CalWORKs green EBT card not working - purchases declined everywhere
Is anyone else having problems with their green EBT cards? I went grocery shopping yesterday and my card got declined THREE times at different stores! I still have $342 left in benefits for the month according to the app, but nothing works. I tried calling the number on the back but got stuck in this endless automated system. My kids need to eat and I'm freaking out. I tried wiping the magnetic strip, entering the PIN manually, everything! County office isn't answering either. Anyone know what's going on or how to get this fixed ASAP?
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Anastasia Sokolov
There's actually a system-wide issue happening right now with the EBT system in several counties. My worker told me this morning they're doing maintenance that was supposed to finish yesterday but it's taking longer than expected. Should be back up by tomorrow evening. If you need emergency food assistance before then, you can go to your county office in person and request an immediate needs payment - bring ID and your EBT card.
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Diego Ramirez
•Thank you!!! No one told me anything about maintenance! Do you know if the immediate needs is the same day? My kids are hungry NOW and I don't even have gas money to get to the county office if my card doesn't work at the gas station either.
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Sean O'Connor
The green cards ALWAYS have problems lol. Mine stopped working last month for no reason and i had to get a replacement. Took like 10 days to come in the mail and I had to use my rent money for food. System is so broken.
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Zara Ahmed
•Just to clarify something important - the green EBT cards are used for both CalFresh (food stamps) AND CalWORKs Cash Aid, but they're completely separate benefits with separate rules and balances. If your card isn't working, double-check which benefit you're trying to use at checkout. Cash Aid can be used for almost anything, but CalFresh is only for food items. Also, sometimes stores have systems that only accept one but not the other.
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Luca Conti
had this happen 2 me b4. try runing it as credit not debit. sometimes that works 4 me when my card acts up
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Diego Ramirez
•Wait, you can run the CalWORKs card as credit?? I've never heard of that before. I thought you always needed the PIN.
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Nia Johnson
No, you cannot run an EBT card as credit - it's always PIN-based. What might be happening is your card was damaged or demagnetized. This happened to me and I had to request a replacement. BUT check if you may have hit your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) without reporting it? If you earned more than your IRT amount and didn't submit verification, they might have automatically reduced or suspended your benefits until you report.
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Diego Ramirez
•No I definitely didn't go over my IRT. I only work part-time at Target and had even fewer hours last month. I'm thinking it must be the system maintenance issue the other person mentioned. Just praying it comes back online soon.
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CyberNinja
I had THE EXACT SAME ISSUE last month!!! Turns out my renewal SAR7 form was received but not processed in their system. Even though I submitted it on time, the worker never actually input my information. So the system automatically cut off my benefits even though I did everything right!!! TYPICAL COUNTY NONSENSE! 😤 You need to talk to an actual worker ASAP. I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person at the county office - it's the only way I got my benefits turned back on quickly. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE The county phone system is BROKEN by design, I swear they want us to give up.
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Diego Ramirez
•Omg thank you for the recommendation! I just tried Claimyr and got through to an actual worker in 20 minutes! She confirmed it's a system issue affecting multiple counties but also found that I was flagged for a random verification of my housing costs that I never received notice about. She unflagged my account so as soon as the system maintenance is done my card should work again. So glad I didn't have to go to the office with all my kids!
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Mateo Lopez
sorry to hijack but this reminds me. does anyone know if the incoming child support payments affect your calworks amount? my ex finally got a job and they're taking child support from his check but i'm worried my cash aid will get reduced. should i even report it?
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Yes, you absolutely need to report child support income! The first $100 of child support is disregarded (won't affect your CalWORKs), but anything over that will reduce your cash aid dollar for dollar. The county already knows about it since it goes through the Department of Child Support Services, so not reporting it could create an overpayment you'll have to pay back later. Always better to report and avoid potential fraud accusations.
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Aisha Abdullah
This happened to me too, and it turned out my card was blocked because they sent me a new one that I never received! Call the EBT customer service line (not the county) at 1-877-328-9677 and ask if a new card was issued or if your current one is blocked for any reason. Sometimes they send replacement cards without telling you if your old one is about to expire. The county never notifies you, it's ridiculous.
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Diego Ramirez
•UPDATE: System is back up and running! Card works now. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. I'm going to be better prepared next time by having some emergency cash set aside. And now I know about Claimyr for getting through to workers quickly - that's a lifesaver for single parents like me who can't spend hours on hold!!
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