CalWORKs deposit missing today - benefits were approved until October 2025
I checked my EBT card this morning and my CalWORKs Cash Aid wasn't deposited. I had my redetermination last month and got a letter saying I was approved until October 2025. My worker even confirmed everything was good to go when I called to make sure my address change was processed correctly. I have 2 kids and rent is due next week so I'm really freaking out. Has anyone else had their deposits not show up today? The EBT customer service line just has a recording saying "all representatives are busy" then hangs up on me 😡
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Lucas Lindsey
Same thing happened to me a few months ago! Called for THREE DAYS before finally getting through to my worker. Turns out they flagged my case for income verification because my employer reported different hours than what I put on my SAR7. They didn't even send me a notice asking for the pay stubs! Check your BenefitsCal account to see if there's a notice you missed, sometimes they only post them online and don't mail them anymore.
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Emma Olsen
•I just checked BenefitsCal and don't see any notices. The last thing posted was my approval letter from my redetermination. This is so stressful, I don't understand why they'd just stop my benefits without telling me.
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Sophie Duck
did u report ur income? they cut mine off when i forgot 2 turn in a paystub
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Emma Olsen
•Yeah I reported everything on time. My last SAR7 was turned in back in February and they approved my redetermination in April. Nothing has changed with my income since then - I'm still working the same 25 hours a week at Walmart.
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Austin Leonard
This happens sometimes when there's a system glitch or administrative error. Before panicking, check if your EBT card is still active - sometimes they issue a new card if there was suspicious activity. Also verify your EBT account shows your case as active. If everything appears normal, you need to contact your eligibility worker directly. If you're having trouble getting through, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's a service that connects you with CalWORKs without waiting on hold for hours. I was skeptical but they got me through to an actual worker in 15 minutes when I had a similar issue. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE
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Emma Olsen
•Thank you for the suggestion! My EBT card is definitely still active since my CalFresh benefits loaded normally, it's just the Cash Aid that's missing. I'll check out that service because I've been trying to call all morning with no luck.
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Anita George
might be cuz of the holiday? sometimes they delay deposits on holiday weeks
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Abigail Spencer
•Good point, but there aren't any holidays this week that would affect payment processing. The CalWORKs issuance calendar for 2025 doesn't show any payment delays scheduled for this period. OP, one thing to check - did you recently hit your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT)? That can trigger an immediate benefit adjustment. Also, if anyone moved in or out of your household and the county found out (even if you reported it), they might have temporarily paused your benefits until they recalculate your grant amount.
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Logan Chiang
THEY DO THIS ON PURPOSE!!! The county is trying to save money by cutting people off without notice and hoping we don't fight back. I've had this happen THREE TIMES where my benefits just suddenly stopped and every time it was a "computer error" or "missing document" that they never asked for! You have to be super aggressive and demand to speak to a supervisor immediately. Don't take no for an answer. They count on us giving up because of how hard they make it to reach anyone.
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Isla Fischer
•I don't think they deliberately cut people off to save money. The CalWORKs system is just really outdated and there are a ton of clerical errors. Most workers are actually trying their best but they're overwhelmed with too many cases.
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Abigail Spencer
Have you received any Mid-Period Reports or other notices in the last month? Sometimes even small changes can affect your benefits, and if you don't respond to a Mid-Period Report (even if you never received it), they can stop your benefits. If your benefits were incorrectly stopped, you have the right to request a hearing by calling the State Hearings Division at 1-800-743-8525. If you win the hearing, you'll get all your back benefits. In the meantime, you can request an emergency meeting with your eligibility worker to resolve this faster. Explain that you have rent due and didn't receive notice of any changes to your case.
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Emma Olsen
•No, I haven't received any Mid-Period Reports that I know of. I check my mail every day. Thank you for the info about requesting a hearing - I'll do that if I can't get this resolved soon. Do you know if there's a way to request emergency assistance if I can't get my regular benefits fixed before rent is due?
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Lucas Lindsey
Did you check if your case updated on the app? Sometimes the EBT balance doesn't show right away but your case status in BenefitsCal will. Also try calling the IVR number on the back of your EBT card and check your balance that way - sometimes the online system doesn't update properly.
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Emma Olsen
•UPDATE: I finally got through to someone! Apparently there was a system error that affected multiple cases. The worker said my benefits should be deposited by tomorrow morning and they're sending me a notice explaining what happened. She said they're aware of the issue and working on fixing it for everyone affected. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
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Ethan Taylor
So glad you got it resolved! System errors seem to be happening more frequently lately. For future reference, if this happens again, you can also try going to your local office in person early in the morning - sometimes they can do emergency same-day benefit releases if it's truly a system error. Also keep that confirmation number the worker gave you in case the deposit doesn't show up tomorrow as promised. Hope everything works out with your rent payment!
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Ravi Gupta
•That's such a relief! I was getting really worried reading through this thread. I'm definitely going to save that tip about going to the local office in person for emergency releases - I had no idea that was even possible. It's frustrating that these system errors keep happening but at least there are workarounds. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice, this community is so helpful when dealing with these CalWORKs issues!
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Liam O'Sullivan
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress, Emma! System errors like this are unfortunately becoming more common with CalWORKs. Since you mentioned rent is due next week, you might want to contact your local CalWORKs office about emergency aid options while this gets resolved - some counties have emergency assistance programs for situations exactly like this. Also, if you haven't already, document everything (date/time of calls, worker names, confirmation numbers) in case you need to escalate this further. The fact that your CalFresh loaded normally but Cash Aid didn't definitely suggests a system glitch rather than an eligibility issue. Hoping your benefits show up tomorrow as promised!
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•This whole situation really highlights how vulnerable we are when these systems fail! I'm new here but have been dealing with CalWORKs for about 6 months now. Emma, I'm so glad you got through to someone and it's getting resolved. For anyone else reading this thread, I learned the hard way to always take screenshots of your BenefitsCal account showing your approval status - it helped me when I had a similar issue last month. Also, if you're ever in this situation again, try calling right at 8 AM when they open, that's when I usually have the best luck getting through. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with these frustrating system glitches!
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Ava Thompson
I'm really glad to see this got resolved for you, Emma! This is exactly why this community is so valuable - when the system fails us, at least we have each other for support and advice. System errors seem to be happening way too frequently lately, and it's scary how quickly our benefits can just disappear without warning. I've been on CalWORKs for about a year now and this thread taught me so much - I had no idea about emergency same-day releases at local offices or about Claimyr. I'm definitely saving all these tips for future reference. It's also really helpful to see how persistent everyone had to be to get through to workers. For anyone else reading this who might face similar issues - document everything and don't give up! The system is broken but there are people who will help if you keep pushing.
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Aria Washington
•I completely agree, Ava! As someone who's been navigating CalWORKs for the past few months, threads like this are incredibly valuable. Emma's situation really shows how quickly things can go wrong even when you've done everything right - approved through October 2025 and then suddenly no deposit! It's terrifying how much we depend on these systems working properly. I'm definitely taking notes on all the advice shared here, especially about going to the local office for emergency releases and calling right at 8 AM. The fact that this turned out to be a system error affecting multiple cases makes me wonder how many other families are dealing with similar issues right now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - it's reassuring to know there's a supportive community here when these bureaucratic nightmares happen!
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