CalWORKs EBT cash withdrawal issues after midnight - anyone else?

same thing happened to me!! tried at the 7/11 and then the bank atm and both said no cash available. This happened last month too and the $ didn't show up until like noon the next day. So annoying when they say its supposed to be available at midnight!!!

Sometimes there's a delay with the EBT system updates. I had this happen once where it showed $0 cash but my food benefits were there. Try checking again around 6am, that's when mine finally showed up that time.

I BET THE SYSTEM IS DOWN AGAIN!!! This happens ALL THE TIME with CalWORKs cash benefits. They NEVER tell us when there's maintenance or delays but expect us to pay our bills on time!!! I've had my landlord charge me late fees before because of this exact issue and the county REFUSED to help cover it even though it was THEIR FAULT the money wasn't available when promised. The whole system is designed to make us fail!

Do you have pending reviews on your case? I had this happen when they were reviewing my SAR7 and even though they said benefits were authorized, there was some kind of hold. Had to call the county worker to get it fixed.

I've been through this exact situation before. Often what happens is that the authorization shows in the system but the actual transfer to your EBT card can take 12-24 hours to complete, especially if there was a weekend or holiday involved. If you need to reach your CalWORKs worker quickly to check what's happening, I recommend using Claimyr. I used their service last time this happened and got through to a worker in about 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They connect you directly to your county office and keep your place in line. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE or just go to claimyr.com. It saved me when I was in a similar urgent situation with my landlord.

Just to clarify something important - if you submitted your SAR7 last week, make sure it was fully processed. Even if you turn in your SAR7 before the deadline, if your worker hasn't fully processed it in the system, it can delay your benefits. The fact that your CalFresh is available but not your Cash Aid makes me think there might be a verification issue specifically with your CalWORKs eligibility. Also, just as a reminder for everyone, when checking your balance, make sure you're selecting the correct account type at the ATM. Many ATMs require you to specifically select "CASH BENEFITS" rather than "EBT FOOD" or sometimes even "CHECKING/SAVINGS" when using your EBT card. I've seen clients accidentally check their food balance when trying to access their cash.

Any update? Did ur cash hit yet?

mine too!! got mine at 6 something this morning...wish they would just tell us when theres gonna be delays instead of making us panic!

I'm glad to hear everyone's benefits came through! For future reference, the official statewide EBT customer service line (877-328-9677) sometimes has information about system delays that your local county office may not share proactively. It might be worth calling that number first when you experience delays, as they can confirm if it's a statewide issue or something specific to your case. Also, if anyone needs to contact their county worker quickly about time-sensitive issues like this, having a reliable way to get through the phone system is essential. Keep documentation of any late fees or financial impacts these delays cause - in some cases, you can request assistance if the delay causes financial hardship.

This is such a common issue and it's really frustrating that there's no transparency about when these delays happen! I've been on CalWORKs for about 8 months now and I've learned to never count on the money being available exactly at midnight. What I do now is set aside a small emergency buffer from the previous month if possible, or I let my landlord know a few days ahead of time that there might be a slight delay due to the EBT system. Most understanding landlords will work with you if you communicate proactively. It shouldn't be this way, but unfortunately we have to work around their unreliable system.

This thread is so helpful! I'm new to CalWORKs (just got approved last month) and had no idea this was a common issue. I was planning to rely on getting my cash right at midnight for rent next month, but now I know to plan differently. Does anyone know if there's a pattern to when these delays happen? Like is it more common at the beginning of the month or on certain days of the week? I want to try to predict when I might need to give my landlord extra notice about potential delays.