CalWORKs Cash Aid and CalFresh load on different days? My benefits aren't syncing up
I'm so confused about my benefit schedule this month. My CalWORKs Cash Aid loaded on the 1st like it normally does, but my CalFresh seems missing? When I call the EBT hotline to check my food benefits balance, the system doesn't even mention it - just gives me the Cash Aid amount. It's like my food benefits don't exist! Has anyone experienced this before? I have a toddler at home and was counting on those food benefits for groceries this weekend. Do CalWORKs and CalFresh always load on different days? This has never happened before and I'm getting worried. I already checked BenefitsCal and everything shows as active for both programs.
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Dylan Cooper
CalWORKs Cash Aid and CalFresh benefits DO load on different days. CalWORKs is always on the 1st of the month, but CalFresh gets loaded based on the last digit of your case number - anywhere from the 1st to the 10th of the month. Check your approval letter or log into BenefitsCal to see which day your CalFresh should load. If you're sure it should have loaded already, it's possible there was an issue with your last SAR7 or some verification they needed that didn't get processed.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Thank you! I just checked my case number and the last digit is 7...does that mean it loads on the 7th? I didn't realize they were on different schedules. I turned in my SAR7 last month and didn't hear anything back, so I assumed everything was fine.
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Sofia Morales
ya they different days i get cash on 1st but my food stamps come on the 4th every month its based on ur case # or something. check ur paperwork or ur county website should tell u
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Thanks! I never actually paid attention to the exact day my CalFresh came in before - I just knew both benefits were always there when I checked at the beginning of the month. Kinda stressful when you're counting on it and it's not there!
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StarSailor
This EXACT issue happened to me in February! Turns out they never processed my income verification that I submitted with my SAR7. My CalWORKs went through fine but my CalFresh got held up. When I called the regular office number, I spent THREE HOURS on hold before being disconnected. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person in like 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE The worker told me that sometimes the two benefits get processed by different people even though they're on the same case, which is why one loaded and the other didn't. Total bureaucratic nonsense, but at least I got it fixed.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Thank you for this info! I'm going to try calling tomorrow morning. If I can't get through I'll definitely check out that Claimyr thing. Did they backdate your benefits when they fixed it or did you lose that month?
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Dmitry Ivanov
THIS IS SO STUPID HOW THEY MAKE EVERYTHING CONFUSING!!! I've been on CalWorks and CalFresh for 2 years and they NEVER explain these things clearly. My worker changes every few months and each one tells me something different. Last month they discontinued my CalFresh with NO WARNING because they "didn't receive income verification" even though I uploaded it to BenefitsCal AND handed it in person!!! The system is designed to make us fail I swear!!!
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Dylan Cooper
•You're right that the communication can be really frustrating. One thing that helps is taking screenshots of EVERYTHING you submit online and getting receipts for anything you submit in person. I've had to use those screenshots multiple times to prove I submitted something on time.
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Ava Garcia
To answer your question directly: CalWORKs Cash Aid and CalFresh (food stamps) do indeed load on separate days. Cash Aid is always on the 1st, but CalFresh benefits are staggered throughout the first 10 days of the month based on the last digit of your case number: • If your case number ends in 1: 1st of the month • If it ends in 2: 2nd of the month • If it ends in 3: 3rd of the month And so on through the 10th. This staggering helps prevent system overloads and grocery store rushes. If your benefits should have loaded already based on this schedule, there might be an issue with your case. Possible reasons could be: 1. Missing verification documents 2. Incomplete SAR7 3. Income reporting issue 4. System glitch I would recommend calling your county office as soon as possible to check if there are any holds on your case.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•This is so helpful, thank you! My case number ends in 7 so I should get my CalFresh on the 7th. I'll wait until then before panicking. I didn't know about this schedule at all - wish my worker had explained this to me!
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Miguel Silva
its weird u say that bc my calfresh didnt load this month either and im freaking out!!! i got cash aid on the 1st but no food and i got 3 kids to feed. did u figure out whats wrong with urs?? maybe theres a system error happening
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Ava Garcia
•Before assuming there's a system-wide issue, check what day your CalFresh should load based on your case number. If it should have loaded already, definitely call your county office immediately. If you have trouble getting through, consider using the Claimyr service someone mentioned above - I've heard good things from several people who've used it to bypass the hold times.
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Zainab Ismail
When i first got on benefits i thought they came the same day too! my cash is on 1st and calfresh on the 6th. BUT! important thing - if you recently recertified or had to provide new info they mightve just not processed your calfresh yet even tho they did your cash aid. happened to me once when i added my baby to my case. the annoying thing is they don't tell you when theres a problem, you just don't get your benefits and have to figure it out yourself lol
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Did yours eventually come through? I'm starting to wonder if I need to resubmit something. I did recertify about 2 months ago but both benefits have been loading fine until now.
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Dylan Cooper
Just checking back - is today the 7th? Did your CalFresh benefits load? If not, you should definitely call the county office first thing tomorrow morning. Sometimes there are processing delays, but they can usually expedite it if you're at risk of food insecurity.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Yes, it's the 7th today and still nothing loaded! I'm definitely calling tomorrow. Thanks for checking back - this group has been so helpful!
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StarSailor
Sorry to hear you're still having issues! When you call tomorrow, make sure to ask specifically if there are any pending verification items for your CalFresh case. Also ask them to check if your case is in "pending" status rather than "active" status. Sometimes the online portal will show everything as active even when there's an issue on the backend. If they say something is missing, ask them to send you an official notice listing exactly what they need. And definitely request expedited processing if you're out of food!
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•This is great advice, thank you! I'll make sure to ask about my case status and any pending verifications. And yes, I'll definitely request expedited processing - we're already having to stretch what food we have left.
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