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Wow, this thread has been so educational! I just started receiving CalWORKs benefits about 2 months ago and honestly had no clue the EBT card worked nationwide. My aunt lives in Colorado and I've been hesitant to visit her because I was worried about accessing my cash aid while there. Reading everyone's real experiences here - especially @Nathaniel Stewart coming back with the update that everything worked fine - gives me so much confidence. The advice about using bank ATMs vs convenience store ones is something I definitely wouldn't have known either. It's frustrating that they don't explain these practical details when you first get on benefits, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people share their knowledge. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this discussion!
I'm so glad this thread has been helpful for you! It's really unfortunate that the practical day-to-day stuff like this isn't covered better during the application process. I've been on CalWORKs for about a year now and I'm still learning new things from discussions like this. Your visit to Colorado should go smoothly based on everyone's experiences here - just remember to stick with bank ATMs to keep those fees down. It's amazing how much we can learn from each other's real-world experiences. Hope you get to see your aunt soon!
This has been such an informative discussion! I've been on CalWORKs for about 4 months now and had no idea about any of this travel stuff. My mom lives in New Mexico and I've been wanting to visit her but was scared my benefits would get messed up somehow. Reading through everyone's experiences - especially the confirmation that cards work nationwide and the 30-day rule - makes me feel so much more confident about planning a trip. The ATM fee advice is really smart too, I definitely would have just used whatever machine was closest without thinking about the extra charges. It's crazy how much practical stuff like this isn't explained when you first get benefits. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories, and @Nathaniel Stewart I'm really glad everything worked out for you and hope your mom is feeling better!
This whole conversation has been such a lifesaver! I just got approved for CalWORKs last week and I'm still figuring out all the ins and outs. My cousin lives in Oregon (funny coincidence!) and I was already stressing about whether I'd be able to visit her for her wedding next month. Seeing @Nathaniel Stewart s'actual experience there and everyone else s'helpful advice makes me feel so much better about the whole thing. The bank ATM tip is definitely something I ll'remember - every dollar counts when you re'on benefits! It s'really nice to see a community where people actually come back to share how things turned out instead of just disappearing after getting help.
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Congratulations on your pregnancy, Liam! 🎉 This thread has been such a goldmine of information - I'm new to this community but had to jump in because everyone's shared experiences are so incredibly helpful! I just went through this process in San Mateo County (Region 1) when I had my son 3 months ago. I got $161 extra per month added to my CalWORKs case, plus the $30 diaper benefit which thankfully was added automatically. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to ask about the Emergency Assistance program when you call - if you have any unexpected expenses related to the birth (like extra medical bills or if you need emergency baby supplies), they sometimes have one-time emergency funds available. I didn't know about this until after the fact, but it could be helpful to know about just in case. Also, since you mentioned being due in September, that timing actually works out well because it's right before the new benefit year starts in October. Your case will get reviewed anyway, so all the baby-related changes should process smoothly together. The advice everyone's given about calling the main CalWORKs line (1-877-847-3663) instead of waiting for your caseworker is spot on. I saved myself weeks of frustration by doing exactly that. And definitely make that checklist of everything to ask about - cash aid increase, diaper benefit, WTW exemption, written confirmation, updating Medi-Cal, housing updates if applicable, and WIC coordination. Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy! This community is amazing for real-world advice that actually helps. 💕
Welcome to the community and thanks for sharing your experience in San Mateo County! $161 is right in line with what others in Region 1 have reported. That's such a valuable tip about the Emergency Assistance program - I had no idea that existed! Definitely adding that to my ever-growing list of things to ask about. It's reassuring to know there might be help available if unexpected expenses come up with the birth or baby needs. You're absolutely right about the September timing working out well with the October benefit year - I hadn't really thought about that advantage but it makes total sense that everything would process together more smoothly. This whole thread has been incredible - I started with one simple question and now I have a complete roadmap thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences. The main CalWORKs number (1-877-847-3663), written confirmations, the comprehensive checklist of benefits to ask about - all of this practical advice is worth more than any official pamphlet! I'm feeling so much more confident and prepared now. Thank you for adding even more helpful details to this amazing discussion! 🙏💕
Congratulations on your pregnancy, Liam! 🎉 This entire thread has been absolutely incredible to read through - I'm blown away by how supportive and informative this community is! I'm also new here but wanted to share my recent experience adding my baby to CalWORKs in Santa Clara County (Region 1) just 6 weeks ago. I received $167 extra per month for my newborn, and fortunately the $30 diaper benefit was included automatically without me having to fight for it. One additional tip I haven't seen mentioned - when you go to report the birth, ask if they can schedule your next SAR-7 review to align better with your new family situation. Sometimes they can adjust the timing to make reporting easier, especially since you'll have a lot of changes happening at once. Also, don't forget to ask about transportation assistance if you need to get to medical appointments with the baby - some counties have programs that help with bus passes or gas vouchers for families with newborns. The advice everyone has given about keeping copies of everything and getting written confirmation is so crucial. I learned that lesson the hard way with other benefits! And that main CalWORKs line (1-877-847-3663) really is a game changer compared to waiting for your assigned worker. You're so smart to plan ahead - September babies are lucky! This community has given you an amazing foundation of knowledge. Best wishes for a healthy pregnancy and smooth benefit updates! 💕
Welcome to the community Aisha and thank you for sharing your experience in Santa Clara County! $167 is great and right in line with what others in Region 1 have been getting. That's such a smart tip about asking them to align the SAR-7 review timing with the new family situation - I never would have thought of that but it makes total sense to coordinate everything together rather than having multiple review periods to keep track of. The transportation assistance is another benefit I had no idea existed! It's amazing how many programs are available that they don't automatically tell you about. I'm definitely adding that to my comprehensive list along with everything else everyone has mentioned. This thread has honestly transformed from a simple question about cash aid amounts into the most thorough guide for adding a newborn to CalWORKs that I could have ever imagined! Between the main CalWORKs line (1-877-847-3663), all the different benefits to ask about, tips for documentation and getting written confirmation, timing considerations, and now SAR-7 coordination and transportation assistance - I feel like I have a complete action plan. You're all absolutely incredible for taking the time to share such detailed, practical advice. I went from feeling anxious about the unknown to feeling genuinely prepared and confident. Thank you so much for contributing to this amazing discussion! 🙏💕
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This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - just got my first Cash Aid payment and had no clue about any of these ATM limitations. My caseworker didn't explain anything either, just handed me the EBT card and said "good luck" basically. I've been trying different ATMs all week and getting so frustrated. Wells Fargo has been completely useless - declined every time. I had better luck at a local credit union but they still limited me to $200. Reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going to: 1. Download that EBT Edge app ASAP 2. Try Bank of America ATMs since multiple people said they work better 3. Start getting cash back at grocery stores instead of paying those crazy ATM fees 4. Call the customer service number (877-328-9677) to find fee-free locations It's honestly sad that we have to crowdsource this basic information instead of getting proper guidance from our caseworkers. Thank you everyone for sharing your trial-and-error experiences - you've saved me a lot of time and frustration! Has anyone had luck with credit union ATMs? There's a big one near me but I haven't tried it yet.
I've had mixed results with credit unions! Some work great with EBT cards while others don't accept them at all. The one near my place (Golden State Credit Union) lets me withdraw up to $400 per transaction with no fees, which has been amazing. But I tried another credit union across town and they completely blocked my EBT card. It really seems to vary by location and their individual policies. Definitely worth trying since credit unions usually have lower fees than big banks when they do work! Just have a backup plan in case they don't accept EBT. The EBT Edge app should show you which ones are fee-free in your area too.
I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just got my Cash Aid approved two weeks ago and the ATM confusion has been so overwhelming. Like everyone else is saying, my caseworker gave me absolutely zero guidance - just handed me the EBT card and basically said "figure it out yourself." I've been bouncing between different ATMs all week trying to access my benefits. Wells Fargo has been a complete disaster (declined every single time), Chase worked but only let me get $200, and I finally had success at a Bank of America location that let me withdraw $300. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea about: - The EBT Edge app (downloading it right now!) - Getting cash back at grocery stores instead of paying ATM fees - The customer service number to find fee-free locations - That different banks have completely different policies for EBT It's honestly ridiculous that we're all learning this basic information from each other instead of getting proper instructions when we're approved. We're already dealing with enough stress without having to play detective just to access our own benefits! Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this has been more educational than my entire intake process. Going to try the Bank of America route and call that customer service line tomorrow.
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I'm really glad to see this got resolved for you, Emma! This is exactly why this community is so valuable - when the system fails us, at least we have each other for support and advice. System errors seem to be happening way too frequently lately, and it's scary how quickly our benefits can just disappear without warning. I've been on CalWORKs for about a year now and this thread taught me so much - I had no idea about emergency same-day releases at local offices or about Claimyr. I'm definitely saving all these tips for future reference. It's also really helpful to see how persistent everyone had to be to get through to workers. For anyone else reading this who might face similar issues - document everything and don't give up! The system is broken but there are people who will help if you keep pushing.
I completely agree, Ava! As someone who's been navigating CalWORKs for the past few months, threads like this are incredibly valuable. Emma's situation really shows how quickly things can go wrong even when you've done everything right - approved through October 2025 and then suddenly no deposit! It's terrifying how much we depend on these systems working properly. I'm definitely taking notes on all the advice shared here, especially about going to the local office for emergency releases and calling right at 8 AM. The fact that this turned out to be a system error affecting multiple cases makes me wonder how many other families are dealing with similar issues right now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - it's reassuring to know there's a supportive community here when these bureaucratic nightmares happen!
This whole thread is such a perfect example of why we need each other in this community! Emma, I'm so relieved you got it sorted out - the stress of missing benefits when rent is due is absolutely terrible. I've been on CalWORKs for about 8 months now and stories like this always remind me how fragile our safety net really is. One day you're approved through October, the next day your benefits just vanish due to a "system error." I'm definitely bookmarking all the advice shared here - the Claimyr service, calling at 8 AM sharp, going to the local office for emergency releases, and especially the tip about documenting everything with screenshots. It's scary that these system glitches are becoming more common, but at least we have this community to share solutions and support each other through these bureaucratic nightmares. Thanks to everyone who jumped in to help - this is exactly what mutual aid looks like! 💙
Zara Ahmed
This is such a common problem and it's really frustrating how little transparency there is in the system! I went through something similar a few months ago where my benefits were stuck in "pending" status for over 2 weeks. What finally worked for me was going to the office in person early in the morning (like 7:30 AM before they officially open) and waiting in line. I know it's not ideal with gas costs and everything, but sometimes it's the only way to get face-to-face time with someone who can actually look at your case and tell you what's going on. When I did this, the worker found that my case had some kind of processing error that was preventing it from moving forward - took her literally 5 minutes to fix once she knew about it. The phone system is just broken honestly. If you can't make it to the office, definitely try that Claimyr service people mentioned - I've heard good things about it from other folks in similar situations. Hang in there!
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Dmitry Popov
•Thanks @Zara Ahmed for sharing your experience! Going to the office early sounds like it might be worth a try, even with the gas costs. It s'crazy that a 5-minute fix took weeks to discover just because of communication issues. I m'definitely going to look into that Claimyr service too - seems like multiple people have had success with it. It s'both comforting and depressing to know this is such a common problem. You d'think after all these years they d'have figured out a better system for keeping us informed about our cases. Really appreciate everyone sharing their stories and suggestions - this community is more helpful than the actual CalWORKs system!
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Mateo Hernandez
I'm going through the exact same thing right now and it's so stressful! My benefits have been pending for about 10 days now with no explanation. Reading through all these comments, it seems like this is way more common than it should be. The lack of communication from CalWORKs is really frustrating - we shouldn't have to become detectives just to find out what's happening with our own cases. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service that several people mentioned, and maybe the early morning office visit if I can manage the gas money. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's both reassuring and disappointing to know so many of us are dealing with this same issue. The system really needs better ways to keep us informed instead of leaving us hanging when we're already in difficult financial situations.
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