Can anyone access CalWORKs cash benefits today? ATMs showing 'funds unavailable'

same here cant get my $ either... checked the balance online and says its there but atm says no. tried 2 different places already

This happens sometimes around the 1st of the month when too many people are trying to withdraw at once. The system gets overloaded. I'd recommend waiting until later today (around 2-3pm) when the traffic dies down a bit. Also, make sure you're not trying to withdraw at ATMs that charge fees - sometimes those will reject the transaction even though your money is there. If you absolutely need the cash right now, you can try going inside a bank that accepts EBT and withdrawing with a teller, or try using your EBT card at a grocery store to buy something small and get cash back. That often works when ATMs are having issues.

OMG I'm freaking out about this too!!! I need to pay for my kid's daycare TODAY or they won't take her tomorrow and I have work!!! Has anyone been able to get through to EBT customer service?? I keep getting disconnected after waiting for 20+ minutes. This is so stressful I can't even!!

its probly cuz its the 1st and EVERYONE tryin to get their money at the same time lol same thing happens with regular paychecks on fridays sometimes the bank computers cant keep up

This is a known system issue that happens with CalWORKs benefits on high-volume days. The EBT system can experience delays when too many transactions are happening simultaneously. Here are some tips: 1. Try using your EBT card at a grocery store for cash back instead of an ATM 2. Wait until evening hours when transaction volume decreases 3. Check if you can use BenefitsCal to transfer funds to a bank account (newer feature) 4. Try withdrawing a smaller amount (sometimes the system limits large withdrawals on busy days) If you need to explain the delay to your landlord, the County office can provide a verification letter stating that the system delay is not your fault. You're protected against late fees in cases of verified system outages.

The EBT system ALWAYS has "issues" on the 1st-3rd of the month but somehow it's never their fault!!! This has happened to me 4 times already this year! And then when you call the county office they just tell you to "be patient" like my bills are somehow magically patient too. The whole system is designed to make our lives harder I swear. Last time this happened I had to borrow money from my sister to cover rent and then got hit with a late fee anyway. 😡😡😡

update - I just tried at walmart and got cash back when I bought sum soda so maybe try that

For anyone still having this issue - I just called the CalWORKs office, and they confirmed there was a system-wide delay with cash availability today. The funds should all be fully accessible by 5pm today. They said this sometimes happens when benefits payment dates fall on weekends or holidays, creating a backlog in the system. If you need documentation for your landlord or other bills, you can request a 'Verification of Benefits Delay' from your caseworker, which explains the issue was systemic and not due to any problem with your specific benefits eligibility.

I'm having the same issue too! Tried 4 different ATMs this morning and none of them would let me withdraw cash even though my balance shows the money is there. This is so frustrating when you have bills due today. I'm going to try the grocery store cash back method that everyone's suggesting - hopefully that works! Thanks for posting this, at least now I know it's not just my card that's broken.

This happened to me last month too! The ATM issues are so common on benefit payment days. I found that smaller stores like corner markets and gas stations sometimes have better luck with EBT cash back than the big chain stores when the system is overloaded. Also, if you have a Chase or Bank of America nearby, their in-branch tellers can usually process EBT withdrawals even when their ATMs are down. Just bring your ID and EBT card. Hope everyone gets their money sorted out today!