I know this probably isn't what you want to hear right now, but even if the EBT customer service can unfreeze your card, I'd strongly recommend requesting an Emergency Draw from your county office if your rent is due in 2 days. If there's any kind of delay in resolving this, you don't want to risk being late on rent. You can request an emergency payment sometimes even if it's a card issue. Bring ID and your rental agreement to the office. Also, check your mail VERY carefully - they're required to send written notice before stopping benefits, but sometimes these notices look very generic and people throw them away thinking they're just regular correspondence. Look for anything from the county in the last 30 days.

UPDATE: I called the EBT customer service number and they said my card was frozen because of "suspicious activity" - probably because I tried multiple ATMs. They unfroze it and I was able to withdraw my money! Thank you everyone for your help. Definitely learned my lesson about not trying too many ATMs in a row. What a relief!

Hey Lourdes! Just wanted to add that you should also ask about mental health resources when you apply. Since you mentioned your boyfriend has been really depressed since losing his job, CalWORKs often has connections to counseling services and mental health support that could help him. Sometimes depression can even qualify as a temporary exemption from some WTW requirements if it's severe enough and documented by a doctor. Also, when you do your interview, be honest about his mental health struggles - the worker might be able to connect you with additional resources or be more flexible with his activity requirements while he gets back on his feet. Good luck with everything!

Hi Lourdes! I'm a CalWORKs eligibility worker and wanted to give you some official guidance on your situation. Yes, your child's father MUST be included in your assistance unit since he's living in the home and is the parent of your child - this is federal law, not optional. Here's what you need to know: - Your combined household will have a 35-hour WTW requirement (since your child is over 1) - With your 25 hours of work, he only needs 10 hours of approved activities - Both of you will use your 48-month lifetime clock while receiving aid - His zero income may actually increase your grant amount During your interview, bring his ID, Social Security card, and termination letter from his construction job. Ask specifically about: - Mental health exemptions (if documented by a doctor) - Construction-related training programs that count as WTW - Supportive services for transportation/work expenses - Young child exemptions for households with children under 3 The Earned Income Disregard will help you keep more benefits while working - definitely ask about this. And don't worry about the child support cooperation requirement when both parents live together - it's mostly just paperwork. Start your application online at BenefitsCal.org and list him as "unemployed parent living in home." The extra monthly assistance (typically $150-200) can really help while you're both getting back on your feet. Good luck!

Great thread! This is exactly why I always recommend keeping a folder (physical or digital) with copies of all your important documents - rent receipts, utility bills, pay stubs, bank statements, etc. That way when the county asks for verification, you can submit it same day instead of scrambling to get copies from your landlord or employer. Also, pro tip: if you're having trouble with your EBT card working at ATMs, you can also try calling the EBT customer service number and asking them to do a "test transaction" - sometimes there are temporary system issues on their end that they can clear up over the phone. Glad everything worked out for you @Aisha Mohammed!

This whole thread is so educational! I'm fairly new to CalWORKs (just got approved 3 months ago) and honestly had no idea about so many of these things. The text alerts, keeping organized document folders, the sworn statement option - wish someone had told me all this when I first applied! I've been living in constant anxiety about doing something wrong and losing my benefits. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel way more prepared. Already logged into BenefitsCal to set up those text notifications and bookmarked that Claimyr website. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge - this community is seriously a lifesaver for those of us still figuring everything out!

Got stolen by a working name Arévalo ir use Natalia Rocha García fton kibg cityva mental social workingwhlbusre the name anda last name of thecreal Natalia rocha

I'm new to CalWORKs and just got one of these Golden State Stimulus cards too! I was so confused because I expected everything to come through my regular EBT card. Thank you everyone for explaining the difference - I had no idea these were two completely separate systems. The activation info about using the number from the letter (not the card) is super helpful. One question though - if we don't have to report this as income, do we still need to keep any paperwork about it for our records? I want to make sure I'm doing everything right with my case worker.

I'm dealing with the same issue right now - my payment is 5 days late and I'm getting really worried. I called the main number yesterday and actually got through to someone after about an hour wait (kept hitting redial when it disconnected). The worker told me there's been a statewide system glitch affecting payments processed between March 19-22, which explains why so many of us are having problems this month. She said they're working on it but couldn't give me an exact timeline. Really frustrating when you're counting on that money for basic necessities. At least knowing it's a widespread issue makes me feel less like it's something wrong with my specific case. Hang in there everyone - sounds like we're all in this together!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - my payment was supposed to come 4 days ago and nothing! I've been calling nonstop but keep getting the busy signal or getting disconnected after waiting forever. It's so stressful because I need to pay utilities and buy groceries for my kids. Reading through all these comments makes me feel less alone though - sounds like this system glitch is affecting a lot of us. I'm going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned and also see if I can get to my local office in person tomorrow. Really hoping this gets resolved soon because I can't keep waiting much longer. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and tips!