CalWORKs approved but not showing up when I check EBT - only CalFresh appears

the same thing happened to me!!! they approved me in the office but when i called it only showed calfresh. i waited like 5 days freaking out then it just showed up on my card. they process them seperate i think

What you're experiencing is actually pretty common. CalWORKs (Cash Aid) and CalFresh are processed through the same office but run on different systems. When you call the EBT hotline, it will sometimes only show CalFresh even when your Cash Aid is approved and processing. Here's what's likely happening: 1. Your Cash Aid approval on 4/13 started the processing cycle 2. First-time approvals typically take 3-5 business days to appear on your EBT card 3. The payment may already be scheduled but isn't visible yet on the automated system I recommend checking your BenefitsCal account online if you have one - sometimes it shows more updated information than the EBT phone line. If it doesn't show up by the 5th business day after approval, then you should contact your eligibility worker directly.

did they give u an approval letter or just told u verbally? thats important becuz sometimes workers say ur approved but then it has to go thru a supervisor review b4 its official. that happened 2 me and took extra time

I've had to deal with this exact issue when helping clients. The problem is the EBT phone system sometimes only reports the CalFresh benefits until the Cash Aid actually posts to your account. Here's what you need to do: 1. If it's been less than 5 business days, just wait a bit longer 2. If it's been more than 5 business days, you need to contact your eligibility worker directly The annoying part is actually getting through to someone at the county office. I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to skip the phone queue. It basically calls the county for you and connects you once a real person picks up. Saved me hours of wait time. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Also, once your Cash Aid is established, it will follow a regular payment schedule each month - usually between the 1st-3rd for continuing months.

This is actually very normal for first-time approvals. The EBT system and the county eligibility system don't always sync up immediately. Cash Aid has to go through an additional verification process even after your verbal approval, which CalFresh doesn't require. For first-time Cash Aid recipients, benefits are typically issued within 3-5 business days of final approval. Since you were approved on a Thursday (4/13), and counting business days (excluding weekends), you should see your benefits by Wednesday 4/19 at the latest. Also important: Cash Aid follows a specific issuance calendar after your initial payment. Your ongoing monthly benefits will be deposited on a specific day of the month based on the last digit of your case number. Make sure to ask your worker about your regular payment date once you get your first payment.

The county workers lie all the time!!! They probably didnt even submit your approval and are just saying they did. I was told I was approved 3 TIMES before they actually processed my case. The system is broken and they dont care if your rent is due. You need to go back to the office IN PERSON and demand to speak to a supervisor about your case status. Don't believe what they tell you over the phone!

its 100% normal!! when i got approved in january they told me 3 days but it took like 6 business days to show up on my card. the most annoying part is theres like no way to track it or see a status update. once it posts tho you'll get a text message if u signed up for alerts

Question - did they say anything about immediate need? If you told them you were in a crisis situation (like might be evicted, no food, etc.), they're supposed to issue emergency cash aid within 3 CALENDAR days, not business days. But if it wasn't an immediate need application, then yeah it can take a week or so for the first payment.

Hey! I work at a local community center and help people navigate benefits applications all the time. What you're experiencing is totally normal - I see this happen weekly. The EBT phone system is honestly pretty terrible at showing real-time status updates for cash aid. Here's what I usually tell folks: if your worker verbally approved you in the office, that's actually a good sign. They can see things in their system that don't show up on the EBT hotline yet. The 3-5 business day timeline is pretty standard, but sometimes it takes the full 5 days especially for first-time approvals. One thing that might help - try checking your balance online at ebtEDGE.com instead of just calling. Sometimes the website updates faster than the phone system. Also, your cash aid might post at a different time of day than CalFresh benefits typically do. If you don't see anything by Tuesday (which would be 5 business days from your 4/13 approval), that's when I'd recommend following up with your worker. But honestly, based on what you've described, it sounds like everything is processing normally and you should see your benefits soon!

I went through this exact same situation last year! Got approved on a Wednesday, worker said 3 days, but nothing showed up until the following Tuesday. I was so stressed because I needed it for groceries and utilities. What helped me was calling the EBT customer service line (not just checking balance) and asking them to transfer me to a representative who could see more detailed account information. They were able to confirm that my cash aid was "in processing" even though it wasn't showing up in the automated balance check yet. Also - once your first payment hits, make sure to ask your worker for your ongoing payment schedule because that's super important for budgeting. Hang in there, it's probably just the normal processing delay!

I'm going through something similar right now! Got approved for CalWORKs last Friday and was told benefits would be on my card within 3 days, but when I check the EBT hotline it only shows my CalFresh benefits too. Reading through everyone's responses here is making me feel so much better - sounds like this delay is totally normal for first-time approvals. I had no idea that CalWORKs and CalFresh run on different processing systems. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially about the 5 business day timeline and checking ebtEDGE online instead of just calling. It's such a relief to know I'm not the only one dealing with this waiting game!

I'm dealing with this right now too! Applied two weeks ago, got approved last Monday, and my worker said the same thing about 3 days. Still nothing showing up on my EBT card except CalFresh. I've been calling the hotline multiple times a day and getting so frustrated. Reading through all these responses is honestly such a huge relief - I had no idea this was so common! I thought something was wrong with my case or that I got denied after all. The part about CalWORKs and CalFresh being on different systems makes total sense now. I'm definitely going to try the ebtEDGE website like someone mentioned and stop obsessively calling the automated line. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - sometimes you just need to know you're not the only one going through this stress!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and it was so stressful! Got approved on a Thursday, worker said 3 days, but it didn't show up until the following Wednesday. The automated EBT line kept saying "no cash benefits found" even though my CalFresh was there. I was convinced something went wrong with my application. What finally helped was calling the EBT customer service number and asking to speak with a representative (not just using the automated system). The rep was able to see that my cash aid was "pending deposit" even though it wasn't showing in the regular balance check. She explained that first-time CalWORKs payments go through extra verification steps that can add 1-2 days to the timeline. Also, don't stress if it takes the full 5 business days - that's totally normal for initial payments. Once you get your first deposit, the monthly payments after that are much more predictable and usually post right on schedule. Keep checking ebtEDGE online too since sometimes that updates before the phone system does. You've got this!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Got my CalWORKs approval on Tuesday and was told 3 days, but it's now Friday and still only seeing CalFresh when I check my balance. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea this was so common! I was starting to think my worker made a mistake or forgot to submit something. The explanation about CalWORKs and CalFresh running on different systems makes total sense, and knowing that first-time payments can take the full 5 business days helps me stop panicking. I've been checking the automated line like every 2 hours but I'm going to try the ebtEDGE website and maybe call to speak with a representative like some people suggested. It's so reassuring to see that literally everyone here went through the same waiting period and stress but eventually got their benefits. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and tips - this community is honestly a lifeline when you're navigating all this for the first time!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and this thread has been SO helpful! I got approved for CalWORKs last Thursday and my worker said benefits would be available in 3 days, but when I check my EBT balance it only shows CalFresh too. I've been panicking because I need the money for rent next week, but reading everyone's experiences here has calmed me down so much. It's such a relief to know that the CalWORKs and CalFresh systems process separately and that 5 business days is totally normal for first-time payments. I had no idea that the EBT phone system wouldn't show cash aid until it actually posts to the account. I've been calling the automated line obsessively but I'm going to try the ebtEDGE website and maybe call to speak with a representative like others suggested. Thank you to everyone who shared their timelines and explained the process - it's amazing how much stress this community can help relieve when you're navigating benefits for the first time and don't know what's normal vs what's a problem!