CalWORKs EBT Cash Aid showing $20 balance but card won't work - driving me crazy!

same thing happened to me last month!!! the machine kept saying insufficient funds even tho my balance said $48. turns out there was a hold on my account bc i missed my SAR7 deadline 🤦‍♀️ didnt even get a notice about it

There are a few different reasons this could be happening: 1. Your card might have a temporary hold due to missing paperwork like your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7) or some verification documents 2. There might be a system-wide issue with the EBT system (this happened county-wide back in November and took 3 days to fix) 3. If you haven't used your cash benefits in 90 days, they sometimes put a security hold that requires verification 4. The card itself could be damaged (magnetic stripe problems) I'd recommend calling your CalWORKs worker directly to find out what's going on. They can tell you if there's a hold and how to fix it.

Are you trying to withdraw the full $20? Some ATMs have a minimum withdrawal amount of $20 but also charge a $2-3 fee, which would put you under the minimum. Try using it at a store for a small purchase instead of an ATM, or try withdrawing just $10 if the ATM allows smaller amounts.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!!!!! They do this on purpose to make it hard to access your benefits. I've had cashiers give me dirty looks when my card gets declined even tho the money should be there. This happened to me TWICE this year and both times it was because they put a "fraud hold" on my account without telling me. I had to physically go to the county office and wait 4 HOURS just to get someone to remove the hold. They're hoping people just give up and don't claim their benefits. CALL YOUR WORKER AND DEMAND THEY FIX IT IMMEDIATELY!!

If you can't get through to your worker, I just started using this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual person at CalWORKs in about 10 minutes when I was dealing with a similar issue. My card was showing a balance but not working because they needed me to verify my address after I moved. The service basically calls for you and then connects you when they reach a person instead of you waiting on hold forever. There's a video that shows how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE and their website is claimyr.com. Saved me from having to take a day off work to go to the office.

Have you tried logging into BenefitsCal to see if there are any notices or alerts on your account? Sometimes they post important messages there before you get the physical mail. Also check if your account is in "pending" status for any reason.

That "pending verification" status is definitely your issue. When verification is pending, they often put a hold on cash benefits while still allowing CalFresh (food stamps) to work. You need to submit whatever verification they're requesting ASAP. You can upload documents directly through BenefitsCal now instead of mailing them or bringing them in person. Once you do, call your worker to let them know you've submitted the documents so they can lift the hold.

happened to me last yr when i forgot to report my new job within 10 days. the ebt cash part got frozen but not the calfresh part. i had to wait till they processed my income verification before the cash worked again. took like 3 days after I talked to my worker

I used Claimyr this morning after seeing the recommendation here and got through to a CalWORKs worker in about 15 minutes! They confirmed there was a hold on my cash benefits because of the pending verification. Since I already uploaded my pay stubs, they were able to process them while I was on the phone and remove the hold. The worker said the cash aid should be available again within 24 hours. So relieved to have this resolved before my rent is due! Thanks everyone for your help!

This is such a common problem and it's so frustrating! I went through the exact same thing about 6 months ago. My card showed $35 but wouldn't work anywhere. Turns out they had put a hold on my account because I was late submitting my quarterly earnings report (I didn't even realize I had to do one since I'm only working part-time). The worst part is they don't send you a clear notice about the hold - just some confusing letter that I honestly threw away thinking it was junk mail. I had to go to the office in person and wait 3 hours just to find out what was wrong. Once I submitted the missing paperwork, it took another 2 days for the hold to be lifted. Pro tip: always keep copies of every document you submit and take photos of them uploading successfully in BenefitsCal. The system glitches sometimes and they'll claim they never received your documents even when you have proof you submitted them.

Same exact thing happened to me 2 weeks ago! Had $45 showing but card kept getting declined everywhere. Called the EBT number like 6 times and kept getting disconnected. Finally got through to someone who told me there was a "system flag" on my account because I hadn't used my cash benefits in over 60 days (I was trying to save them for an emergency). They said it's an automatic security measure but nobody bothers to tell you about it! The rep was able to remove the flag while I was on the phone and my card worked within an hour. Try calling the EBT customer service number early in the morning around 8am - that's when I finally got through. If that doesn't work, definitely try that Claimyr service someone mentioned or go to your county office. Don't give up - that money is yours!

This is such a frustrating situation that way too many of us have dealt with! Based on what you've described and what others have shared, it definitely sounds like there's a hold on your cash benefits due to the pending verification you mentioned seeing in BenefitsCal. The fact that your CalFresh still works but cash aid doesn't is a dead giveaway - they typically freeze cash benefits first when there are compliance issues. Since you already uploaded your pay stubs this morning, I'd really recommend trying that Claimyr service that Amara mentioned - it seems like several people here have had success with it for getting through to an actual person quickly. The key thing is you need to talk to someone to confirm they received your documents and manually lift the hold. Don't feel bad about being late with the verification either - those income reporting requirements are confusing and they don't always make it clear when something is urgent vs routine paperwork. Hang in there!

This happened to me too! I had $32 showing but my card was getting declined everywhere. Turned out my case worker put a hold on my cash benefits because I forgot to report that I picked up a few extra shifts at work last month. The crazy part is I DID report it through the automated phone system like I always do, but apparently it didn't go through properly. I only found out when I finally got through to someone after calling like 10 times. They lifted the hold immediately once I explained what happened, but it was so stressful not knowing why my card wasn't working. The system really needs to be better at notifying people when there are issues instead of just letting us figure it out when we can't access our benefits!

Ugh, I feel your pain! This exact same thing happened to me about 3 months ago. I had $28 showing on my balance but my card kept getting declined everywhere I tried to use it - grocery store, ATM, even when I tried to get cash back at CVS. Turns out there was a "verification hold" on my account because I was a few days late submitting some paperwork they requested about my rent amount. The most frustrating part was that nobody told me there was a hold! I only found out after I finally got through to my caseworker after calling for two days straight. She was able to lift the hold immediately once I explained I had already submitted the documents they needed. My advice: definitely check BenefitsCal for any "pending" items and try calling your worker first thing in the morning when the lines aren't as busy. If you can't get through, that Claimyr service people mentioned sounds really helpful. Don't give up - that money is rightfully yours and they have to fix it once you get the right person on the phone!

I went through this exact same nightmare about two months ago! My card showed $42 but kept getting declined everywhere - it's so embarrassing when you're standing at the register and your card doesn't work. After reading through all these responses, it's clear this is a super common issue that they really need to fix. In my case, it turned out I had missed a deadline for reporting some temporary income from a side gig, even though the amount was tiny. What really bothers me is how they can just freeze your benefits without sending a clear, urgent notice that explains exactly what's wrong and how to fix it. Instead we get these confusing official letters that honestly do look like junk mail. I ended up having to take time off work to go to the county office in person, which cost me more money than the benefits I was trying to access! The whole system seems designed to make it as difficult as possible to actually use the benefits you're entitled to. Really hoping they improve the notification process and make the holds more transparent in the future.

This thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with something similar right now - my card shows $31 but won't work at any ATM or store. I checked BenefitsCal and there's definitely a "pending verification" status showing. I was supposed to submit proof of my childcare expenses by last Friday but completely forgot because I've been dealing with my kid being sick. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel less alone in this - it's such a relief to know that once you actually get through to someone they can usually fix it pretty quickly. I'm going to try calling early tomorrow morning like Chloe suggested, and if that doesn't work I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories and advice - this community is amazing for helping each other navigate this confusing system!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! This is actually a really common issue that many of us have experienced. Based on what you described and the "pending verification" status you found in BenefitsCal, it sounds like there's definitely a hold on your cash benefits while they wait for your income verification documents. The good news is that since you already uploaded your pay stubs this morning, you're halfway there! The tricky part is getting through to someone to manually lift the hold - the system usually doesn't do it automatically even after you submit documents. I'd definitely recommend trying the early morning calling strategy (around 8am) that others mentioned, or checking out that Claimyr service if phone calls aren't working. Don't give up - that $20 is yours and they have to restore access once they process your verification! Keep us updated on how it goes.

This is such a frustrating but unfortunately common issue! I'm new to CalWORKs and reading through everyone's experiences here has been really eye-opening. It sounds like you're dealing with exactly what many others have faced - a hold on your cash benefits due to that pending verification you found in BenefitsCal. The fact that your CalFresh still works but cash aid doesn't is pretty much a telltale sign of a verification hold. Since you already uploaded your pay stubs this morning, you're on the right track! The challenge now is getting through to someone to manually lift the hold. Based on all the advice here, I'd definitely try calling your worker first thing tomorrow morning around 8am when lines are less busy. If that doesn't work, that Claimyr service that several people mentioned sounds like it could be worth trying. Don't let this discourage you - it seems like once people actually reach someone, these holds get resolved pretty quickly. Your $20 might not seem like much to them, but I know every dollar counts when you're struggling. Keep pushing until you get it sorted out!