CalWORKs EBT card cash withdrawal time restrictions - still limited to after 6AM?

Yes, this is still a policy with CalWORKs EBT cards. The restriction limiting cash withdrawals to between 6AM and 10PM was implemented to reduce fraud and unauthorized nighttime withdrawals. It wasn't actually a COVID thing - it's been around for years. Some states have different time restrictions but California maintains the 6AM-10PM window. For your situation, you might want to plan ahead and withdraw cash the day before if you need it for early morning expenses. You can also use your EBT card directly at many places that accept EBT for purchases without the time restriction - it's just the cash withdrawal that has the time limits.

yep its super annoying. the atm by my house ate my card once when i tried at 5:15am, had to get a replacement and wait 7 days!!! like we dont have lives that start before 6am lol

This is definitely still a policy with CalWORKs EBT cards. The 6AM-10PM restriction was actually created by California state law (Welfare & Institutions Code Section 10072), not by the county offices. It was designed to reduce fraud and unauthorized transactions. Here's what you need to know: 1. Cash withdrawals are ONLY allowed between 6:00AM and 10:00PM 2. This applies to ATMs and cash-back at stores 3. You CAN still use the card for regular purchases at any time 4. This restriction doesn't affect your CalFresh food benefits, only Cash Aid For your job interview situation, I'd recommend withdrawing cash the day before when you know you'll need it early the next morning. You might also want to mention this to your WTW worker as they might be able to help with transportation solutions that don't require early morning cash.

The system is so stupid!!! They want us to work but then make it impossible to actually get to work on time??? I've been having this issue for MONTHS. My job starts at 6am and I need bus fare but cant get cash until 6 which means im always late and my boss is threatening to fire me!!! What am i supposed to do?? No one at the CalWORKs office seems to care they just say "plan ahead" well sometimes that's not possible when you got kids and a million things going on!!

This is one reason why it's so hard to reach someone at CalWORKs to actually discuss these kinds of issues. When I was having problems with my EBT card time restrictions, I spent DAYS trying to reach someone at my county office who could explain the policy. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at my county office in about 10 minutes. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you back when a worker is available. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Was able to get detailed information about the EBT withdrawal policies and even got them to note in my case file about my early morning work schedule so they could suggest alternatives. Worth checking out if you need to actually talk to someone about this issue.

this has been a thing forever its not new lol. i just get cash out during the day and keep it in a safe place at home for when i need it early morning. not that complicated

I'm dealing with this same issue and honestly it's making it SO hard to maintain my WTW participation requirements. My job training program starts at 7am but I need to be dropped off by 6:15 to check in and get set up. I can't withdraw money early enough to pay my ride, and they almost dropped me from the program! When I tried explaining this to my caseworker she just said I should get a monthly bus pass instead but that doesn't help when the first bus doesn't even come until 6:30am in my area!! This feels like one of those policies that they created without thinking about how it affects people who are ACTUALLY trying to meet their requirements and become self-sufficient.

Update: I called the EBT customer service line (not the county) and they confirmed the 6AM restriction is still in place. The lady said it's to "protect recipients from fraud" but honestly it's just making our lives harder! I explained my situation about needing early morning cash for transportation and childcare and she just kept repeating the policy. Super unhelpful. I did get the job though! Now I need to figure out how to make this work with my schedule. Thanks everyone for confirming I'm not crazy - this policy is real and really annoying!

Congrats on getting the job! That's awesome news. I've been dealing with this same 6AM restriction issue and it's so frustrating how it conflicts with real life work schedules. One thing that helped me was talking to my WTW worker about getting a "good cause" exemption noted in my file for transportation barriers. They can sometimes provide alternative transportation assistance or document the barrier so it doesn't count against you if you're occasionally late to appointments due to this restriction. Also, some credit unions and banks have different ATM networks that might have slightly different policies - might be worth checking if there are any ATMs near you that work differently, though I'm not 100% sure if that actually makes a difference with the state law restriction. The whole "plan ahead" advice is so tone deaf when you have kids and unpredictable schedules. Hope you can get some better support from your worker now that you have the job!

I'm so glad you got the job! That's amazing news and shows your determination despite all these barriers. I've been in a similar situation with the 6AM restriction and what worked for me was creating a "cash envelope" system - I withdraw money on Sunday evenings and divide it into daily envelopes for the week ahead. I keep them in a small lockbox I got from the dollar store. Not perfect, but it helps me budget and ensures I have what I need for early morning expenses. Another thing - some grocery stores and pharmacies let you get cash back with small purchases (like a pack of gum) and those transactions work anytime, not just the ATM withdrawals. The cash back still follows the 6AM rule, but at least you have more options than just ATMs. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops when we're trying to work and be responsible. The system definitely needs to be updated to reflect real working schedules!

I'm also dealing with this same issue! Just started a new job that requires me to be there by 5:45am and the EBT restriction has been such a nightmare. What really bothers me is that my caseworker never mentioned this when we were going over my employment plan - seems like something they should warn people about upfront! I've found that some 24-hour grocery stores will let you buy a small item and get cash back, but even that follows the same 6AM rule unfortunately. The only thing that's worked for me is withdrawing money on Friday afternoons for the whole next week, but like others mentioned, keeping cash at home isn't always safe or practical. Has anyone tried asking their county office about getting transportation vouchers instead of relying on cash withdrawals? I'm wondering if that might be a way around this whole mess. Congratulations on getting the job by the way - that's huge! Don't let this stupid policy discourage you from succeeding.

This is such an important issue that affects so many of us! The 6AM restriction really highlights how policies can create unintended barriers for people trying to work and become self-sufficient. I've run into this same problem when I had early morning shifts at a cleaning company - missing work because I couldn't access my own money was incredibly stressful. One thing I discovered is that some counties have emergency transportation funds available for situations exactly like this. It's not well-publicized, but if you explain to your WTW worker that the EBT time restriction is creating a barrier to employment, they might be able to provide alternative transportation assistance or even a small advance to help bridge the gap until your first paycheck. Also, for anyone dealing with this long-term, some employers are willing to adjust start times slightly if you explain the transportation challenge - not all of them, but it's worth asking. I was able to negotiate starting 15 minutes later which gave me enough time to work around the restriction. The fact that so many caseworkers don't mention this upfront when creating employment plans is really concerning. This should be standard information they provide during the job search process. Congratulations on getting the job despite this obstacle - your persistence is inspiring!

This thread has been so eye-opening! I had no idea about the 6AM restriction until I ran into it myself last month. I was trying to get cash at 5:15am for an early medical appointment (had to take my daughter to urgent care) and the ATM just kept declining my card. I thought there was something wrong with my account and spent the whole ride to the hospital panicking about how I was going to pay for parking. What really gets me is that this policy seems to contradict the whole point of CalWORKs - helping us become self-sufficient. How can we maintain jobs or handle emergencies if we can't access our benefits when we actually need them? And like everyone else mentioned, why isn't this explained upfront? I'm going to bring up the transportation voucher idea at my next appointment too. It sounds like there might be options available that our workers just aren't telling us about. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's frustrating but at least now I know I'm not the only one dealing with this!

This whole thread really shows how the 6AM restriction creates so many unnecessary barriers! I'm dealing with this too - just started a part-time job at a bakery that opens at 5:30am and I need to be there by 5:15 to help with morning prep. The first week I was constantly stressed about having cash for my rideshare since I live in an area with no early bus service. What's been working for me is withdrawing my weekly transportation money every Sunday evening and keeping it in a small envelope in my purse. Not ideal, but better than being late to work or missing shifts. I also talked to my supervisor about my situation and she was actually really understanding - she lets me clock in 5 minutes early so I can help count the register, which gives me a tiny buffer if my ride is late. The transportation voucher idea sounds amazing though! I had no idea that might be an option. Definitely going to ask my worker about that. It's so frustrating that we have to figure all this stuff out on our own when it should be part of the standard information they give us during job placement. Thanks for sharing everyone's experiences - it helps to know we're not alone in dealing with these ridiculous restrictions!

Wow, reading through all these experiences really drives home how much this 6AM restriction affects real working people! I'm so glad you got the job despite this barrier - that's amazing! I've been dealing with this same issue for months. I work at a hospital and sometimes get called in for early shifts starting at 5AM. The first time I couldn't get cash for parking and bus fare at 4:45AM, I almost lost a really good opportunity for overtime pay. Now I have to keep a "emergency cash stash" at home, which makes me nervous but it's the only way to handle these situations. What really bothers me is that this policy seems to assume we all have predictable 9-to-5 schedules, when the reality is that many of the jobs available to CalWORKs recipients - cleaning, food service, healthcare support, retail - often have early morning or irregular hours. It's like the system is working against us actually succeeding in employment. I'm definitely going to ask my worker about those transportation vouchers and emergency funds that people mentioned. Had no idea those might be options! Thanks everyone for sharing - it's so helpful to know we're not alone in this struggle.

This has been such an informative thread! I'm new to CalWORKs and had no idea about the 6AM restriction until I read everyone's experiences here. I start a new job next week at a coffee shop that opens at 5:30am and now I'm really worried about how I'm going to handle transportation costs for those early shifts. It's honestly shocking that this isn't explained upfront when they're helping us with job placement. Like, this seems like pretty basic information that could affect whether someone can actually maintain employment! I'm definitely going to ask my worker about transportation vouchers and emergency assistance at my next appointment - sounds like there are resources available that they're just not mentioning. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and practical solutions. The cash envelope system and Sunday evening withdrawal strategy both sound like good backup plans. It's frustrating that we have to be this creative just to access our own benefits, but at least now I know what to expect and have some strategies to work with. Congratulations again on getting your job! Your persistence despite all these barriers is really inspiring.

This whole discussion really highlights how broken the communication is between CalWORKs offices and recipients! I've been on CalWORKs for about 8 months now and my caseworker has NEVER mentioned the 6AM restriction, transportation vouchers, emergency funds, or any of the other resources people are talking about here. I only found out about the time restriction when I got declined trying to get cash for an early morning doctor's appointment. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to rely on community forums to learn about basic policies and available resources. Our workers should be explaining ALL of this stuff during orientation and when they're creating our WTW plans. How are we supposed to succeed if we don't even know what barriers exist or what support is actually available? I'm definitely going to my next appointment with a list of questions based on everything I've learned here - transportation vouchers, emergency assistance, good cause exemptions, all of it. We shouldn't have to figure this out on our own, but at least we have each other to share information. Thanks everyone for being so open about your experiences and solutions!

This entire thread is so eye-opening! I've been on CalWORKs for about 6 months and I'm just now learning about the 6AM restriction from reading everyone's experiences here. My caseworker never mentioned this when we discussed my job search plan, and I'm honestly worried about how this could affect future employment opportunities. What really strikes me is how many people are saying their workers didn't explain this upfront. It seems like such basic information that should be covered during orientation or when creating WTW plans. Like, if they're going to help us find jobs, shouldn't they also explain the barriers we might face in actually getting to those jobs? I'm taking notes on all the solutions people have shared - the Sunday evening withdrawal strategy, asking about transportation vouchers and emergency assistance funds, and getting transportation barriers documented as "good cause" exemptions. It's frustrating that we have to be this proactive about learning what resources are actually available, but I'm grateful for this community sharing real experiences and practical advice. Thank you all for being so open about your struggles and solutions. It's clear we're all dealing with the same lack of communication from our county offices, but at least we can help each other navigate these challenges!

This whole discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a newcomer to CalWORKs and honestly had no idea about any of these restrictions or available resources. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm shocked that such basic information about the 6AM EBT restriction isn't explained during the initial enrollment process. What really concerns me is how this policy seems to directly conflict with the goal of helping people become self-sufficient. So many entry-level jobs - especially in retail, food service, and healthcare - require early morning starts, but then recipients can't access their cash benefits to actually get to work on time. It's like the system is setting people up to fail. I'm taking detailed notes on all the practical solutions people have shared here - the Sunday evening withdrawal strategy, asking about transportation vouchers and emergency assistance funds, and getting transportation barriers documented as "good cause" exemptions. It's frustrating that we have to be this strategic and proactive just to access basic support, but I'm grateful this community exists to share real experiences and solutions. The fact that so many experienced recipients are learning about available resources for the first time through this thread really highlights the communication gap between county offices and the people they're supposed to serve. We shouldn't have to rely on community forums to learn about policies that directly affect our ability to work and become independent. Thanks to everyone for being so open about sharing both struggles and practical workarounds. This is exactly the kind of peer support that makes a real difference when the official system falls short!