CalFresh approved for $25 then stuck in 'pending' status before getting denial letter - what's happening?

This sounds like a system error to me. When you say you received a deposit, do you mean you can see the $25 on your EBT card balance? If yes, then you were definitely approved at some point. The pending status in BenefitsCal might be for your next month's benefits. But getting a denial letter afterward is strange. What exactly did the denial letter say? Did it give a specific reason for denial?

somethng similar happened to my sister last month!! the county is TERRIBLE with communication. she got approved but then also got a denial letter for the same exact application. turned out they were processing the same application twice in the system somehow??? make sure u keep calling dont give up

The CalFresh system is BROKEN! I had similar problems last year - approved for benefits, then randomly denied a month later with no explanation. Took me THREE MONTHS to get it fixed because nobody would call me back. I had to physically go down to the county office and wait 4 hours to speak to someone. They basically told me 'oops, computer error' and fixed it on the spot. It's ridiculous how they treat people who just need food assistance.

check ur EBT balance again, sometimes they put money on the card even after sending denial. my cousin had this happen and he kept getting benefits for like 3 months after a denial letter lol

This is actually a common issue I've seen. What likely happened is that you were initially approved for expedited CalFresh (the $25), but your ongoing case was denied because of a verification issue. Expedited benefits are a one-time emergency issuance while they process your full application. If something was missing from your verification documents (even something small), they could approve the expedited but deny the ongoing case. I recommend using Claimyr to get through to a real person at the county. It's a service that waits on hold for you and calls you back when a worker is available. I used it when I had a similar issue and got through within an hour after trying for days on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 and their website is claimyr.com. You'll need to specifically ask the worker to review what verification documents are missing, and request that they reopen your case if you can provide them now.

have you checked your mail carefully? sometimes they send a Request for Verification form with a deadline and if you miss it they auto-deny. also check your BenefitsCal message center, they sometimes put notices there instead of mailing them

Based on what you've shared, I'm fairly certain you received expedited CalFresh benefits while your regular application was being processed. The $25 was likely based on your income and household size for a partial month. Here's what you need to do: 1. Call the main CalFresh customer service line (not your worker) at the county and specifically ask about the verification documents that were missing 2. Request that they review your case for a potential administrative error 3. Ask if you can submit a new SAR7 (Semi-Annual Report) with current information 4. If they say you need to reapply, ask if they can backdate it to avoid a gap in benefits You have 90 days from a denial to appeal the decision, so you're still within that timeframe if you just got the letter. Don't give up - these errors happen frequently in the system.

Just wanted to follow up - did you get this resolved? I'm curious because my mom is applying for CalFresh soon and I want to know what issues to watch out for.

So glad you got it resolved! This is exactly why I always recommend people keep detailed records of their CalFresh applications. The system has so many glitches and communication issues. For anyone reading this thread - always save copies of everything you submit, keep track of who you spoke with and when, and don't be afraid to escalate if you're not getting responses. The county workers are often overloaded but there are good ones who will help if you can reach them. Thanks for sharing the update!