CalWORKs EBT card midnight withdrawal settings - does changing take effect immediately?
Quick question about CalWORKs Cash Aid on EBT cards. My rent is due on the 1st but my landlord only takes cash. I just figured out I can change my EBT card settings to allow ATM withdrawals at exactly 12 midnight when benefits get loaded instead of waiting until regular banking hours. Has anyone done this? If I change the setting today, will it work for my midnight withdrawal tonight when my Cash Aid hits my account? The county office already closed for the day so I can't call to ask, and my rent is seriously due tomorrow. Need to know if the setting change is immediate or takes a day to process?
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CosmicCaptain
tried this last month nd it worked right away for me! changed my settings at like 10pm and was able to pull cash out at midnite. saved me from late fees on my rent. make sure u know ur daily withdrawal limit tho cuz u might need to go to multiple ATMs if ur rent is more than that
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Emma Davis
Authoromg thank you!!! My rent is $1245 and I think my daily limit is $500 so I'll definitely need to hit a couple ATMs. Did you have any issues with fees? I'm worried about getting hit with a bunch of ATM charges
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Malik Johnson
Yes, the EBT card setting changes take effect immediately in the system. However, just to clarify a few things that might help: 1. While the setting change is immediate, your Cash Aid might not deposit exactly at midnight. Sometimes it can take until 2-3am for funds to actually appear in your account, depending on the payment processing schedule. 2. Make sure you're using surcharge-free ATMs whenever possible - you get 4 free withdrawals per month with your CalWORKs benefits, but after that, you'll be charged a $0.85 fee per withdrawal. 3. If your daily ATM limit is lower than your rent amount, you might want to plan to make withdrawals over 2-3 days rather than trying to get it all in one night. Hope this helps with your rent situation!
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Emma Davis
AuthorThanks for the detailed info! I didn't realize funds might not show up right at midnight. That makes me nervous since I need the money tomorrow morning. Do you know if the BenefitsCal app shows exactly when the deposit is made? I've been checking my balance on the app all day hoping it might come early.
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Isabella Ferreira
it dependz on what county ur in too. im in LA county and my cash aid NEVER comes at midnite even tho thats what they say. its always like 6-8am for me. so dont panic if u dont see it right at 12. also the app is super glitchy lately so sometimes it doesn't show ur balance right even when the money is there
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Ravi Sharma
not true for me, im in san bernardino and mine hits exactly at 12:01am every single time. i set an alarm and everything lol. but yeah the app is trash, half the time it shows my old balance from before the deposit
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Freya Thomsen
I've been dealing with this EBT midnight withdrawal thing for years with my CalWORKs benefits. The setting change is immediate, but honestly, using multiple ATMs for large cash amounts is risky. Have you considered asking your landlord if they'll accept a money order instead? You can purchase those with your EBT card at most grocery stores without withdrawal limits or multiple ATM fees. Also, if you're consistently struggling with the timing of rent payments, you might qualify for CalWORKs Housing Support Program (HSP) which can sometimes help with rent or security deposits. Might be worth asking your case worker about at your next redetermination interview.
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Emma Davis
AuthorI didn't know you could buy money orders with the EBT card directly! That would solve so many problems. My landlord is pretty strict about cash only (probably not reporting income tbh) but I'll definitely check out the Housing Support Program. My redetermination is coming up next month.
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Omar Zaki
DONT WASTE UR TIME TRYING TO CALL COUNTY TOMORROW EITHER. I spent 4 HOURS on hold last month trying to get someone to help me with my card settings and NEVER got through. The whole system is designed to make it impossible to get help when you actually need it. And then they wonder why people miss rent payments and lose housing. SMH
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AstroAce
If you need to get through to the CalWORKs office quickly, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was in the same situation - stuck on hold forever - but they got me connected to a live person in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Saved me a ton of frustration when I had an emergency question about my Cash Aid that couldn't wait. Much better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.
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Ravi Sharma
Did u figure out how to change the settings? I'm new to CalWORKs and didn't even know this was an option. Where do u go to change it?
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Emma Davis
AuthorYes! You can either call the number on the back of your EBT card and go through the automated system to change withdrawal settings, or log into the BenefitsCal app, go to EBT Account Management, then Card Settings. It lets you set daily withdrawal limits and time restrictions. Hope that helps!
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Malik Johnson
Just a reminder about ATM fees since you mentioned using multiple ATMs - most banks charge $3-5 per withdrawal if you're not their customer, on top of any fees from your EBT card after your free withdrawals. If possible, try to plan your withdrawals at your bank's ATMs or the surcharge-free ATMs listed on the EBT website to minimize fees. Every dollar counts when you're on Cash Aid!
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Isabella Ferreira
this is why the system is rigged against poor ppl!!! u need cash for rent but they make u pay like $20 in fees just to access ur own money 🤬 my worker told me once that some check cashing places will cash out ur whole ebt balance for a lower fee than multiple atms but idk if thats true
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Ava Rodriguez
I feel you on the fees being unfair! Just wanted to clarify though - check cashing places usually can't cash out EBT cards directly since they're not actual checks. What some people do is buy money orders at grocery stores with their EBT cash benefits (usually just a small fee like $1-2) and then cash those at check cashing places, but honestly that's more steps and fees than just using surcharge-free ATMs. The EBT website has a locator for free ATMs - might be worth checking that out @Isabella to avoid those crazy fees!
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