I've been having the exact same issue! The phone system kept saying my card number was invalid even though I was entering it correctly. What worked for me was clearing my phone's cache and trying again - apparently sometimes the system gets confused if you've called multiple times in a short period. Also, if you have a smartphone, I highly recommend downloading the ConnectEBT app that others mentioned. It's actually more reliable than the phone system and you can check your balance, see recent transactions, and even find nearby stores that accept EBT. I've been using it for about 6 months now and it's never let me down, unlike the phone line which seems to have issues every few weeks.

I'm having the exact same problem! The EBT phone line has been saying "invalid card number" for me since Monday, even though my card works fine at stores. It's so frustrating when you're trying to budget and plan your grocery shopping but can't check your balance. I downloaded the ConnectEBT app based on the recommendations here and it's working perfectly - I can see my balance and recent transactions with no issues. I also tried the text option someone mentioned (texting "BAL" to 96539) and that worked too! It's really disappointing that CalFresh doesn't do a better job communicating about these system outages or promoting the alternative ways to check your balance. Thank you everyone for sharing these workarounds - this community is more helpful than the actual customer service sometimes!

Based on everything you've shared, especially about changing from biweekly to weekly pay and the timing coinciding with your Medi-Cal update, I think we've identified some likely causes. Here's what I recommend doing: 1. Use Claimyr or keep trying to reach your caseworker 2. Ask specifically about your income calculation method in the system 3. Request they check if your payment frequency is correctly coded 4. Ask them to review any system notes from when you updated your Medi-Cal information 5. Request a written explanation of each benefit change If they can't resolve it immediately, follow the advice about requesting a state hearing. The good news is this sounds fixable, and you may be eligible for restored benefits once they correct the error.

I'm dealing with something similar but mine seems to happen around the same time each month rather than every 6 weeks. After reading through all these responses, I'm wondering if there's a widespread issue with how the system handles income calculations when people have non-standard pay schedules. @StormChaser - definitely try that Claimyr service that @Zainab Ibrahim mentioned. I've been meaning to try it myself since I can never get through either. Also, make sure to ask your caseworker to pull up your "income conversion method" in their system - that seems to be a key thing based on what @Miguel Castro said about weekly vs biweekly pay issues. One more thing - if you do get back benefits, they should include interest if the error was on their end. Don't let them shortchange you on that either!

Thank you for this clear explanation! I checked my transaction history and that's exactly what happened - my September benefits came at the end of August. I wish they would make this clearer when they do early deposits. At least now I know what to expect around holidays.

I'm new to CalFresh and this thread has been super helpful! I just want to add that if anyone else is confused about their deposits, you can also check your benefit letter or log into your county's online portal. Mine shows a calendar view of when my benefits will be deposited each month, which has been really useful for planning my grocery budget. Also, I learned that if you ever think there's an error with your deposit amount, you have to report it within 90 days or you might lose the right to get it corrected. Just thought that might be useful info for others navigating this system!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the county office using that Claimyr service someone suggested here (actually worked!). There is indeed a system-wide issue with EBT cards at ATMs today in several counties. The rep said it should be resolved by end of day. In the meantime, she suggested using the card directly at checkout which I tried and IT WORKED! So if anyone else is having this problem, skip the ATM and just use your card at the register. Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad you got it sorted out! This is exactly why I love this community - people actually help each other figure things out. I'm definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service for future reference. These system outages are so stressful when you're trying to feed your family and have no idea what's going on. Really wish CalFresh would send out notifications when there are known issues like this!