glad u got ur money! mine came thru too 👍 calworks always stressin us out lol

So glad to hear everyone's payments came through! This is exactly why I love this community - we all help each other through these stressful situations. For anyone who might face this in the future, it's worth noting that EBT system delays are more common during the first few days of the month when most benefits are distributed. I always try to keep a small emergency buffer when possible, but I know that's not always realistic for everyone. The EBT customer service number that Fatima shared is definitely worth saving in your contacts!

I'm really glad you came here to ask about this before making any decisions! As someone who's been navigating the CalWORKs system for a while, I can tell you that transparency with your caseworker is absolutely crucial. What you're describing is exactly the kind of situation that can create serious problems, even with the best intentions. The car would definitely count as a resource since you already have one vehicle, and the arrangement could raise red flags during routine audits. I want to echo what others have said about safer credit-building alternatives. I started with a secured credit card through my local credit union with just a $300 deposit. After making small purchases and paying them off in full each month for about 10 months, they graduated me to a regular card and my credit score improved significantly. The key is consistency - even small amounts help build that payment history. Another option that worked for a friend of mine is asking a trusted family member to add you as an authorized user on their existing card (if they have good payment history). You don't even need to use the card - just being listed helps your credit. Your benefits are your lifeline right now, and no credit improvement is worth risking that security. There are proven, safe ways to build credit that won't jeopardize your eligibility. Take your time and do it the right way!

I'm really glad you reached out before making this decision! As someone who's helped family members navigate CalWORKs, I can tell you this arrangement would definitely be problematic. Everyone here has given you excellent advice about the resource limits and reporting requirements. I wanted to add that there's another credit-building option that might work well for you: some banks offer "student" or "starter" credit cards with very low limits (like $300-500) that are designed for people with limited credit history. These often have lower approval requirements than secured cards and don't require a deposit upfront. Also, if you have any regular bills in your name (phone, utilities, etc.), you might want to look into services like Experian Boost that can add those payment histories to your credit report for free. Every little bit helps when you're building from scratch! Your dad's heart is probably in the right place, but this car loan idea could seriously backfire on both of you. The safer credit-building methods everyone mentioned might take a bit longer, but they won't put your essential benefits at risk. Better to build slowly and safely than to gamble with your security net!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this thread! I'm currently dealing with the exact same situation - got approved for CalWORKs three weeks ago, BenefitsCal has shown my Cash Aid as "deposited" since last Wednesday, but my EBT card balance still shows $0. I was getting really worried that my case had some kind of issue or that I'd done something wrong during the application process. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - knowing that this 3-4 business day delay between "deposited" status and actual availability is totally normal, even though nobody at the county office bothered to explain this! It's honestly infuriating how they use the word "deposited" when it's clearly just entered into some processing queue. The stress of watching that zero balance when you need the money for groceries and utilities is unbearable. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and creating such a supportive space where people can get honest answers about how this broken system actually works. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service if I need to reach my caseworker - waiting on hold for hours is not an option when you're already stressed about finances. Fingers crossed my payment shows up by Friday!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly valuable this thread has been! I'm currently in week 2 of waiting for my Cash Aid to actually appear on my EBT card despite BenefitsCal showing it as "deposited" for over a week now. I was honestly starting to think I was the only one dealing with this issue, but reading everyone's experiences here has been such a relief. The fact that this processing delay is so common yet completely unexplained by caseworkers is beyond frustrating - especially when you're already stressed about making ends meet. The misleading "deposited" terminology really needs to be changed to something like "processing" or "pending" because seeing that word makes you think the money should actually be available! Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where people can share real experiences and get honest answers about how this system actually works. I'm definitely saving that Claimyr tip for future reference too. It's amazing how this community fills the gaps that official channels leave wide open. Fingers crossed my payment finally shows up soon!

i dont trust banks they can freeze ur account for no reason and then what??? at least with ebt card i know the money is there.

This post is so helpful! I've been putting off switching to direct deposit because I was worried about the process being complicated, but after reading everyone's experiences I'm definitely going to do it this week. Had no idea the benefits arrive earlier too - that's a huge bonus since I'm always stressed about timing with rent. Quick question for anyone who's done this - do you still get the same notification when your benefits are deposited, or do you just have to check your bank account? My EBT card always sends me a text when money gets added and I rely on that to know when my benefits hit.

This thread has been so informative! I'm a new parent and just started receiving CalWORKs benefits two weeks ago for me and my 6-month-old daughter. I had no idea about the diaper benefit until I saw this post. After reading everyone's comments, I checked my Notice of Action and sure enough, there's a line for "Diaper Benefit - $30.00" that I completely overlooked before. It's amazing how much helpful information you can miss when you're overwhelmed with all the paperwork and new programs. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - especially about the diaper banks and community resources. As a first-time mom trying to make ends meet, every bit of help makes a huge difference. I'm definitely going to look into local diaper banks in my area now too!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been on CalWORKs for about 8 months with my 2-year-old son and I honestly had no clue about this diaper benefit until now. Looking back at my benefit statements, I think I might have been getting it this whole time but just assumed it was part of the regular cash aid amount. I never really paid attention to the line items on my Notice of Action - I just looked at the total amount each month. This is a good reminder to actually read through all the paperwork they send instead of just glancing at it. $30 may not cover a full month of diapers but you're all right that every little bit helps, especially when you're trying to budget everything so carefully. Thanks for sharing all this helpful information about how the benefit works!