I work at a county office and can confirm that the 24-hour hold is now standard across most California counties as of 2023. It was implemented to reduce fraud and give the system time to verify deposits. The policy should have been communicated better to recipients, but unfortunately many counties didn't do a good job with outreach. A few additional tips that might help others: - If you're ever completely unable to access your cash benefits due to a system error, you can request an emergency replacement card at your county office, but this usually takes 7-10 business days - Some counties offer emergency cash assistance if your EBT card is compromised or if there are system-wide issues preventing access to benefits - Always keep your receipts when withdrawing cash - if an ATM malfunctions and doesn't dispense money but shows a withdrawal, the receipt is crucial for filing a dispute The system definitely isn't perfect and I understand how stressful it can be when you need access to your benefits immediately. I'm glad you were able to get your money sorted out for rent!

I've been dealing with CalWORKs for about a year now and I just want to say how grateful I am for communities like this where we can actually get real, practical help from each other. The official channels are so hard to navigate and half the time the county workers don't even seem to know about policy changes themselves. Reading through everyone's responses here taught me more about how the EBT system actually works than anything I ever got from my caseworker. It's really sad that we have to crowdsource basic information about our own benefits, but at least we have each other. For anyone new to CalWORKs reading this - bookmark this thread! The tips about timing, ATM locations, daily limits, and emergency options are gold. And definitely consider setting up those text alerts someone mentioned - I'm going to do that right now.

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!

Good to hear your friend is taking action! Just wanted to add - when he goes to the tax prep place, he should be completely honest with them about the situation. Tax preparers are bound by confidentiality and they've seen this before. They'll need to know the full story to properly amend the return and calculate what he owes. Also, he should keep records of everything - the amended return, any payments made, correspondence with the IRS, etc. If the CalFresh office or any other agency asks about it later, having documentation that he proactively corrected the error will work in his favor. One more thing - if he can't afford to pay back the full amount right away, the IRS does offer payment plans. It's better to set up a payment plan than to ignore the debt.

As someone who's worked with families in similar situations, I want to emphasize how important it is that your friend is taking this seriously now. The fact that he admitted the truth to the CalFresh eligibility worker actually puts him in a vulnerable position - that statement is now documented in his case file. A few additional things to consider: 1. When he files the amended return, he should also be prepared for potential questions about WHY he originally filed incorrectly. Having a consistent explanation ready is important. 2. The CalFresh office may follow up on this discrepancy even if they approved his benefits initially. They sometimes conduct post-eligibility reviews, especially when fraud indicators are present. 3. Since he's paying child support through county enforcement, there's already a paper trail showing he's the non-custodial parent. This makes his original tax filing even more questionable from an investigative standpoint. The good news is that voluntary correction usually results in much better outcomes than waiting to be caught. He's doing the right thing by addressing this immediately. Make sure he keeps copies of everything and considers getting legal advice if the situation becomes more complicated.

I'm so happy you got the confirmation about your retroactive payments! As a newer CalWORKs recipient myself, I know how confusing and stressful it can be when workers don't explain things clearly upfront. The fact that you'll get backpay to mid-December when your application was complete is great news. Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me - when you do call back about the diaper allowance, also ask if there are any other "special needs" allowances you might qualify for with newborn twins. Sometimes there are clothing allowances or other one-time benefits for families with multiple infants that they don't automatically tell you about. Also, keep all your receipts for baby expenses - sometimes if there are delays in getting benefits or allowances, you can get reimbursed for certain necessities you had to buy while waiting. Good luck with everything and congratulations on your twins!

Congratulations on your twins! I'm really glad to see that you got through to a worker and confirmed you'll be getting retroactive payments back to mid-December. That's such a relief when you're dealing with newborn expenses! I wanted to share something that might help - when I first started on CalWORKs with my baby, I found it really helpful to keep a notebook with all the dates and what different workers told me. Sometimes you get different answers from different people, so having it written down helped me advocate for myself better. Also, since everyone's mentioning the diaper allowance - definitely push for that! With twins going through 20 diapers a day, that extra money will make a huge difference. And don't be afraid to ask your worker to explain exactly what you qualify for in simple terms. They work for you, not the other way around. Best of luck with everything!

OP, just checking in - were you able to get through to anyone at the county? If you still haven't reached someone, remember that you have 90 days from the date of discontinuance to request a state hearing if you believe your benefits were incorrectly stopped. The form is called DPA 479, or you can request one by phone at 1-800-952-5253. Also, if you're experiencing an emergency food situation, ask about expedited CalFresh. They can sometimes issue emergency benefits within 3 days if you qualify.

So glad you got it resolved! This is exactly why I always tell people to scan documents instead of taking photos when uploading to BenefitsCal. The system flags photo uploads for manual review which can cause huge delays. For anyone else reading this - if you don't have a scanner, most libraries and UPS stores offer free scanning services, or you can use scanning apps on your phone that create actual PDF files instead of just photos. The county workers told me photos often come through blurry or sideways which is why they get flagged. Thanks for updating us OP - stories like this help other people going through the same thing!