UPDATE: Finally got through to EBT fraud department and reported the theft. They're sending me a new card that should arrive in 3-5 days. Also filed a police report online and got a case number. Called my county office first thing this morning and filed the CF 303 form. They said it could take up to 10 business days to process the claim and get my benefits reissued. In the meantime, I called 211 and got referred to two local food banks that can help us get through until the benefits are restored. Thanks everyone for your advice and support during this nightmare!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! EBT theft is unfortunately really common right now. Just want to add that if you're having trouble getting through to the EBT customer service line, try calling early in the morning right when they open (around 6 AM) - that's when the wait times are usually shortest. Also, make sure to screenshot or print out those fraudulent transaction records from your EBT account online as proof for your claim. The county will need those exact transaction details. Hang in there - I know it's scary but you're doing all the right things and you WILL get your benefits replaced!

The new cards don't work. That's the problem.

Hey is anyone still having trouble withdrawing cash from the ATMs or is it just me only?

For anyone who sees this thread later: This was a statewide EBT cash benefit outage that lasted from approximately 6am to 4pm on May 3, 2025. It only affected cash withdrawals from EBT cards, not food benefit purchases. If you experience this issue in the future, here are some steps to take: 1. Check if it's a widespread issue by calling EBT customer service at 877-328-9677 2. If you need immediate assistance, contact your county office directly 3. Remember you can often get cash back with purchases at grocery stores that accept EBT cash benefits 4. If you face hardship due to system outages, document everything for possible emergency assistance The system should be fully operational now, but these outages do happen occasionally.

Hey is anyone still having trouble withdrawing cash from the ATMs or is it just me only?

For anyone still showing pending status: I just received confirmation from the state CalFresh office that all remaining pending cases should be resolved by tomorrow morning. The technical issue affected approximately 30% of cases statewide, primarily those with case numbers ending in specific digits. If your benefits aren't available by tomorrow afternoon, you should contact your county office directly as your case might have a different issue requiring individual attention.

This thread has been so helpful! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with the same issue - my benefits have been pending since Monday. It's really reassuring to see that it's a widespread system problem and not something wrong with my case. I was starting to panic thinking I'd somehow messed up my recertification or something. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and especially @Gianna Scott for the official updates from the state office. It's frustrating that we have to rely on community forums to get real information instead of getting clear communication from the county offices directly. Fingers crossed mine updates tomorrow morning like they're saying!

I'm so glad to see this got resolved! I was about to post my own question about this exact same issue. I had problems yesterday too but figured it was just my local ATM acting up. It's really helpful to know that the grocery store cashback option works during these maintenance periods - I'll definitely remember that for next time. Does anyone know if there's a way to sign up for text alerts about planned system maintenance? It would save us all a lot of stress and confusion when these outages happen.

Hey is anyone still having trouble withdrawing cash from the ATMs or is it just me only?