CalWORKs Cash Aid deposited but EBT balance shows $0.00 - money missing?

This happened to me in January! The system showed my payment was processed but nothing was on my card. Turns out there are TWO balances on your EBT card - one for food benefits (CalFresh) and one for cash benefits (CalWORKs). Are you checking the CASH balance specifically? On the ATM or phone system you have to select "CASH" not "FOOD" to see your Cash Aid balance.

did u check to see if ur card is blocked? sometims they put a block on it if they think theres fraud. happened to me once when i used my card in another county and they thought it wasnt me. u gotta call the EBT customer service number on the back of ur card to check

This could be a few different things: 1) As someone mentioned, you might be checking the FOOD side not the CASH side of your EBT card. They're totally separate balances. 2) There can be a 24-48 hour delay between when the county processes the payment and when it actually hits your EBT card. The county system might show "sent" but the EBT system needs time to process it. 3) The payment might have been redirected if you have child support owed or an overpayment being recouped. 4) Your case might be split between CalWORKs and child-only benefits which go to different accounts. You should call your eligibility worker directly. I know the county phone systems are terrible, but this is the fastest way to figure out where your money is. If you can't reach them, try calling the EBT customer service number on the back of your card.

THE COUNTY ALWAYS DOES THIS!! They tell you money is deposited but then it takes 2-3 days to actually show up. They never explain this to anyone and people panic. I bet by tomorrow morning it will be there. The system is designed to drive us crazy I swear.

Has anything changed with your case recently? Did you submit your SAR7 on time? Did you get a Notice of Action recently? Sometimes if there's an issue with your eligibility or reporting, they might stop your benefits but the computer system might still show it was processed initially. Also make sure your phone number is updated in the system so they can reach you if there's a problem.

I'm so glad you found your money! Just so you know for future reference - if you ever do have a real problem with missing Cash Aid, call the county ASAP. If you're facing eviction or utility shutoff because of a county delay, ask about the "Immediate Need" process. They're supposed to expedite benefits if you're facing an emergency situation. Also, always keep your paperwork showing when payments are supposed to arrive. Helps if you ever need to prove there was a delay.

This is such a common confusion! I'm glad you figured it out. For anyone else reading this - when you call the EBT customer service line (1-877-328-9677), you'll hear two different options: "Food" for CalFresh/SNAP benefits and "Cash" for CalWORKs Cash Aid. They're completely separate accounts on the same card. You can also check both balances at most ATMs by selecting the different account types. I keep a note in my phone reminding me which option to choose because I used to mix them up all the time too!

This is exactly why I wish they gave us a proper orientation when we first get approved for CalWORKs! The EBT card system is so confusing and they just hand you the card without explaining how it actually works. I've been there - staring at a $0.00 balance wondering where my money went, meanwhile it's sitting in the other account the whole time. For anyone new to the system: your EBT card has TWO separate accounts - CalFresh (food stamps) and CalWORKs Cash Aid. Always make sure you're checking the right one! And don't feel bad about the confusion - this trips up SO many people because it's not intuitive at all.

I'm so glad you found your money @Paolo Romano! This exact same thing happened to me when I first got CalWORKs - I was checking my food balance thinking it was everything and panicking when I saw $0. The EBT system really is confusing because they don't explain that it's basically two separate accounts on one card. For anyone else who might run into this: when you call the EBT number or use an ATM, always pay attention to whether you're selecting "CASH" (for CalWORKs) or "FOOD" (for CalFresh/food stamps). I actually wrote "CASH = CalWORKs, FOOD = CalFresh" on a sticky note and put it on my card for the first few months until I got used to it. Also, if you ever do have a real issue where money is actually missing (not just on the wrong account), document everything - take photos of your BenefitsCal account showing the payment was sent, write down the date/time you checked your EBT balance, etc. It makes it much easier to get help from your worker if you have all the details ready.

This is such a perfect example of why the CalWORKs system needs better user education! I'm a caseworker and I see this confusion ALL the time - probably 2-3 calls per week from clients thinking their money is missing when they're just checking the wrong balance. @Paolo Romano I'm so glad you found your funds! For everyone else reading this thread, here's a quick tip: when you get your EBT card, test BOTH account types right away so you know how to access each one. Call the customer service line and practice selecting "Cash" vs "Food" options, or try both at an ATM when you're not in a rush. Also, if you use online banking or mobile apps, some banks will show EBT transactions differently for cash vs food purchases, which can add to the confusion. Your cash benefits can be withdrawn at ATMs or used for cash back at stores, while food benefits can only be used for eligible food purchases. The system really should make this clearer from day one, but at least now you know for next time!

This thread is so helpful! I've been on CalWORKs for about a year and I STILL sometimes forget which balance I'm checking. Just last week I had a mini panic attack at the ATM thinking my cash aid didn't come through, but I was looking at my food balance which was low. It's honestly embarrassing how many times I've done this, but reading everyone's responses makes me feel so much better knowing it's super common. @Paolo Romano so glad you found your money! And thank you to everyone who shared tips - especially the sticky note idea and the caseworker explaining how often this happens. This is exactly the kind of info they should give us when we first get approved instead of leaving us to figure it out through trial and error (and panic attacks at ATMs).

This whole thread is so reassuring! I'm new to CalWORKs (just got approved last month) and I had this EXACT same panic two weeks ago. I was at the grocery store trying to figure out why I couldn't access my cash benefits and the customer service person had to explain the two different accounts to me. I felt so lost and frustrated that nobody had explained this basic stuff when I got my card. Reading through everyone's experiences makes me realize this is like a rite of passage for CalWORKs recipients - we all go through this confusion at some point! I love all the practical tips people have shared, especially the sticky note idea and testing both account types right away. @Paolo Romano I'm so glad you found your money and shared your experience - knowing other people go through this exact thing makes me feel way less alone in navigating this system. It's honestly wild that something so basic isn't explained better upfront, but at least we have communities like this to help each other figure it out!

This thread is amazing and so helpful! I'm relatively new to the community and have been on CalWORKs for about 8 months now. Reading everyone's experiences makes me realize how universal this confusion is - I had almost the exact same panic about 3 months ago when I couldn't find my cash aid and thought something was wrong with my case. What really strikes me from all these responses is how this one simple misunderstanding (checking food vs cash balance) causes so much unnecessary stress for families who are already dealing with financial pressure. @Paolo Romano I'm so glad you found your money and that you shared this experience - it's going to help so many people who go through the same thing. I think the most valuable takeaway from this thread is that we need to advocate for better education from the county offices. It would literally take them 2 minutes during the initial card pickup to explain that there are two separate balances and show people how to access each one. The amount of panic calls and confusion this would prevent would probably save them time too! For anyone reading this who's new to the system: screenshot or bookmark this thread! The tips shared here (testing both accounts early, saving the EBT number with notes about which buttons to press, using the sticky note reminder) are pure gold and way more useful than anything in the official materials they give you.

This is such an important thread! I'm a newer member here and just went through this exact same panic last month. I was literally crying at the ATM thinking my benefits didn't come through when I desperately needed to buy groceries for my kids. Turns out I was checking my cash balance instead of my food balance - opposite problem from @Paolo Romano but same confusion! What really helped me was calling that EBT customer service number (1-877-328-9677) and just staying on the line to listen to ALL the menu options before selecting one. They actually explain which button is for food vs cash, but when you're stressed and in a hurry it's easy to just press something and miss the explanation. I love everyone's suggestions about better orientation from the county. Maybe we could even create our own unofficial "EBT Card 101" guide as a community resource? I'm happy to help put something together with all the great tips from this thread - could be a pinned post to help other newcomers avoid this panic. The collective knowledge here is honestly better than anything the official system provides!

This thread has been so eye-opening! I'm fairly new to CalWORKs (about 4 months in) and I had no idea how many people go through this exact same confusion. Reading everyone's stories makes me feel so much less alone in trying to figure out this system. I actually had a similar scare about 6 weeks ago, but mine was even more embarrassing - I was trying to use my EBT card at a gas station to get cash back and kept getting declined. I thought my benefits were cut off or something was wrong with my case. Spent the whole day stressed out calling my caseworker and leaving frantic voicemails. Turns out I was at a gas station that doesn't allow EBT cash transactions at all! I had to go to an actual ATM to access my CalWORKs money. Nobody ever explained to me that not all places that accept EBT cards will let you get cash back from your cash benefits. @Paolo Romano I'm so glad you found your money! And thank you to everyone sharing all these practical tips. The idea about creating a community EBT guide sounds amazing - between all of our experiences we could probably help so many people avoid these stressful situations. It's honestly incredible how much more helpful this community is than any official resources I've gotten from the county!

This whole thread is so validating and helpful! I just joined this community a few weeks ago and I'm about 2 months into getting CalWORKs. I actually bookmarked this thread after reading through everyone's experiences because I know I'm going to need to reference these tips again. What really struck me is how @Mateo Rodriguez mentioned getting 2-3 calls per week from clients with this exact confusion - that really shows this isn't a "user error" problem, it's a system design problem. The fact that so many people independently go through the same panic suggests the orientation process is seriously lacking. I love all the practical solutions people have shared - the sticky note idea, saving the EBT number with button instructions, testing both account types right away. These are the kinds of real-world tips that actually help families navigate the system successfully. The community EBT guide idea that @Chloe Martin and others mentioned sounds incredible. I'd definitely be interested in helping contribute to something like that. Between everyone's experiences here, we could probably create something more useful than any official materials. It could include things like: how to check both balances, where you can/can't use cash benefits, what to do if money is actually missing vs just on the wrong account, and maybe even common error messages and what they mean. @Paolo Romano thank you so much for sharing your experience and starting this conversation - this thread is going to help so many people avoid that same panic!