really should be checking your bank statements more thoroughly and regularly!)
Can I ask for a new debit card to be sent to me?
It's already too late. That deadline was April 8, 2026.
Where does the money go if it's reclaimed by the state? Does it go to Unclaimed Property?
The money is added back to the state's general fund. It will NOT be sent to Unclaimed Property for you claim later. This is how the legislation ("Better for Families Act of 2022") that designated these refunds was written.
RELATED: Millions of Californians still have money on inflation relief debit cards -- they expire April 30
I got a check issued to me instead of a debit card or direct deposit. Do I need to cash or deposit it before the deadline?
No. As long as you have the check in hand, it is good until the expiration date as written on the check. Remember, if you got your funds as a check, your account was closed - there is nowhere for those funds to be sent "back" to. But if the check is expired, or if you lose the check, you've still lost out on those funds - the state will NOT issue a new check.
I heard there was a class action suit against Money Network for alleged mishandling of these funds, both for allowing fraud to happen or for missing people who should have received payments? Where can I sign up?
A lawsuit brought by the Kneupper and Covey law firm in August 2023 was dismissed in April 2024, as the court said the filers did not have standing.
Are we ever getting more payments like this?
Not as of now. These payments were a one-time thing created by the Better for Families Act of 2022. No other such legislation has been passed -- although who knows if another law will be passed in the future.
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7OYS's consumer hotline is a free consumer mediation service for those in the San Francisco Bay Area. We assist individuals with consumer-related issues; we cannot assist on cases between businesses, or cases involving family law, criminal matters, landlord/tenant disputes, labor issues, or medical issues. Please review our FAQ here. As a part of our process in assisting you, it is necessary that we contact the company / agency you are writing about. If you do not wish us to contact them, please let us know right away, as it will affect our ability to work on your case. If we are able to assist, we will reach back out to you.