Will CalFresh benefits still deposit if my EBT card is frozen? Need urgent help!
Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a panic situation. I just froze my EBT card through the app because I thought I misplaced it (found it later stuck between my car seats). My CalFresh benefits are scheduled to deposit in 2 days, and now I'm worried - if I forget to unfreeze my card before the deposit day, will my benefits still be loaded to my account? Or do they skip the deposit completely if the card is frozen? I can't afford to miss this month's benefits and I'm traveling for work so might forget to unfreeze it in time. Has anyone dealt with this before? Thanks in advance!
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Amina Bah
Don't worry! The freeze only affects your ability to use the card for purchases, not the actual deposit of benefits. Your CalFresh benefits will still be added to your account on your regular issuance date regardless of whether your card is frozen or not. The freezing feature is just a security measure to prevent unauthorized purchases if your card is lost or stolen. When you're ready to use your benefits, just remember to unfreeze the card through the app or by calling the number on the back of your card.
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Paolo Longo
AuthorOmg thank you so much!!! That's such a relief! So even if I completely forget to unfreeze it for a week, the money will still be there waiting for me when I unfreeze? That's awesome. Btw do you know if freezing affects the ability to check my balance? I tried checking after I froze it and got a weird error message.
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Oliver Becker
i froze mine 4 diffrent times, benefits still go on. its just like a switch that stops u from spending but everything else works normal. dont stress about it
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CosmicCowboy
Actually I don't think that's totally right. The BENEFITS will deposit but I couldn't check my balance online when my card was frozen. Had to unfreeze first, then check. Seems like the freeze blocks account access too, not just purchases.
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Natasha Orlova
The previous responses are correct that your benefits will still deposit, but there's a bit more to understand about the EBT freeze function. When you freeze your card: - Benefits still deposit on schedule - You cannot make purchases until unfrozen - Some account functions may be limited - The freeze stays active until you manually unfreeze One thing to note: if you're also on CalWORKs and get cash benefits, those will also still deposit but will be unusable until you unfreeze. If your trip is longer than a few days, I'd recommend setting a calendar reminder to unfreeze it so you don't forget.
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Paolo Longo
AuthorThank you for the detailed explanation! I only get CalFresh, no cash benefits, so that part isn't an issue for me. I'll definitely set a reminder in my phone so I don't forget to unfreeze it. Do you know if there's any downside to keeping it frozen when I'm not actively using it? Seems like a good security practice honestly.
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Javier Cruz
WAIT I HAD THIS EXACT ISSUE and when I called calfresh they said my benefits woudnt deposit to a frozen card but when I contacted the EBT people they said it would?!?! The system is sooo confusing and nobody gives straight answers!! Did u get ur benefits???
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Amina Bah
The confusion comes from two different systems. Your CalFresh eligibility (handled by county workers) is completely separate from the EBT card system (handled by the EBT contractor). County workers sometimes don't know all the details of how the EBT card functions. The EBT customer service representatives were correct - benefits WILL deposit to a frozen card. The freeze only prevents spending, not receiving benefits.
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Emma Thompson
If you're having trouble reaching someone at CalFresh for a definitive answer, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. It helped me skip the phone queues when I had a similar urgent question about my benefits. You just go to claimyr.com and they connect you directly to a live person at CalFresh instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. I was connected in minutes when I normally would've waited for hours. The EBT card representatives can confirm your benefits will still deposit while frozen.
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Paolo Longo
AuthorThanks for the suggestion! I actually got disconnected twice today trying to call my county office. If I have any more issues after my benefits are supposed to deposit, I'll definitely check out that service. Those wait times are brutal, especially when you're anxious about your food money!
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Malik Jackson
I freeze my card all the time between shopping trips (paranoid about card skimmers lol). Your benefits will 100% still deposit on schedule. The freeze is just like putting a lock on your front door - the mail still gets delivered to your mailbox even if your house is locked up! Just remember to unfreeze before you try to shop or you'll be standing at the checkout confused like I was the first time. 😂
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Javier Cruz
omg thats actually a smart idea to freeze between shopping!!! never thought of that. these days with all the scammers around better safe than sorry!!
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Oliver Becker
update??????? did ur benefits come thru ok??
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Paolo Longo
AuthorYes! Everyone was right - my benefits deposited normally even with the card frozen. I checked my balance through the phone system after unfreezing and everything was there. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the help and reassurance!
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CosmicCruiser
That's great news Paolo! Thanks for updating us with the outcome. This thread will be super helpful for other people who run into the same situation. I was actually wondering about this myself since I sometimes panic and freeze my card when I can't find it immediately. Good to know the benefits system is separate from the card freeze function. Hope your work trip went well too!
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