I always do my shopping at Food 4 Less and get cash back there. No fees and I can get up to $200 back. Also I think CVS does cash back with EBT too.

Just a reminder that you can also check your balance before withdrawing money by calling the number on the back of your EBT card or checking online at www.ebt.ca.gov. This helps avoid trying to withdraw more than you have (which can sometimes result in fees) and helps you keep track of your benefits throughout the month. To summarize the best no-fee options for getting cash from your CalWORKs EBT card: 1. Bank of America ATMs 2. Cash back at grocery stores, dollar stores, and retailers 3. ATMs at county welfare offices 4. Some credit union ATMs (check first) Hope this helps you avoid those unnecessary fees going forward!

while ur waiting, call 211 and ask about emergency diaper banks in ur area. they can usually give u a week supply of diapers to get by until ur benefits come back on

I just want to update you - I checked the Welfare & Institutions Code, and for discontinued cases where the client provides verification within 30 days of discontinuance, they are required to process it and restore benefits without requiring a new application. The CW 2219 form helps, but technically they should be able to reactivate your case just with the birth certificate since it's what they requested. If you continue having trouble, mention "W&I Code Section 11265.4" to your worker when you speak with them.

u shud also apply 4 WIC if u havent already. its seprate from calworks but gives u food 4 pregnant women and kids under 5. formula is expensive AF so get on that program now

I want to add something important that others haven't mentioned. The pregnancy special need payment is separate from the Maximum Aid Payment (MAP) increases. If you're in the second trimester and verified your pregnancy, you get both: (1) the $47 special needs payment AND (2) your MAP increases because your household size is considered one larger while pregnant. So you actually get more than just the $47 that people are mentioning. When I was pregnant last year, my cash aid went up by about $150 total between both changes.

One more thing - after my interview, my benefits continued without any problems. I was super worried like you, but a month later everything was exactly the same. My worker even told me that the vast majority of these interviews don't find any problems. So try not to stress too much!

Thank you for sharing that! It's reassuring to hear positive experiences. I'll update here after my interview to let everyone know how it went.

Just to add some clarification since there's confusion in this thread - the income eligibility thresholds and reporting requirements are two different things: 1. For ELIGIBILITY, a family of 3 has a net income limit of $1,591, but with the earned income disregards ($500 + 50% of remainder), you can earn up to about $3,682 gross per month and still be eligible. 2. For REPORTING, you must report: * New jobs within 10 days (regardless of income amount) * Income that exceeds your IRT (within 10 days of going over) * All income changes on your semi-annual SAR7 Hope that helps clear things up!

waait did someone say $3,682?? thats way higher than i thought! i been turning down extra shifts cuz i thought id lose my cash aid if i made over like $2000 lol

also make sure u filled out ur SAR7 correctly!!! if u didnt report ur move on time they can cut u off or give u an overpayment!!! they r super strict about reporting requirements and the income reporting threshold (IRT

Just to follow up on this thread - address changes must be reported within 10 days, but they are not tied to your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) timeline. The SAR7 is primarily for reporting income changes and household composition. For county transfers with CalWORKs: 1. Report your move to both counties (old and new) 2. Your case will be transferred to the new county 3. Benefits should continue uninterrupted if done correctly 4. The new county becomes responsible for your case management The BenefitsCal portal sometimes takes time to fully update after a county transfer, which is likely why you're seeing your regular benefit amount still displayed. This doesn't mean you'll receive duplicate benefits.

Another thing to check - make sure your Semi-Annual Report (SAR 7) and annual recertification are up to date. Sometimes benefits stop because of missing paperwork, and people think it's related to program changes when it's actually just a reporting issue. If you haven't submitted a SAR 7 recently, that could be why your benefits changed. Just something else to consider.

I've been speaking with several families about this issue. What many don't realize is the pandemic money was part of the American Rescue Plan Act funding that had a specific end date. The state did make a permanent adjustment to the Maximum Aid Payment (MAP) rates to partially offset this, but it's much less than the pandemic supplement was. If you're experiencing hardship because of this change, ask your worker specifically about: 1. The CalWORKs Housing Support Program 2. Special Needs supplements 3. The Homeless Assistance Program if you're at risk of losing housing 4. WTW supportive services if you're participating in Welfare to Work Also check if you're receiving the full CalFresh amount you're eligible for, as many CalWORKs families don't receive their maximum food benefits.

yah defintly go in person!!!! calling is useless they never pick up. i waited 2 hrs last time i went but at least i got to talk to a actual person who fixed my case

One more thing - if by some chance they refuse to help you tomorrow, ask for a "Notice of Action" with the denial in writing. You have the right to appeal any decision through a "fair hearing" process. But I'm hoping they'll just reinstate your benefits on the spot given that your income is zero now!

Has anyone mentioned yet that there's a $50 child support disregard? This means if they do locate him and he pays child support, the first $50 per month won't count against her CalWORKs amount. She gets to keep that on top of the cash aid. Just something to know since many people think all child support reduces their benefits dollar for dollar.

One last tip - if your sister has trouble getting through to the CalWORKs office to ask questions about this (which is super common), I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a real person. They call the office for you and wait on hold, then call you when someone answers. Saved me literally hours of frustration when I was dealing with my child support cooperation issues. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Much better than being stuck on hold all day trying to get answers.

hey also remember to save ur reciepts when u get cash out. my worker said we suppose to keep track of how we spend the money for our case reviews. idk if they really check but better safe then sorry

Update: I went to Bank of America today with my EBT card and ID, and it worked perfectly! The teller let me withdraw my entire Cash Aid amount with no problems or fees. Thank you all so much for the help! This is going to make paying my rent so much easier.