Received approval AND denial notice for CalFresh in same week - which one is correct?

omg this happened to me too! the left hand doesnt know what the right is doing at those offices i swear. mine was also approved then denied but then i got benefits anyway lol. just wait and see if u get the card maybe?

DEFINITELY CALL THEM FIRST THING MONDAY!!! Don't wait around hoping it works out. The county offices are NOTORIOUS for sending conflicting notices. I've had this happen THREE SEPARATE TIMES with my CalFresh case!!! The computer systems often generate automatic denials when there's any kind of flag in the system, even if a worker already manually approved you. One time they told me I was approved for $275, then denied for income limits, then approved again but for $180!!! The only way I got it fixed was by calling and calling until I finally got through to an actual person who could explain what happened.

This is a common issue with CalFresh notifications. The approval and denial notices are often generated by different parts of the system that don't communicate well with each other. The most likely explanation is that your case was initially flagged for denial due to missing verification, but then a worker reviewed it, found the documents were actually there, and approved it manually. However, the automated denial notice was already in the queue to be sent. The approval notice is likely the correct one if it came first, especially if it has specific benefit amounts listed. But you should definitely call to confirm. If you call, ask them to check the "case comments" section of your file, which should show the actual status and any notes about why you received conflicting notices.

I actually work with the system that sends these notices (I'm a community partner, not county staff), and I can tell you that the most recent notice is usually the correct one in the system. If your denial came after your approval, unfortunately that's probably the current status in their computer. However, this is almost certainly fixable! Based on the timing, it sounds like someone might have been reviewing verification documents after your initial approval and accidentally marked something as missing. When you call, specifically ask about the "verification status" of your documents and ask them to review what's in the imaging system.

Hey, I've been through this exact same situation before and I know how stressful it is! The problem is that getting through to the CalFresh office on Monday is going to be a nightmare. You'll probably be on hold for hours if you even get through at all. I discovered this service called Claimyr that helped me avoid all that wait time nonsense. It basically calls the county office for you and then calls you back when an actual person answers. Saved me literal hours of my life on hold. Check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 and the website is claimyr.com With conflicting notices like this, you definitely need to talk to a real person who can look at your actual case file. Just ask them to check the case notes and verification status like others have suggested.

This happens because of CalFresh's two-part approval process. Your INITIAL approval is sometimes sent out after your interview if the worker thinks everything looks good. But then a SECOND worker reviews all your verification docs (bank statements, pay stubs, etc.) before final approval. So what probably happened is Worker #1 thought everything was fine and sent approval, but Worker #2 couldn't find one of your documents in their system and sent the denial. I've seen this happen tons of times. Call them and ask for a "case status review" specifically. Also mention you have copies of all submitted verification if needed. Sometimes they can reopen and approve same-day if it was their error.

my cousin got the same thing but her ebt card still got money on it even tho they said she was denied lol. the system is so messed up

Just wanted to follow up - if you do need to resubmit any verification documents, make sure to get a "Document Receipt Confirmation" from the worker. This is a specific form they can provide that lists exactly what you submitted and when. This will protect you if documents get lost again in the future. Also, if they say you're still denied after calling, immediately ask for a "Supervisor Review" before filing a State Hearing request. Supervisor reviews can often be completed within 1-2 days and can overturn incorrect denials without the formal hearing process.