Had to reset my EBT PIN and now my CalFresh card works - ATM cash issues fixed!

The exact same thing happened to me last month! I was freaking out because my kids needed food and I couldn't access anything. Did they give you any back benefits for the time you couldn't use your card?

Just to clarify something important here - it sounds like you might be confusing CalFresh with CalWORKs. CalFresh (food stamps) benefits cannot be withdrawn as cash from ATMs - they can only be used to purchase eligible food items at approved retailers. If you're withdrawing cash, that would be from CalWORKs benefits, which is California's cash aid program. Both programs use the same EBT card, but they're separate benefit types with different rules and eligibility requirements. Either way, I'm glad you got your PIN issue resolved!

my ebt pin got locked 2x this year already sooo annoying

For anyone dealing with EBT PIN issues, here's what you need to know: 1. After 4 incorrect PIN attempts, the card gets temporarily locked for security reasons 2. You can reset your PIN by calling the EBT Customer Service line (877-328-9677) 3. You can also reset it online through the cardholder portal at www.ebt.ca.gov 4. If going to the county office, bring your EBT card and photo ID Remember that PIN resets take effect immediately, but you'll need to wait until midnight before trying again if your card was locked due to too many attempts. Also, choose a PIN you can remember but isn't obvious (don't use 1234, birth years, etc).

I had this same issue but couldnt get through on the phone ever!!!! spent like 3 days trying. finally gave up and went to the office and waited 4 hours just to reset a stupid pin. the system is designed to make us suffer i swear

One important thing to remember about your EBT card PIN: if you don't use your benefits for a while (usually more than 90 days), the system might flag your account as inactive even if you have the correct PIN. This is part of fraud prevention. If you're having trouble with your PIN and haven't used your benefits recently, make sure to mention this to the county worker or phone representative.

last time i went to the county office to fix my ebt they fixed it in 5 min but i waited 3 hrs to see someone lol

Does anyone know if you can have different PINs for the CalFresh part and the CalWORKs part of your benefits on the same card? I'm worried about someone getting my PIN and taking all my cash benefits.

Update: Just want to say thanks to everyone for your comments and advice! I've been using my card successfully for the past week. I also set up text alerts for when my benefits get loaded and for each transaction, so I can monitor my account better. Definitely recommend doing that if you haven't already!

Thanks for sharing this! I've been dealing with EBT PIN issues for weeks and getting nowhere with the phone lines. Reading through all these comments has been really helpful - I didn't know about the 4 attempt lockout rule or that you could reset online at ebt.ca.gov. Going to try the online reset first before making another trip to the county office. It's frustrating how these technical issues can make accessing benefits so stressful when you're already dealing with food insecurity.

This is such valuable information! I had no idea that EBT cards could get partially blocked after too many PIN attempts without any clear notification. It's really frustrating that the system doesn't send you a text or letter explaining what happened - you just get stuck thinking your PIN is wrong when really the card needs to be reset by a county worker. Thanks for sharing your experience and I'm glad you finally got it sorted out. The fact that this "happens more than you'd think" according to the county worker suggests this is a systemic issue that really needs better communication to cardholders.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my EBT card suddenly stopped working at the grocery store checkout yesterday and I had no idea why. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like I probably hit the 4-attempt limit without realizing it. I'm going to try the online reset at ebt.ca.gov first before calling or going to the office. It's really eye-opening to learn that this is such a common issue but there's basically no clear communication from the system about what's happening. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's making me feel less alone in dealing with this frustrating situation!

This is such an important thread! I'm relatively new to receiving CalFresh benefits and had no idea that EBT cards could get locked after incorrect PIN attempts without any notification. I've been lucky so far but reading everyone's experiences here is really eye-opening. It's frustrating that there's no automated system to let people know their card is locked - instead you're left thinking you're doing something wrong when really it's a technical issue that needs to be resolved. I'm bookmarking the EBT website (ebt.ca.gov) and customer service number (877-328-9677) from @GalacticGuru's comment in case I ever run into this problem. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories and solutions - it really shows how important it is for community members to support each other when the official systems fall short on communication!