California's $600 million inflation relief funds expire at midnight

Californians who have not yet spent or transferred their one-time inflation relief payments have until midnight Thursday to act, or roughly $600 million in remaining funds will revert permanently to the state general fund, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The deadline affects Orange County and statewide recipients of the Better for Families Act of 2022 middle-class tax refund — a one-time program with no successor legislation — meaning tonight marks the final opportunity to recover any unclaimed share of the payout.

The funds originate from the Better for Families Act of 2022, which established a one-time middle-class tax refund distributed through debit cards, direct deposits and paper checks. According to ABC7 Los Angeles, the legislation set a firm statutory deadline — meaning money left on the table after midnight cannot be reclaimed through California's Unclaimed Property program.

Debit card holders must either spend any remaining balance or electronically transfer it to a personal bank account before the cutoff. Transfers are available through the website mctrpayment.com or the Money Network Mobile App, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

Residents who received their refund as a direct deposit in 2022 can confirm receipt by searching bank statements for a line item labeled "FTB MCT REFUND." Those who received paper checks should check the expiration date printed on the check and cash or deposit it before that date.

The window to request a replacement debit card closed April 8, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. After midnight Thursday, balances remaining on activated or unactivated cards alike are forfeited to the state.

A class-action lawsuit against Money Network, the company that administered the debit card program, was dismissed in April 2024, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. No new comparable relief legislation has been enacted since.

Orange County residents with unclaimed debit card balances should log in to mctrpayment.com or open the Money Network Mobile App before midnight to complete a transfer to their bank account — the only remaining way to retain the funds.