EBT card suddenly not working at stores - CalFresh benefits showing but can't buy food

There are a few things that could be happening here: 1. Your card might be damaged or demagnetized (happens a lot with EBT cards) 2. Your benefits might be showing in your account but on hold for some reason 3. There could be a PIN issue - sometimes the system resets PINs 4. Your semi-annual report (SAR7) or recertification might have been due and not processed First thing - try using the EBT card at an ATM just to check your balance directly from the machine (not the phone system). Sometimes the phone system shows outdated info. If that confirms you have money, then try changing your PIN through the automated system. If none of that works, you need to reach your county office directly.

did u try turning the card different way? sometimes the cashiers swipe it wrong. or try using the chip if ur card has one. mine stopped working 4 times last year and it was just the magnetic strip getting worn out. they can mail u a new 1

This happened to me a few months ago - turns out they had put my benefits on hold because they claimed they sent me a verification request that I never responded to (I NEVER received it!). The most frustrating part was my CalFresh account online showed the benefits were available, but they were basically frozen. You absolutely need to talk to someone at your county office, but I know how impossible that seems. After trying for days, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a live person in about 10 minutes. You go to claimyr.com and they basically wait on hold for you and call you when they get a real person. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Totally worth it to avoid the hours of frustration. Once I finally got through, they fixed my issue that same day and I could use my card again.

Yes, it actually does work! It's the only way I've been able to reach anyone at the county office in the last year. Saved me hours of hold time and frustration.

THEY ARE ALWAYS DOING THIS!! The system is DESIGNED to make it impossible to get help. I've had my benefits mysteriously stop working 3 times in the past 2 years even though my account showed money available. Each time it was some stupid paperwork issue they never bothered to tell me about!!! Once was because they claimed I missed an interview that was never scheduled. Another time they said my verification documents "couldn't be read" but never asked me to resend them. The THIRD time they said I had another case in another county (I HAVE NEVER LIVED ANYWHERE ELSE). The system is broken on purpose to discourage people from getting the benefits they're entitled to!!!!!

Have you checked BenefitsCal to see if there are any notifications or alerts on your account? Sometimes they post messages there about required actions even if they don't successfully contact you another way. Also, did you recently hit your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT)? If your income went up and crossed that threshold (it's listed on your approval notices), and you didn't report it, that could cause a hold on benefits.

maybe u owe money back from an overpayment and they froze ur account? my sister had that happen and they took all her benefits for 2 months without warning her first

Just to clarify - they absolutely cannot legally just freeze your benefits without sending you a Notice of Action first. If they have, that's an appealable issue. Once you get through to someone, ask specifically if any notices were sent, when they were sent, and to what address. If they failed to properly notify you, make sure to mention that you want to appeal based on lack of proper notification.

glad you got it fixed! the same thing happened to my neighbor last month. the system is so broken!

So glad you got this resolved! This is exactly why I always recommend people keep detailed records of when they update their address with CalFresh. I've seen this same issue happen to multiple people - they update their address but somehow the system doesn't properly sync across all their databases. For anyone else reading this thread, here's a pro tip: after updating your address through BenefitsCal or by calling, wait about a week and then call back to confirm your address change went through in ALL their systems. Ask them to read back your current mailing address on file. I learned this the hard way after missing important notices myself. Also, that Claimyr service sounds like a lifesaver. I'm definitely bookmarking that for future reference. The fact that we need a third-party service just to reach our own county workers is ridiculous, but at least there's a solution that works!

This whole thread is so helpful! I'm new to CalFresh and had no idea there could be so many technical issues that aren't immediately obvious. The fact that your benefits can show as available but still be frozen without proper notification is terrifying - especially when you have kids to feed. I'm bookmarking that Claimyr service for sure. It's sad that we need a third-party tool just to reach the people who are supposed to help us, but I'm grateful solutions like this exist. And the tip about double-checking address changes is gold - I would never have thought to follow up and make sure it went through properly in all their systems. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. This is exactly the kind of real-world advice that makes a difference when you're stuck in the system!

This is such a common issue and it's so frustrating! I went through almost the exact same thing a few months ago. My card showed a balance but kept getting declined everywhere I tried to use it. One thing that helped me while I was waiting to get through to the county office - some food banks and community organizations can provide emergency food assistance even if you're already on CalFresh. I found that searching for "emergency food assistance" + my zip code brought up several local resources that helped bridge the gap while I was dealing with the EBT issues. Also, if you have friends or family who can help temporarily, some stores will let you use cash/debit to buy groceries and then reimburse you once your EBT is working again. I know that's not always an option for everyone, but it might help get food on the table for your kids while you're sorting this out. So glad you got it resolved with that Claimyr service - definitely saving that information for future reference! The fact that it was just an address mix-up that caused all this stress is exactly the kind of bureaucratic nightmare that makes this system so difficult to navigate.

I'm so sorry you went through this stress, especially with kids at home! This exact situation is one of my biggest fears as a CalFresh recipient. Reading through everyone's experiences here really highlights how many different ways the system can fail us - from address syncing issues to mysterious holds without proper notification. What strikes me most is how the Claimyr service seems to be such a consistent lifesaver for people in this community. I had never heard of it before, but seeing multiple success stories makes me want to try it next time I can't get through to my county office (which is basically every time I call). The tip about checking BenefitsCal for alerts and following up on address changes is also incredibly valuable. It's frustrating that we have to be so proactive about things that should work automatically, but at least now I know what to watch out for. Thanks for sharing your story and the resolution - it gives me hope that even when the system seems completely broken, there are usually ways to get things fixed if you can just reach the right person. I'm bookmarking this entire thread as a reference guide for future CalFresh issues!

I'm really glad you got this resolved and your kids can eat again! This whole situation perfectly illustrates why we need better communication systems within CalFresh. The fact that they sent verification paperwork to your old address even after you updated it 3 months ago shows there are serious issues with how their different systems talk to each other. For anyone else dealing with similar issues, I'd also recommend taking screenshots of your BenefitsCal account showing your current address and any changes you make. That way if something like this happens, you have proof that you did update your information on your end. I learned this lesson after having my own address mix-up last year. The Claimyr service sounds like it should be illegal that we need it, but I'm grateful it exists! It's ridiculous that getting basic customer service requires a third-party workaround, but at least there's a solution that actually works. Thanks for sharing your success story - it gives hope to others who might be stuck in the same frustrating loop.

This thread has been so educational for me as someone who just started receiving CalFresh benefits last month! The idea that your benefits can show as available but still be frozen due to administrative issues is honestly terrifying, especially reading about how it affected your ability to feed your kids. I had no idea about services like Claimyr or the importance of double-checking that address changes sync properly across all their systems. The fact that we need third-party services just to reach customer service for a government program is pretty ridiculous, but I'm grateful these solutions exist. I'm definitely bookmarking this entire conversation as a reference guide. The combination of practical troubleshooting steps (checking at ATM, trying PIN reset, looking for BenefitsCal alerts) plus the community resources and workarounds shared here is exactly the kind of real-world advice new recipients need. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to know we're not navigating this alone!

This thread is exactly why I love this community! As someone who's been on CalFresh for about 6 months now, I've learned more practical advice from conversations like this than from any official sources. The Claimyr service is a total game-changer - I used it last month when my recertification got stuck in limbo and couldn't reach anyone at my county office for over a week. Got connected to a real person in about 15 minutes and had my issue resolved that same day. It's honestly criminal that we need a third-party service just to access basic customer service, but I'm so grateful it exists. Also want to echo the advice about taking screenshots of any changes you make in BenefitsCal. I started doing this after reading similar stories here, and it's already saved me once when there was confusion about an income report I submitted. Having that documentation makes all the difference when you're trying to prove you followed the rules correctly. For anyone new to CalFresh reading this - don't let stories like this scare you too much. Yes, the system has serious flaws, but this community is amazing at sharing solutions that actually work. We look out for each other when the bureaucracy fails us!

As someone who works in community outreach and helps people navigate CalFresh issues regularly, I want to add a few more resources that might help others facing similar problems: 1. **California EBT Customer Service**: 1-877-328-9677 - While it's hard to reach them, try calling first thing in the morning (8 AM) or right after lunch (1 PM) when hold times are typically shorter. 2. **CalFresh Ombudsman**: Each county has an ombudsman who can help when you're getting nowhere with regular channels. You can find yours by searching "[your county] CalFresh ombudsman" online. 3. **Legal Aid**: If you believe your benefits were wrongfully terminated or frozen without proper notice, organizations like Legal Aid can help you file an appeal or fair hearing request. The address sync issue you experienced is unfortunately super common - I see it at least weekly in my work. The different CalFresh systems (BenefitsCal, county databases, EBT system) don't always communicate properly, which creates exactly this kind of nightmare scenario. I'm so glad the Claimyr service worked for you! It's become an essential tool for many of my clients. Just wanted to add these additional resources so people have multiple options when they're stuck in the system. Thanks for sharing your story - it'll definitely help others who find themselves in the same situation!

This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening for me as someone who just got approved for CalFresh benefits this week! Reading about your experience, Malik, was both terrifying and educational - the idea that benefits can show as available but still be frozen due to administrative issues is exactly the kind of nightmare scenario I never knew to worry about. I'm so grateful that people like CosmosCaptain shared the Claimyr service and that others added tips about taking screenshots of address changes and following up to make sure updates sync properly. As a complete newcomer to navigating government benefits, these are the real-world survival skills I never would have learned from the official materials. The fact that we need third-party services just to reach customer service for a government program is honestly ridiculous, but I'm bookmarking all these resources just in case. It's clear that this community really looks out for each other when the system fails us - which seems to happen more often than it should! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. Having this kind of peer support makes the whole process feel much less intimidating for those of us just starting out.

This entire thread has been such a valuable resource! As someone who's been helping family members navigate CalFresh for the past few years, I've seen firsthand how these administrative mix-ups can create real crises for families. The address syncing issue you experienced is unfortunately way too common - I've walked three different relatives through similar situations where their benefits got frozen due to paperwork being sent to old addresses. The Claimyr service sounds like a total game-changer! I'm definitely sharing this with everyone I know who struggles with the impossible task of reaching county workers. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need a third-party service just to access basic customer service for a government program, but I'm grateful solutions like this exist. I also want to highlight how important it is to keep detailed records of everything - not just screenshots of address changes, but also dates of phone calls, reference numbers from conversations, and copies of any documents you submit. The more documentation you have, the easier it is to advocate for yourself when things go wrong. Thanks for sharing your story and the resolution, Malik. Stories like yours help prepare others for potential pitfalls and show that even when the system seems completely broken, there are usually ways to get things fixed if you can reach the right person. This community's ability to share real solutions that actually work is invaluable!

This whole conversation has been such an education! As someone who's been on CalFresh for about 8 months now, I thought I knew most of the potential issues, but the address syncing problem you experienced is something I never even considered. The fact that you updated your address 3 months ago but their verification request still went to the old address shows just how fragmented their systems really are. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service next time I need to reach my county office - the idea of actually getting through to a real person in 10 minutes instead of spending entire days on hold sounds almost too good to be true! And all the tips about taking screenshots of changes and following up to confirm updates went through properly are going straight into my CalFresh survival toolkit. What really strikes me about this thread is how the community came together with practical solutions. From troubleshooting steps to third-party services to emergency food resources while waiting for resolution - this is the kind of real-world support that makes navigating this complicated system bearable. Thanks for sharing your story and showing that even the most frustrating bureaucratic nightmares can eventually be resolved with the right resources and persistence!