EBT benefit deposit day chaos - ATM lines at 6AM for CalFresh?!
Is anyone else fed up with this monthly EBT deposit madness? This morning I got to the ATM at 5:55am to withdraw some cash and there was already a LINE of people trying to get their CalFresh/EBT funds! I couldn't believe it. Why should people who are already struggling have to wake up at the crack of dawn just to access their benefits? The whole system seems designed to make our lives difficult. And it's all because of those scammers who keep stealing benefits from honest recipients. The county needs to figure out a better way to protect our benefits without making us jump through hoops. Does anyone know if there's a way to request a specific deposit time or day that might be less chaotic? I'm a single mom with 3 kids and can't keep doing this early morning ATM rush every month.
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Freya Ross
OMG same!!! I hate benefit day so much. Last month I couldnt even get cash out til like 3pm cause the system was down. The struggle is real 😩
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Butch Sledgehammer
•It's ridiculous! Did your ATM charge you extra fees for trying multiple times? Mine did and I couldn't even get through to anyone at the county to complain about it.
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Leslie Parker
Just to clarify - are you talking about CalFresh benefits or CalWORKs? CalFresh benefits are loaded onto your EBT card but can only be used for food purchases at approved retailers, not for cash withdrawals at ATMs. If you're withdrawing cash, that would be CalWORKs benefits (the cash aid portion of your EBT). The timing of deposits is based on the last digit of your case number, which is why everyone shows up at once - everyone with the same ending digit gets their benefits loaded the same day.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•Oh right, sorry for the confusion. I get both CalFresh and CalWORKs on the same card. I was referring to the cash benefits part. I need the cash for rent and bills, and the food benefits for groceries. Is there any way to change which day my benefits get loaded? Mine always come on the 1st which seems to be when EVERYONE gets theirs.
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Sergio Neal
i waited til noon and had no problems. why does everyone rush at 6am lol just wait a few hours
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Freya Ross
•Because bills are due?? Some of us need that money ASAP to pay rent before the late fees kick in. Not everyone has the luxury of waiting until noon 🙄
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Savanna Franklin
The deposit timing for CalWORKs cash benefits is determined by a staggered schedule based on the last digit of your case number. Benefits are typically available from the 1st through the 10th of each month. You're right that the 1st is particularly busy because many recipients have bills due at the beginning of the month. If you're experiencing repeated issues with accessing your benefits, you could request a case number change, which might place you on a different deposit day. This requires contacting your county worker, but they don't always approve these requests without a compelling reason. You can also set up direct deposit to a bank account rather than using the EBT card for cash withdrawals, which might help you avoid the ATM lines altogether. Regarding the scammers, California has implemented some new EBT card security features in 2025, including the chip cards and the ability to freeze/unfreeze your card through the BenefitsCal app. Have you activated these security features yet?
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Butch Sledgehammer
•Thank you for explaining this! I didn't know I could request a case number change - that's really helpful. I'm going to call my worker tomorrow. And no, I haven't set up the security features yet... honestly I find the BenefitsCal app really confusing. But maybe I should make more of an effort with that if it helps prevent scamming.
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Juan Moreno
I've been dealing with this same issue for months! I finally got so fed up with the ATM lines that I tried calling my county office to see if I could get direct deposit instead of having to use the EBT card for cash withdrawals. Problem was, I could never get through - always got the dreaded "call volume is high" message and then disconnected. Finally, I tried this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually get through to a real person at the county. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you back when a worker is available. Showed my sister their video demo (https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8) and she used it too when she needed to report income changes. Anyway, once I got through to my worker, they set me up with direct deposit to my regular bank account for the CalWORKs portion, and now I don't have to deal with those ATM lines anymore. The food benefits still go on the EBT card but I can use that anytime at the grocery store.
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Amy Fleming
•Does that Claimyr thing actually work? I've been trying to get through to my worker for 3 weeks about my SAR7 that they claim they never received (even though I have proof I submitted it online). Might try this if it'll actually get me through to a human being.
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Juan Moreno
Yeah it worked for me! I was skeptical too but I was desperate after spending like 4 hours on hold over 3 days. Just make sure your phone is charged because when they do call back you want to be ready with all your case info and questions.
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Freya Ross
I think its cuz rent is due for most ppl on the 1st and landlords dont care if benefits are late they still want there $$$ on time😡
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Alice Pierce
•This right here! My landlord started charging a $75 late fee after the 3rd of the month, no exceptions. And my benefits don't hit until the 4th because my case number ends in 4. It's like the system is designed to keep us paying late fees!
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Esteban Tate
Not sure if this helps, but I once had a similar issue and discovered that some ATMs are less crowded than others. The ones near public assistance offices tend to be packed on benefit days, while ATMs in quieter residential areas or certain credit unions might have shorter lines. Just a thought!
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Butch Sledgehammer
•That's actually smart! I've been going to the one right by the welfare office because it doesn't charge fees for EBT withdrawals, but maybe the fee would be worth it to avoid the lines. I'll check out some other locations next month.
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Leslie Parker
To answer your original question about the scammers - the EBT benefit theft has been a major problem statewide. That's why they implemented the new chip cards this year. If you haven't received yours yet, you should contact your county office to request one, as they provide much better protection against skimming devices that thieves use. Also, I recommend checking your balance through the official EBT app or phone line before heading to the ATM - sometimes benefits are delayed by a few hours, so calling ahead can save you a wasted trip. The deposit times are supposed to be midnight, but the system doesn't always process everything right at 12:00 AM.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•I did get the chip card a few months ago, but honestly it doesn't seem to have changed much. Maybe I need to be more careful about where I use it? And good tip about checking the balance first - I hadn't thought of that!
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