EBT Cash Withdrawal Issues - ATMs showing 'Maintenance Error' but card works for food purchases?

Same thing happening to me since yesterday!!! Tried 4 different ATMs and NOTHING - just 'system maintenance' errors. Card works fine for food but I NEED my cash benefits for bus fare and laundry. Called the EBT customer service number on the back of the card and waited for 45 minutes before giving up. This is ridiculous, they can't just shut down cash access without warning us!!!

I just got cash out at the Chase ATM on Main Street about an hour ago with no problems. Maybe it's only affecting certain banks?

This happens sometimes when they're updating the EBT system. What's likely happening is that the CalFresh (food) side and the cash benefit side run on slightly different systems. That's why your food purchases work fine while cash access is limited. According to the last system status update from the Department of Social Services, they were scheduled for maintenance on the cash benefits platform from June 15-17, 2025 between midnight and 4am each day, but it looks like the maintenance window might be running longer than planned. If you need immediate cash access, try these options: 1. Some retailers like Walmart and grocery stores offer 'cash back' when making a purchase with EBT cash benefits 2. Try ATMs that are directly inside county welfare offices - these often remain functional during maintenance 3. Some credit unions may still process EBT cash withdrawals even when major banks cannot The system should be back up by tomorrow morning at the latest based on previous maintenance periods.

have u tried turning the card off and on again in the app? that worked for me once when my card wasnt working

I work for a community services organization that assists CalFresh and CalWORKs recipients, and we've been getting calls about this issue since yesterday afternoon. From what we understand, it's a planned maintenance that was supposed to be completed by 6am today but they're having technical difficulties. The cash function should be fully restored by tomorrow morning. If you absolutely need emergency cash access today, I'd suggest calling your county worker directly. They can sometimes authorize emergency funds when system issues are preventing access to benefits. Unfortunately, reaching workers can be difficult with the current hold times. I recently learned about a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that can help you get through to a CalFresh/CalWORKs worker much faster. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Several of our clients have used it to resolve urgent benefit access issues without spending hours on hold.

UPDATE: Using the cashback option at the grocery store WORKED!!! I bought a $1 pack of gum and was able to get $60 cash back using my EBT card. Thank you SO MUCH to whoever suggested that!!

this happens every few months tbh. the system always gose down and nobody tells us. my worker said they cant ever predict when maintenance happens they just get told last min too

Just checking back - are people still experiencing this issue today? The maintenance should have been completed overnight according to the DSS status page. If you're still unable to access cash benefits through ATMs, you should contact your county office as this might indicate a problem with your specific account rather than a system-wide issue.

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.

This is exactly why I always keep the EBT customer service number saved in my phone! I've been through this situation before and it's so stressful when you need cash urgently. For future reference, you can also try using your EBT card at some pharmacy chains like CVS or Walgreens - they often allow cash withdrawals even when bank ATMs are down. I learned this trick from my caseworker after getting stuck in a similar situation last year. The key is to ask the cashier to process it as a "cash purchase" rather than trying to use it at their ATM. Not all locations participate but it's worth asking if you're ever in a pinch again!

I'm new to receiving CalWORKs benefits and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I actually experienced this same issue two days ago but didn't know what was going on. I panicked thinking my benefits had been cut off or something was wrong with my account. It's reassuring to know this is a recurring system maintenance issue, though I agree it's frustrating they don't give us advance notice. I tried the grocery store cashback method at Safeway yesterday and it worked perfectly - got $40 cash back with a small purchase. Thank you everyone for sharing these workarounds! As someone still learning the ropes with EBT, these community tips are invaluable. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference.

I just wanted to add another tip that's helped me during these EBT cash system outages - some Dollar General and Family Dollar stores also allow cash back with EBT purchases, and they're often more accessible than larger grocery stores, especially in rural areas. I discovered this when I was stuck in a small town during a similar maintenance period last year. Also, for anyone dealing with this stress regularly, I've found it helpful to always keep a small emergency cash stash when possible (even just $20-30) from previous withdrawals, since these system issues seem to happen every few months without warning. It's not always feasible, but when you can manage it, that little buffer really helps reduce the panic when the ATMs go down unexpectedly. Glad to see the system is working again for everyone!

This thread has been so educational! I've been receiving CalFresh benefits for about 6 months now but this is the first time I've encountered a cash withdrawal issue. I was at the ATM yesterday trying to get money for my daughter's school supplies and kept getting that maintenance error. I honestly thought my card was broken or my benefits got suspended - my anxiety went through the roof! Reading everyone's experiences and solutions here has been such a relief. I had no idea about the grocery store cashback option or that pharmacies might work too. I'm definitely going to try some of these backup methods next time. It's frustrating that we have to figure out these workarounds on our own instead of getting proper communication from the system, but I'm so grateful for communities like this where we can help each other navigate these challenges. You all are amazing for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

I'm dealing with this same issue right now! My card was working fine for groceries this morning but when I tried to get cash for laundry money at the Wells Fargo ATM near my apartment, it kept saying "temporary service unavailable." I was starting to worry that my CalWORKs benefits got cut or something. Reading through all these comments has been such a huge relief - knowing it's just system maintenance and not a problem with my account. I'm definitely going to try the grocery store cashback trick tomorrow. It's really frustrating that they don't send any kind of notification about these maintenance windows, especially when so many of us depend on cash access for basic needs like rent, utilities, and transportation. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is invaluable for navigating all the quirks of the EBT system!

This thread is such a perfect example of why community support is so crucial for navigating the EBT system! I've been using CalFresh and CalWORKs benefits for over 2 years now and I've experienced this exact scenario probably 4-5 times. The first time it happened, I was absolutely terrified - you immediately assume the worst when your benefits suddenly don't work. What's really helped me is keeping a running list in my phone notes of all these backup options everyone has shared: grocery store cashback, pharmacy withdrawals, Dollar stores, credit union ATMs, etc. I also learned to follow a few CalFresh advocacy groups on Facebook and Twitter because they sometimes post heads-ups about planned maintenance when they hear about it from their contacts at DSS. It's ridiculous that we have to rely on word-of-mouth and community knowledge to work around system issues, but I'm so grateful places like this exist where we can share solutions and reassure each other that these outages are normal (if frustrating) occurrences. For anyone new to the system reading this - save this thread! These tips will definitely come in handy again.

I'm going through this exact same issue right now! Just tried three different ATMs this evening and all giving me "system maintenance" errors, but my card worked fine at Target earlier today for groceries. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - I was starting to panic that something was wrong with my benefits. The grocery store cashback trick is genius and I'm definitely trying that tomorrow morning. It's so frustrating that they don't give us any advance notice about these maintenance windows, especially when we depend on cash access for basic needs like rent and utilities. Thank you all for sharing your workarounds and experiences - this community knowledge is invaluable for navigating all the quirks of the EBT system that nobody officially tells us about!