Approved for CalWORKs today - how soon until I get the funds?

Congrats on getting approved! They'll mail you an approval letter within 3-5 days that shows your benefit amount. For the funds, it's not instant unfortunately. Usually takes 2-3 business days after approval for them to load onto your EBT card. If you don't already have an EBT card, they'll mail you one which can take up to 7 days to arrive. You can check your balance by calling the number on the back of your card or through the EBT app.

ur lucky u got approved right away! took me 3 interviews b4 i got mine cuz they kept sayin i was missing paperwork ugggh

The first payment is usually the slowest since they have to set everything up. If this is your first time on CalWORKs, they'll need to create your case and issue your card. Your worker saying she'll "try" to approve it today is standard language - it means she has to enter everything and her supervisor might need to review it first. You might get a text notification if you signed up for them during your application. Otherwise, you'll just get the letter. If you already have an EBT card from CalFresh, they'll load your Cash Aid onto the same card. If you've never had benefits before, expect about 7-10 days total before you have money in hand.

IMPORTANT: If your worker said she "tried" to approve it today, that doesn't always mean it's done!!! I was told the same thing and then waited 2 weeks only to find out my case was sitting on someone's desk and never actually processed. CALL THEM TOMORROW to confirm it actually went through. Don't just assume it's approved until you get the official letter or see the money.

I was in exactly your position back in January and let me tell you trying to call the office to check on my approval status was a NIGHTMARE. Kept getting put on hold for 2+ hours and then disconnected. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and had an actual person call me back when they reached a worker. Saved me so much stress! They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Anyway, once my approval actually went through, the money showed up on my EBT card about 48 hours later. The first month is always the most stressful!

Just fyi different counties work differently my approval took 5 days to process even tho the worker told me she approved it that day and the funds didn't come til almost a week later... they backdated it tho so i got paid from my application date not just approval date

Yes, they should backdate your payment to when you applied (or when you became eligible if that's different). So your first payment might be larger than your regular monthly amount.

One more tip - when you get your approval letter, check it carefully! Make sure they calculated your benefit amount correctly based on your household size and any income. I got approved but they accidentally put my income as higher than it really was, so my benefit was lower than it should have been. I had to request a case review to fix it.

$837 for a family of 2 with no income sounds about right for 2025 rates. The maximum benefit for a family of 2 is currently around that amount if you have no other income. Make sure you also applied for CalFresh (food stamps) and Medi-Cal if you need those too. And don't forget you'll need to complete your Welfare to Work (WTW) orientation within a few weeks of approval unless you qualify for an exemption. They should send you information about that soon after your approval letter.

they made me wait like 10 days for my money even after i was approved so dont count on it for rent if its due in like 2 days

Just wanted to update - I got a text this morning saying my application was approved! Called the EBT customer service line and they said funds should be on my card by Friday. Thanks for all the help everyone!

That's awesome news Andre! So happy to hear your approval went through quickly. It sounds like you got one of the good workers who actually follows through. Make sure to screenshot that text notification for your records - sometimes it's helpful to have proof of when things were approved if any issues come up later. And definitely keep checking your EBT balance starting Thursday night just in case it posts early. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly with your first payment!