if u do go to ur county office bring all ur bank statements and any evidence u have. my friend had this happen and she took pictures of her card to prove she had it the whole time plus her work schedule showing she was at work when the withdrawals happened in another city. the more proof u have the better

I want to update everyone - I just got back from the county office. Filed the EBT Benefit Theft Report and they said I should hear back within 10 business days. The worker was actually really understanding and said they've seen a lot of this lately. She recommended I use the BenefitsCal app to track my benefits and turn on notifications for any transactions. I set up a new PIN for my replacement card that's totally different from anything I've used before. Fingers crossed I get the money back soon. Thanks everyone for your help!

I work as a community advocate (not for the county) and help people with CalWORKs issues. This happens too often, unfortunately. Here's what you need to know: 1. Call the county office that handles your case immediately 2. When the automated system answers, press whatever option is for Spanish if available 3. When you reach a person, clearly state you need a Spanish speaker for your SAR7 interview 4. Explain that you had an interview but it was conducted in English, which you don't understand 5. Request a "reasonable accommodation" for language assistance (this exact phrase helps) 6. Ask them to note in your file permanently that you need Spanish services If they tell you that you missed your interview and might lose benefits, explain that you DID answer the call but couldn't participate due to the language barrier. Request what's called "Good Cause" for not completing the interview. Language access is your right! Don't let them discontinue your Cash Aid over this.

Try going in person to the office if you can. Sometimes that's the only way to get problems fixed with CalWORKs. Bring a Spanish-speaking friend or family member if possible. And bring your SAR7 form and any letters they sent you. The workers at the front desk can usually find someone who speaks Spanish to help you. It's better than spending hours on the phone getting nowhere.

UPDATE: My money just hit my card this morning! Thanks everyone for explaining this to me. Wish the county would just tell us this stuff upfront instead of making us figure it out ourselves!

Glad you got your money! For future reference, you can also check your benefit status on the BenefitsCal website or app - sometimes it shows as

This is actually a fairly widespread issue this month. I work with a community organization that helps people with benefit issues, and we've had about 15 clients call today with the same problem. From what I've gathered, there was a system update that caused payment delays for both CalWORKs and CalFresh for cases that were recertified in the last 90 days. Benefits should be deposited within 72 hours according to what the county told us. If you need immediate food assistance, most counties have an expedited emergency food benefit process. Call your local office and specifically ask for the "emergency food benefit request" or visit in person if possible. Make sure to mention you have children with no food - that should trigger expedited service requirements.

Just got mine!!! Just loaded like 10 minutes ago. Check your cards everybody! I think they're fixing it now.

To directly answer your original question: If you only received CalFresh (SNAP) and December was your last month of eligibility, there is no "emergency payment" you would qualify for. The regular COVID emergency allotments ended in early 2023. If your county has some local disaster declaration with special payments, that would be very specific to your area, but this is not a statewide program currently in effect. As others mentioned, Emergency Assistance is typically part of CalWORKs (TANF), which is cash aid, not food benefits. If you weren't enrolled in CalWORKs, you wouldn't be eligible for those emergency programs. Since you mentioned starting a new job, be aware that for your final month on CalFresh, you were required to report within 10 days if your income exceeded the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) listed on your last approval notice. If you didn't report properly, there could potentially be an overpayment that would need to be repaid.

Yes, if your income in December went over your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) and you didn't report it within 10 days, they could potentially establish an overpayment claim for your December benefits. When you receive CalFresh, you're required to report certain changes even during your certification period - going over the IRT is one of those mandatory reporting requirements. The county might identify this during their regular income verification processes and send you a notice about it. If they determine there was an overpayment, you'll receive a notice explaining the amount and your repayment options. If you're concerned, you can proactively contact the county and explain the situation. Sometimes being proactive can help resolve the situation more favorably.