East County News Service
April 23, 2026 (San Diego County) — The office of Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson of District 39 in the state of California has sent out a reminder to San Diego County residents about their Middle Class Tax Refund, and an April 30 deadline for the spending of that money.
Possibly for thousands of San Diegans, their Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) debit cards are officially one week away from use. Weber’s office reminds residents that any remaining balances on the state-issued cards will expire at the end of the month, with the funds pt back into California’s General Fund.
The MCTR program began in 2022 when California Governor Gavin Newsom and the State Legislature struck a $9.5 billion deal to provide “inflation relief.” Unlike previous stimulus efforts, the MCTR was tiered specifically to favor the middle and lower-income brackets, with payments ranging from $200 to $1,050 depending on income, filing status and the presence of dependents.
While the program was largely a success — state data shows that nearly 89 percent of the cards in San Diego County have been activated — the “unactivated” or “partially used” minority represents a significant sum of money.
The rules for the final week are rigid.
While you can still spend the funds at any retailer or transfer the balance to a personal bank account via the Money Network portal, the window for administrative help has closed and the deadline to request a replacement for a lost or stolen card has already passed.
If you have the card, you have seven days of “purchasing power” left. After April 30, the card becomes a useless piece of plastic.
How to claim your remaining balance
If you still have your card (look for the “Valid Thru 04/26” marking on the front), here is how to act before the deadline:
Check your balance by call the number on the back of your card or visit the Money Network FAQ page.
You can log in to the Money Network portal and initiate a one-time transfer to your personal savings or checking account.
The card functions as a standard Visa debit card. It can be used for groceries, utility bills or gas.
For more details on the program’s history and rules, visit the Franchise Tax Board’s MCTR webpage here.