CalFresh missing March payment after switching from PayPal Direct Deposit - anyone else?

CalFresh doesn't do direct deposit through PayPal or bank accounts... benefits only come on an EBT card. You might be thinking of CalWorks which is cash aid, not food benefits. Completely different programs.

CalFresh benefits are ONLY issued on EBT cards, not through direct deposit. CalWorks (cash aid) does offer direct deposit options including bank accounts, but I've never heard of PayPal being an option for government benefits. Are you sure you're not referring to your tax refund or the Middle Class Tax Refund (gas relief payment) from 2022-2023? Those sometimes went to PayPal accounts if you filed taxes that way. For actual CalFresh benefits, check your EBT card balance by calling the number on the back of your card or using the BenefitsCal app. Benefits are loaded on specific days of the month based on the last digit of your case number.

I HAD THIS EXACT ISSUE!!! It took them nearly 6 weeks to fix my direct deposit after changing from PayPal to my credit union account. The county kept saying the payment was issued but neither account had it. Turns out there was some verification issue with my new account info and the payment was suspended until they could confirm everything. You need to speak to an ACTUAL WORKER not just the customer service line.

did u update ur direct deposit on benefitscal or did u call them? i changed mine last year and had no issues but i did it online

I had a similar issue when I changed direct deposit info for my CalWorks benefits. Here's what I recommend: 1. Contact your county worker directly (not just the general customer service line) 2. Ask them to check if your direct deposit form was processed correctly 3. Request an emergency replacement if your payment hasn't been located within 3 business days 4. Double-check that you provided the correct account/routing numbers For CalWorks, they can issue an emergency replacement payment if benefits were sent to the wrong account. This is especially important if you need the funds for essential expenses. By the way, have you tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach a real CalWorks worker? I was getting disconnected constantly too, but they got me through to an actual person within 20 minutes. Their video demo shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 - it saved me hours of frustration when I had a similar payment issue.

OP here's the thing... direct deposit changes can take 1-2 payment cycles to fully process. The payment might be in limbo between your old and new accounts. I'd recommend checking with PayPal too - sometimes they hold funds if there's a verification issue. And just to be sure, double check your semi-annual report (SAR7) was submitted correctly, because missing paperwork can cause benefit interruptions.

The same thing happened to me but it was because I forgot to sign the direct deposit form 🤦‍♀️ Such a stupid mistake but it delayed everything. Check if your form was completed correctly. When I finally got through to my worker they told me the form was sitting there waiting for my signature even though I submitted it weeks ago.

Update us on what happens! Also, make sure to document everything - write down who you speak with, case numbers for any service requests, and confirmation numbers. This will help if you need to escalate the issue. In my experience, payment issues are usually resolved within 3-10 business days once you get in touch with the right person.

just for future reference CalFresh and CalWorks are different programs... CalFresh is SNAP (food stamps) that goes on EBT card only, CalWorks is cash aid that can go direct deposit. glad u got it figured out tho