CalFresh EBT card suddenly canceled despite active case and remaining balance - what happened?

this happened to me last yr!! they said my card was inactive cuz i didnt use it for 90 days but i DEFINITELY used it every month. turned out they had a system glitch

There are a few reasons why an EBT card might get canceled even when your CalFresh case is active: 1. Card security issues - if the system detected unusual activity 2. Card reported as lost/stolen (sometimes by mistake) 3. System errors during benefit transfers 4. County worker accidentally canceled the card during case maintenance 5. Card damaged/demagnetized (though this would usually just fail to read, not show as canceled) You'll need to contact your county office to resolve this. They can issue you a new card, but you might need to visit in person to pick it up. Some counties offer emergency replacement cards same-day if you explain your situation.

SAME EXACT THING just happened to my sister last month!! She had to go DOWN TO THE OFFICE and wait 4 HOURS to get a new card. They claimed she "requested" a replacement which she NEVER DID. They made her fill out a fraud form and everything. The whole system is messed up!!! And of course they don't care that her kids had nothing to eat for 2 days while this got sorted out. 😡

Have you tried checking your BenefitsCal account online? Sometimes there are notices or messages there that explain what's happening with your case that might not have arrived in the mail yet. Also, did you recently move or update your address? Sometimes they automatically deactivate cards when address changes happen as a security measure.

This is a pretty common issue unfortunately. Your benefits are still there (that's good!), but you'll need to get a replacement card. Call your county office ASAP - ask specifically for the EBT card desk or emergency replacement. If you explain you have children and no access to food benefits, they should prioritize your case. One tip that helped me get through to the CalFresh office quickly was using Claimyr.com. It got me through to a real person in about 10 minutes when I was dealing with a similar card issue. They have a short video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Saved me hours of repeated calling and automated system frustration.

did u check if ur card expired? ebt cards have expiration dates just like credit cards... its usually like 4 years or smthing but maybe urs hit the date? the annoying thing is they dont always send u a new one automatically lol

UPDATE: I called my county office and after waiting on hold for 45 minutes, they confirmed there was a system error that canceled several cards in my county. They've issued me a new card which I can pick up tomorrow morning with ID. They said my benefits are safe and will transfer to the new card automatically. For anyone else experiencing this issue, definitely call your county office directly - the EBT customer service line couldn't do anything to help. Thanks everyone for your advice!

wait i'm confused... is CalFresh the same as food stamps? I just moved to cali from arizona and am still trying 2 figure out the system here. I had SNAP benefits before

This is such a frustrating situation! I'm a newcomer here but I've been dealing with CalFresh for about 6 months now. Just wanted to say that what happened to you sounds exactly like what my neighbor experienced a few weeks ago - her card got randomly deactivated even though her case was fine. She ended up having to go to the county office in person because the phone lines were impossible to get through. One thing that helped her was calling first thing in the morning right when they open - apparently that's when you have the best chance of getting through without waiting forever. Also, if you have any local CalFresh advocacy groups or food banks in your area, they sometimes have direct contact numbers for caseworkers that can bypass the main phone system. I really hope you get this sorted out quickly - no family should have to go without food because of system glitches! Keep us posted on how it goes.

I'm new to this community but I've been on CalFresh for about a year now and this exact same thing happened to me a few months ago! It's so scary when your card just stops working out of nowhere, especially when you have kids depending on those benefits. What worked for me was actually going to the county office first thing in the morning - I got there about 15 minutes before they opened and was one of the first people in line. They were able to issue me a temporary card that same day while they figured out what went wrong with my regular one. Also, if you're really struggling to get food today, don't forget about local food banks and churches - many of them don't require any paperwork and can help bridge the gap while you sort out the EBT issue. I know it's not ideal, but when your kids are hungry, every option helps. Hope you get this resolved quickly! The system definitely has its glitches but at least your benefits are still there waiting for you.

I'm pretty new to this community and California in general, but I wanted to share that something similar happened to my aunt last month! Her EBT card got deactivated randomly even though her case was active. What really helped her was calling the county office super early - like right at 8am when they open - and she actually got through in about 20 minutes instead of hours. Also, I don't know if this helps, but she found out there was a fraud alert on her account that got triggered automatically when she used her card at a new store location. Even though it wasn't actually fraud, the system flagged it and deactivated her card as a "safety measure." Might be worth asking about when you call - sometimes they can see these alerts even if you haven't been notified about them. Really hoping you get this sorted out today! It's so stressful when you can't access your benefits, especially with kids to feed.

I'm new to both this community and the CalFresh system, but I wanted to share what I learned from a similar experience my family had recently. My mom's EBT card got randomly deactivated last month even though her case was completely active - turned out it was flagged by their fraud detection system when she made a large grocery purchase (she was stocking up during a sale). What really helped us was keeping detailed records - we wrote down every phone call, reference numbers, and who we spoke with. The county workers seem to take you more seriously when you can reference specific case details and previous conversations. Also, if you do have to go in person, try to bring any documentation you have about recent transactions or case status - it can speed things up. One more tip: some counties have specific "emergency" phone lines for urgent EBT issues that are separate from the general CalFresh line. Might be worth asking if your county has one when you do get through. Hope you get this resolved quickly - no parent should have to worry about feeding their kids because of system glitches!

I'm really new to this community and just started receiving CalFresh benefits a couple months ago, so this is honestly terrifying to read! The idea that your card can just randomly get canceled even when everything else is working properly is so scary, especially when you have kids depending on those benefits. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and tips here - it's clear this is unfortunately more common than it should be. The advice about calling early in the morning and asking about emergency phone lines is really helpful. I'm definitely going to save this thread in case I ever run into something similar. @Nia Thompson I really hope you were able to get through to your county office and get this resolved quickly! Please update us when you can - I think a lot of us would feel better knowing how it turned out. No family should have to stress about accessing their food benefits because of system errors.

I'm new to this community and just started with CalFresh a few months ago, so reading about these random card cancellations is really concerning! It sounds like you're dealing with a frustrating but unfortunately common system glitch. From what everyone has shared, it seems like the best approach is to call your county office directly rather than the general EBT customer service line. The early morning calling strategy that several people mentioned makes a lot of sense - I'll definitely remember that tip if I ever face a similar issue. It's reassuring to know that even when the card gets canceled, your benefits are still safe and will transfer to a new card. But I can't imagine how stressful it must be to not be able to buy groceries for your kids while waiting for this to get resolved. I hope you're able to get through to your county office today and get a replacement card quickly. Please keep us updated on how it goes - it would be really helpful to know what the resolution process looks like since this seems to happen more often than it should. Wishing you the best!

I'm really new to this community and the CalFresh system, so this situation sounds absolutely terrifying! The fact that your card can just randomly get canceled while your case is still active and you have benefits available is such a scary system flaw, especially when you have kids depending on those benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like this is unfortunately more common than it should be. The consistent advice about calling your county office early in the morning (right when they open at 8am) seems to be the key to getting through quickly. I'm definitely making a note of that tip along with asking about emergency phone lines specifically for EBT issues. It's somewhat reassuring that your benefits are still there and will transfer to a new card, but I can't imagine how stressful it must be to not be able to feed your family while waiting for this to get resolved. I really hope you were able to get through to your county office and get a replacement card today! Please update us when you can - it would be really helpful to know how the resolution process went since this seems to be an ongoing system issue that could affect any of us. Sending positive thoughts that you can get groceries for your kids soon!

I'm brand new to this community and just got approved for CalFresh last month, so reading about your situation is really eye-opening and honestly pretty scary! The fact that cards can just randomly get canceled even when your case is active is something I had no idea could happen. From reading through all the responses here, it sounds like calling your county office directly first thing in the morning (right at 8am) is your best bet for getting through quickly. Several people mentioned this strategy worked much better than calling the general EBT customer service line or trying later in the day. I'm also taking notes on the suggestion to ask about emergency EBT phone lines - apparently some counties have separate numbers for urgent card issues that can bypass the regular wait times. And if phone calls don't work, going to the county office in person early in the morning seems to be the most reliable way to get a same-day replacement card. It's at least reassuring that your $178 in benefits are still there and will transfer to your new card automatically. But I can't imagine how stressful this must be when you need to buy groceries for your kids right now. Really hoping you get this resolved today! Please keep us updated on what happens - as someone new to the system, it would be really helpful to know how these situations typically get resolved. Hang in there!