When do CalFresh pending benefits actually post to EBT card? Still waiting after approval

congrats on getting approved!! mine usually hits my card around the 10th of each month, but for new approvals it can take anywhere from 3-7 business days. weekends dont count so if u got approved on a friday might take longer

Initial benefits should post within 3 business days of approval, but ongoing monthly benefits are staggered throughout the month based on the last digit of your case number. If your case number ends in 0-3, benefits post on the 1st. For 4-7, they post on the 10th, and for 8-9, they post on the 20th. If it's been 9 days since approval and you still don't see your initial benefits, you should definitely call your county office. There might be an issue with your card activation or a system delay they need to fix.

Did you activate your EBT card yet? I know this sounds obvious but I waited two weeks before realizing I never actually activated my card lol. You have to call that number on the back and set your PIN before any balance will show up. Just a thought!

In my experience the county workers often say benefits will post "soon" but that could mean ANYTHING. I've had benefits post within 24 hrs of approval, but also waited almost two weeks once!! The system is SO inconsistent and frustrating. My advice? CALL THEM. Like actually get a human on the phone. Don't trust the automated system or website to update. Sometimes they have to manually release the benefits if there's a system glitch.

I went through this exact same situation last month. Kept getting disconnected trying to call my county office. I finally found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to a actual caseworker in about 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They have agents who wait on hold for you then call you when a real person answers. Website is claimyr.com and you can see how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 When I finally got through, turned out they needed to manually release my benefits because of some system flag. Worth a try if you can't get through the normal way.

Check ur BenefitsCal account too if u have 1. Sometimes the benefits show as issued there before they actually hit ur card. Also make sure the address on ur case is correct cuz they might have sent a new card if there was any update to ur info during application process and its sitting in the mail somewhere.

UPDATE: Finally got through to a worker today! Turns out there was a system flag on my case because I had an old CalFresh case from 2023 that needed to be properly closed out first. They fixed it and said my benefits should post within 24 hours. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

did u get ur benefits yet?? update us!!

For anyone finding this thread later - here's a quick reference for when CalFresh benefits post: 1. Initial benefits: 3-5 business days after approval (but system issues can delay this) 2. Ongoing monthly benefits: Based on the last digit of your case number (varies by county, but generally between the 1st and 20th) 3. Expedited services (emergency): Should be available within 3 calendar days of application Always check both your physical EBT card balance AND your online account. Sometimes the online system shows the pending deposit before it's available on your card. If benefits don't post within 7 business days of approval, definitely contact your county office.

This thread is so helpful! I'm actually going through something similar right now - got approved 5 days ago and still waiting for my benefits to show up. Reading through everyone's experiences makes me feel less alone in this process. The system really can be confusing and inconsistent. @Keisha Williams so glad you got yours sorted out! Going to try calling my county office tomorrow and mention any old cases like @Amina Toure suggested. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips!

I'm in a similar situation right now - got approved 6 days ago and still waiting! This thread is really reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with delays. The inconsistency in the system is so frustrating when you're relying on these benefits. @Keisha Williams thanks for sharing your experience and glad you got it resolved! I'm going to try calling my county office tomorrow and definitely mention if I had any old cases. Has anyone else had luck with calling early in the morning vs later in the day to get through faster?

Just wanted to add another data point for folks dealing with delays - I'm in LA County and my benefits typically post on the 8th of each month (case number ends in 6). But when I first got approved last year, it took almost 2 weeks because there was an issue with my SSN verification that nobody told me about. The automated phone system kept saying "benefits will be available soon" but gave no real info. Only found out what the actual problem was when I finally got through to a caseworker. So definitely push to speak with a real person if you're experiencing delays - the automated systems don't tell you if there are specific holds or issues on your account.

Just wanted to share my recent experience for anyone else dealing with delays - I had a similar situation where my benefits were delayed for over a week after approval. Turned out my case was flagged because I had moved counties between my old CalFresh case and my new application, even though the old case was from 3 years ago! The worker had to manually clear the flag and my benefits posted the next day. Pro tip: when you call, ask specifically if there are any "system flags" or "holds" on your account - don't just accept "benefits coming soon." Also, if you're calling and getting disconnected constantly, try calling your local office directly instead of the main county number. Sometimes the local offices have shorter wait times. Hope this helps someone!