CalWORKs payment date vs. CalFresh EBT - are they different?

CalWORKs cash aid and CalFresh EBT are completely different schedules. CalFresh is staggered based on the last digit of your case number (like yours on the 11th). CalWORKs usually comes at the beginning of the month, around the 1st or 2nd regardless of your case number. Occasionaly it might be a day late if the 1st is on a weekend or holiday. So no, they don't come on the same day!

Omg thank you!! That's such a relief. I wish my worker had explained that better when I applied. So I should be looking for my cash aid deposit tomorrow since it's the 1st? Really need it for rent.

Your Cash Aid always comes at the beginning of the month for everyone. It's not like CalFresh which is staggered by case number. If you have direct deposit set up, you'll get it on the 1st (or next business day if the 1st falls on a weekend/holiday). If you're getting it on an EBT card, it still comes on the 1st, but you access it through the same card as your food benefits - just from a different account on the card. Just make sure to select 'CASH' instead of 'FOOD' when you use the EBT card to access your CalWORKs money.

This is super important!!!! I messed this up my first month and kept trying to use my food benefits for rent lol. I was so confused about why my balance kept saying $0 when I tried to withdraw cash. Didn't realize I had to select CASH instead of FOOD on the ATM. Felt so dumb when I figured it out

my caLworks ALWAYS comes on the 1st unless its a weekend then its the fridat before or monday after. but my calfresh comes on the 4th caus my case # ands in 4. Diff schedulses for sure. Its confusin at first

Thanks! It's already the 1st here and I don't see anything yet... should I be worried? Do I need to call them?

If you're not seeing your Cash Aid payment today (the 1st), there could be a few reasons:1. If you just got approved, sometimes the first payment can take an extra day or two to process2. If you recently submitted your SAR7 or recertification, there might be a hold if they're processing your paperwork3. The system could be experiencing delays (happens sometimes on the 1st when everyone's payments go out)If you don't see it by the 3rd, definitely call your county office to check what's happening. Unfortunately, those phone lines can be impossible to get through this time of month. I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to help you reach a real person at the county office. They have a service that holds your place in line and calls you back when a worker is available. Saved me hours of waiting when my benefits were delayed. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE showing how it works.

Thank you so much for the detailed response! I was approved in mid-February and got my first payment then, so this would be my second month. I did submit my SAR7 last week though, so maybe that's the issue? I'll wait until the 3rd and then try calling. I've heard the wait times are insane so I might check out that Claimyr thing if I can't get through.

The county has been having MAJOR delays lately with CalWORKs payments!!! My January payment showed up 4 days late with NO WARNING and I got hit with late fees on my rent. When I finally reached someone they claimed its because of \

this hapend to me 2!! my febuary payment was 3 days late and noone told me why. so frustrating when ur counting on that money for bills

Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that I had a similar issue when I first started receiving benefits. One thing I learned is that you can actually check your payment status on the BenefitsCal website (benefitscal.com). Just log in to your account, go to the

Thanks for the tip about BenefitsCal! I tried checking there but couldn't find anything about my Cash Aid payment date, just my CalFresh balance. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place? And what's immediate need? I've never heard of that before.

Quick update on Immediate Need since someone mentioned it: If you're truly in an emergency situation (like about to be evicted), you can request an Immediate Need payment from CalWORKs. You'd need to contact your county worker and explain the situation. If approved, they can issue funds within 3 business days up to $200. But this is only for true emergencies and they count it against your future benefits. It's not just for when payments are a few days late.

Good to know about the Immediate Need option, but I think I'll be okay if the payment is just a day or two late. My roommate can probably wait a few days for my portion. I'll definitely call the county if I don't see it by the 3rd. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information!

I'm new to CalWORKs too and this thread has been super helpful! Just wanted to add that if you have the EBT Edge mobile app, you can check both your CalFresh food balance AND your CalWORKs cash balance on there. It's way easier than trying to remember which button to press at the ATM. The cash part shows up as "Cash Benefits" in the app. Also, don't feel bad about being confused - the whole system is pretty overwhelming when you're just starting out. Took me months to figure out all the different schedules and requirements!