CalFresh EBT notification shows $0 balance despite benefit approval message - what's going on?

ya this hapnd to me in January!! stupid system sends out notices even when the money isnt there yet. check again in like 24hrs sometimes it takes a day for the actual $ to show up on ur card even tho they send the text

This sounds like a system glitch honestly. Did you report any changes on your SAR7 recently? Sometimes when there's income changes, the system approves you but then calculates a $0 benefit based on new income. What did your approval letter specifically say the benefit amount would be?

The SAME EXACT THING just happened to me!!! Got the text at 6:30am saying benefits deposited but NOTHING on my card. Called the number on back of card THREE TIMES and it keeps saying $0 balance. I'm so ANGRY right now!!! County office doesn't even open until 8am and then good luck getting through to a real person. This system is BROKEN!!!!

This happens sometimes when there's a timing issue between when the notification system runs and when the actual benefit deposit occurs. A few things to check: 1. Look in BenefitsCal for any notices about benefit changes 2. Check if you hit your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) with that raise you mentioned 3. Verify your case wasn't accidentally discontinued during recertification If none of those apply, you should definitely contact your county worker directly. It could be a system error they need to fix manually.

Yes, the IRT is different from the income limit. It's a threshold where you must report income changes before your next SAR7. For a family of 4 in 2025, it's typically around $3,800/month. If your income goes above that, you need to report it within 10 days even if it's not time for your SAR7. But if your worker already knew about the raise and confirmed you still qualify, then it's probably a system issue. Unfortunately, you'll likely need to contact your county office directly. The problem is getting through to them...

not to get off topic but does anybody know if we're getting those extra emergency allotments anymore? my neighbor said they ended but i still got extra last month

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at the county office! Turns out there was a SYSTEM ERROR on their end. The worker said several clients had the same issue today. They accidentally ran some kind of "batch processing" that flagged accounts with recent changes for review, even though those changes were already approved. She was able to fix it on her end and said the benefits should load within 24 hours. So thankful I got this resolved! For anyone else experiencing this, definitely contact your county office right away.

@Profile7 The worker I spoke with said they're aware of the issue affecting multiple accounts but recommended everyone call individually to get their specific case fixed. She couldn't just apply a blanket fix to all accounts because each one needs to be manually reviewed. She did say they're prioritizing these calls today though, so hopefully you'll get through soon!

For anyone still having trouble reaching someone, I wanted to share that the Claimyr service I mentioned earlier worked for me in a similar situation. Instead of waiting on hold for hours or getting disconnected, they basically navigated the phone tree and waited on hold for me. When they got a real person, they connected me right away. Saved me literally hours of frustration when I had a benefit emergency like this. The video on their site explains it better than I can: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

FINAL UPDATE: Benefits showed up this morning! Full $385 loaded on my card. So relieved. For anyone else who had this issue, definitely call your county office to get it fixed. Seems like it was a widespread system error. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

This is such a relief to see resolved! I've been dealing with CalFresh for 2 years now and these kinds of system glitches are way too common. It's scary how many people probably don't follow up and just assume they're not getting benefits when it's actually an error on the county's end. Really appreciate you posting the updates - it helps the rest of us know what to expect and that we need to be persistent in calling when something doesn't look right.

Wow, I'm so glad you were able to get this resolved Holly! As someone who just got approved for CalFresh last month, this kind of situation is exactly what keeps me up at night worrying. The fact that you got a notification saying benefits were deposited but nothing showed up would have sent me into full panic mode. It's really reassuring to know that when these system errors happen, there are actual people who can fix them - you just have to be persistent about calling. I'm definitely saving this thread as a reference in case I ever run into something similar. Thanks for taking the time to post all the updates, it really helps those of us who are newer to navigating this system!

This thread is so helpful! I've been receiving CalFresh for about 8 months now and I've noticed these kinds of system glitches seem to happen more often around the beginning of each month when benefits are being loaded. What I've learned is to always check both the EBT app/hotline AND BenefitsCal when something seems off, because sometimes one system updates before the other. It's also worth noting that if you ever get a notification like this and your benefits don't show up within 48 hours, definitely don't wait longer than that to call - the sooner you report the issue, the faster they can fix it. Holly, thanks for sharing your experience and walking us through the whole process. It's really valuable to see how you handled it from start to finish!

This whole thread has been incredibly educational! I'm about 6 months into receiving CalFresh benefits and Holly's experience really highlights how important it is to stay vigilant about our benefits and not just assume the system is working correctly. What struck me most was how multiple people had the exact same issue on the same day - it really shows that these aren't isolated incidents but can be widespread system problems affecting many families at once. I'm definitely going to start doing a monthly check routine where I verify my benefits loaded correctly instead of just assuming everything is fine. It's also reassuring to know that county workers are generally aware when these batch processing errors happen and will prioritize fixing them. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - this is exactly the kind of community knowledge that helps all of us navigate this complicated system more effectively!

This whole thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm pretty new to CalFresh (just got my EBT card about 3 weeks ago) and honestly, reading Holly's experience scared me at first but then really educated me about what to watch out for. The fact that she got a deposit notification but zero balance would have completely panicked me - I probably would have thought I did something wrong or my case got closed. It's so reassuring to see that system errors like this can be fixed when you know who to call and stay persistent. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and also check out that BenefitsCal site that people mentioned. Question for everyone - is there a specific time of month when these kinds of glitches are most common? I want to make sure I'm extra vigilant during those periods. Thanks Holly for sharing your whole experience and thanks to everyone else for all the helpful tips!

This is such valuable information for someone like me who just started the CalFresh application process! I submitted my paperwork two weeks ago and I'm still waiting to hear back, but reading Holly's experience and everyone's responses has really prepared me for what to expect once I start receiving benefits. The fact that you can get a notification saying benefits were deposited but nothing actually shows up is exactly the kind of thing I would have never thought could happen. I'm definitely going to save all the tips people shared here - especially about checking both the EBT system AND BenefitsCal, knowing about the 48-hour rule, and having the county office number ready. It's also really encouraging to see how helpful this community is when someone runs into problems. Holly, thank you for posting all those updates throughout your experience - it really shows the whole process from problem to resolution. This thread is going straight into my bookmarks!

This whole situation really highlights how stressful the CalFresh system can be when things go wrong! I've been receiving benefits for about a year now and I've learned that these notification glitches happen more often than they should. What really helped me was setting up alerts on my phone to check my EBT balance every month on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd - that way if there's a delay or error like Holly experienced, I catch it right away. It's also worth mentioning that if you ever can't get through to your county office (which happens A LOT), try calling early in the morning right when they open or later in the afternoon - I've had better luck during those times. Holly, I'm so glad you got this resolved and thanks for sharing all the updates! Your persistence really paid off and this thread is going to help so many people who run into similar issues.