CalWORKs EBT card came but funds unavailable until July 20th - why the delay?

this is sadly rlly common when u first get approved. my card came like 2 weeks b4 money was on it too. the system is messed up they approve u but the computer has the payment scheduled for ur "official payment date" which depends on ur case number. if ur case # ends in 1-3 u get paid on 1st, 4-7 on 10th and 8-0 on 20th. sounds like ur in the last group. did ur approval letter say which day of month ur regular payments will be?

you should check if u can get emergency food assistance. call 211 and ask about food banks near u. some will give u food same day. also the salvation army sometimes helps with emergency food vouchers.

It's definitely frustrating, but this is standard for CalWORKs. Your first payment is almost always aligned with your regular payment date (1st, 10th, or 20th depending on your case number). Since you've already been approved, you might qualify for an emergency payment if you're truly in a crisis situation. Call your caseworker directly and ask about an "immediate need" payment due to food insecurity. They don't advertise this option much, but if you have less than $100 in resources and can't meet basic needs, they should be able to help. Also, make sure you've applied for CalFresh (food stamps) as well - that's separate from your Cash Aid and could provide additional food assistance.

I had the exact same issue last year! It's so frustrating how they don't explain this clearly when you get approved. I spent hours trying to get through to my worker about it. If you're desperate to reach someone at the county office, I found a service called Claimyr that actually worked to get through to a real person. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. It basically calls the county for you and gets you in the queue without you having to keep redialing. The lady I reached was able to tell me exactly when my funds would be available and noted in my file that I needed emergency assistance.

I kno its frustrating but thats how the system works. They send card first then money comes later. U can try emergency allotment but they usually deny those unless ur homeless or about to be evicted. Most workers will just tell u to go to food bank until ur payment date. At least u got approved! Some ppl wait months just to get denied.

This whole situation is EXACTLY why I've been saying the system is broken!! They expect families to just magically survive while they take their sweet time processing everything. I've been on CalWORKs for 3 years now and the payment dates still make no sense - why can't they just give people the money as soon as they're approved instead of making them wait until some arbitrary date?? And good luck trying to reach anyone by phone - I spent SIX HOURS on hold last month just to ask a simple question about my SAR7. The county offices don't care that people have jobs and kids and can't sit by the phone all day!

Just wanted to follow up - as someone mentioned, your case number determines your regular payment date (1st, 10th, or 20th). But here's something important many people don't know: When you first get approved, if you're experiencing an immediate financial crisis, you can request an "Immediate Need" payment. You need to specifically use those words. For future reference, here's how the payment system works for CalWORKs: - If your case number ends in 1, 2, or 3: Payment on the 1st - If your case number ends in 4, 5, 6, or 7: Payment on the 10th - If your case number ends in 8, 9, or 0: Payment on the 20th Keep this in mind for budgeting purposes going forward. Also, make sure you complete your SAR7 reports on time (every 6 months) to avoid any payment delays in the future.

You'll get your first SAR7 form about 5 months after your approval. So if you were approved in July, expect it around December. The form is due by the 5th of your reporting month (which would be January in this example). One tip: CalWORKs now offers the option to complete your SAR7 online through the BenefitsCal website, which is much easier than the paper form. You can upload photos of any required documents right from your phone. Glad you were able to reach someone about the Immediate Need payment. If approved, they typically issue those within 3 business days, so that should help bridge the gap until your regular payment date.

I went through this same frustrating experience when I first got approved! The waiting period between getting your card and actually having funds available is one of those things they really should explain better upfront. Since you mentioned your case number ends in 9, you're definitely in the 20th payment group. While you're waiting for a response on the immediate need payment, here are a few other options that might help: Some churches have emergency food pantries that don't require appointments - you could call around and ask. Also, if you have any friends or family on WIC, sometimes they have extra vouchers they can't use before they expire. The system is definitely not designed with families' immediate needs in mind, but hang in there - once you get into the regular payment cycle it becomes more predictable. Just make sure to budget around those specific dates (1st, 10th, or 20th) going forward.