CalWORKs EBT card suddenly blocked at Bank of America ATM - can't withdraw Cash Aid

this happens ALL THE TIME with these stupid cards!! mine got frozen last year right when my kids needed school supplies. its probably becuz u tried multiple atms - the system thinks its fraud. u gotta call the EBT customer service number on the back of ur card NOT the county

This is actually a common issue that can happen for several reasons. Here are the most likely explanations: 1. Security freeze due to multiple failed PIN attempts 2. Suspected fraud activity (using multiple ATMs in a short time can trigger this) 3. Your semi-annual report (SAR7) might be overdue even if you think it's not 4. You may have reached your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) without reporting 5. Card damage (chip or magnetic strip worn out) First, call the EBT Customer Service number on the back of your card (1-877-328-9677). They handle card issues and can tell you if it's frozen and why. If it's a simple security freeze, they can usually unfreeze it immediately. If they say it's a county issue (like missing paperwork), then you'll need to contact your county CalWORKs office. Just to be safe, check your BenefitsCal account to make sure there are no pending verification requests you might have missed.

happened to me last month!! it was because my card was expiring that month even tho i never got a new one in the mail. had to call and have them send me a new card. check the expiration date on your card

Before you panic, check if you received any notices in the mail recently. Sometimes they send important notices that look like junk mail. Also, did you try using your PIN for Cash Aid specifically? Remember that CalFresh and Cash Aid are separate even though they're on the same card, and you might have funds in one but not the other. If calling the EBT customer service doesn't resolve it, you'll need to contact your county worker directly. I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person at the county office quickly instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a service that calls and waits on hold for you, then calls you when a real person answers. Saved me hours last time I had an urgent issue with my Cash Aid. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE

did u check if theirs a hold on ur account??? sometims they put a hold if they think theres fraud or sumthing. or maybe u reached the limit for cash withdrawls? i think u can only take out money 4 times a month without fees or somthing

This literally just happened to me 2 weeks ago!!!! I was PANICKING because I needed to pay my car insurance. Turns out I forgot I had reported some side income from DoorDash on my last quarterly report and it put me over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). They sent me some form to verify my income but I never saw it and they froze my benefits. I had to go in person to the office with my pay stubs to get it resolved. They backdated my benefits once I showed proof. DEFINITELY check if you got any income recently that might have triggered this. Could be something super small that you didn't think mattered.

I know this probably isn't what you want to hear right now, but even if the EBT customer service can unfreeze your card, I'd strongly recommend requesting an Emergency Draw from your county office if your rent is due in 2 days. If there's any kind of delay in resolving this, you don't want to risk being late on rent. You can request an emergency payment sometimes even if it's a card issue. Bring ID and your rental agreement to the office. Also, check your mail VERY carefully - they're required to send written notice before stopping benefits, but sometimes these notices look very generic and people throw them away thinking they're just regular correspondence. Look for anything from the county in the last 30 days.

UPDATE: I called the EBT customer service number and they said my card was frozen because of "suspicious activity" - probably because I tried multiple ATMs. They unfroze it and I was able to withdraw my money! Thank you everyone for your help. Definitely learned my lesson about not trying too many ATMs in a row. What a relief!