CalWORKs EBT card suddenly not working - can't access my Cash Aid

sometimes there's a 24hr hold after they load the money. try again tomorrow morning. happened to me last month too but it worked the next day

This could be several different issues: 1. Your card might be damaged or expired - check the expiration date 2. There could be a system-wide EBT outage (happens occasionally) 3. Your benefits might be on hold due to a SAR7 or recertification issue 4. You might have exceeded your free ATM withdrawals for the month You definitely need to call the EBT customer service number on the back of your card first. If they say everything looks good on their end, then you need to contact your CalWORKs worker directly.

Had this EXACT problem last week!! Turns out my address didn't match in their system anymore (even though I've lived at the same place for 2 years!!). I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to my worker before I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get past the phone wait. The service connected me directly to a worker in about 15 minutes. They have a demo video too: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Worker fixed it right away and my card started working within an hour. Apparently there was a system update that flagged a bunch of accounts for verification.

I'm a benefit advocate and see this issue frequently. There are several common reasons for sudden access problems: 1. Verification issue: The system sometimes puts a hold if identity verification is needed 2. Fraud prevention: Unusual withdrawal patterns can trigger temporary freezes 3. System glitch: There was a known CalWORKs EBT system upgrade last week that caused similar issues Most important - try checking your balance through the EBT app or website first to see if your funds are actually there. If they are, it's likely just a temporary hold. If you can't resolve this by tomorrow, request an emergency fund release at your county office in person. Bring ID and your EBT card. They can process emergency cash in situations where access is blocked for technical reasons. Also, check if you've received any notices in the mail in the past week - sometimes they send requirement notices that aren't clear about the consequences.

This happens ALL THE TIME w/ CalWORKs!!! The system is broken and nobody cares about us!! Last month they froze my card without warning because they "needed to verify my childrens SSNs" WHICH THEY ALREADY HAD FOR 3 YEARS!!!! I had to pay late fees on my rent because of their mistake and guess what? THEY DON'T REIMBURSE FOR THAT!!!

I'm glad you got it sorted out! That 48-hour security hold thing is so frustrating - they really need to send notifications when they put these holds on accounts. At least you know your money is there and should be accessible tomorrow. For future reference, I've found that calling the EBT customer service line early in the morning (like right at 8am) usually gets you through faster than calling later in the day when everyone is trying to reach them.