Can't withdraw over $1000 from EBT card for rent - emergency help needed!

Yeah there's definitely a daily ATM withdrawal limit on EBT cards. I think it's like $500 per day at most ATMs. Try going inside an actual bank that accepts EBT cards and ask for a cash advance - sometimes you can get more that way. Or you might have to just take out $500 today and $500 tomorrow and explain to your landlord. Most EBT cards have a total monthly cash withdrawal limit too, so be careful not to hit that.

You can actually get cash back at most grocery stores when making a small purchase with your EBT card. The limit is usually higher than ATMs - I've gotten $300 cash back at Walmart before. So you could do a couple of small purchases at different stores to get more cash. Also, have you tried calling your CalWORKs worker directly? They might be able to help with emergency housing assistance if you explain the situation.

i had this EXACT same problem last month!!! its so stupid how they dont tell u about these limits when u get a new card. i had to take out money over 3 days to pay my rent and got charged a late fee. its BS how they make everything so hard for us. my landlord was MAD

I had this problem before and what worked for me was using Claimyr.com to actually get through to my CalWORKs worker. They got me on the phone with my worker in like 20 minutes when I was trying for days on my own. My worker was able to note in my file that I needed an emergency extension for rent. You can see how it works in their video demo here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - totally worth it when you're in an emergency situation like this.

There are a few important things to know about EBT cash withdrawal limits: 1. Daily ATM limit is typically $500 2. Cash back at stores varies (usually $200-300 per transaction) 3. Monthly withdrawal limits vary by county 4. There's usually a fee for ATM withdrawals after the first few each month Your best options are: - Get cash back from multiple store purchases - Ask your landlord for a 1-2 day extension with proof of your benefits - Contact your county office and ask about emergency assistance - If you're facing eviction, you may qualify for CalWORKs Homeless Assistance Also, for future reference, you can set up direct deposit of your Cash Aid to a bank account instead of the EBT card, which eliminates these withdrawal limits.

I'm a property manager and just want to say most landlords will accept partial payment if you communicate the situation BEFORE the due date and show proof that you'll have the rest within a day or two. Don't just not pay - call them and explain what happened with the EBT card. Get it in writing if they agree to give you an extra day. Also save receipts from your withdrawal attempts in case you need to prove you tried to get the money on time.

just wondering did u try going to a check cashing place? sometimes they can do cash advances on EBT but they charge like crazy fees tho

Just an update - my cousin said she just got a letter from CalWORKs saying they're increasing the daily withdrawal limits in May 2025. Too late for your current situation but good to know for the future!

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for your help! I was able to get $300 cash back at Walmart, $200 at Target, and $500 from an ATM. My landlord agreed to give me until tomorrow for the last bit after I showed him my CalWORKs approval letter and explained the situation. I'm definitely setting up direct deposit for next month so I don't have to deal with this again! I also got through to my worker using that Claimyr service someone recommended and they were super helpful explaining all my options. Thanks again everyone!!

So glad to see this worked out for you! This is exactly why we need this community - when the system makes things unnecessarily complicated, we help each other navigate it. Your experience is going to help so many other people who face the same issue. The EBT withdrawal limits are one of those things they really should explain better when they issue new cards. Thanks for updating us with the solution that worked - the combination of multiple store cash back transactions plus communicating with your landlord is solid advice for anyone else in this situation!

This is such a valuable thread for everyone dealing with EBT cash withdrawal issues! As someone who's been on CalWORKs for a while, I wish I had known about the grocery store cash back option earlier - would have saved me so much stress. One thing I'd add is that you can also check if your county has any emergency rental assistance programs that work alongside CalWORKs. In my county, they have a rapid rehousing program that can sometimes help with immediate rent payments while you're waiting to access your benefits. Also, for anyone reading this in the future - if you're consistently having trouble accessing enough cash for rent, consider asking your worker about the CalWORKs Housing Support Program or seeing if you qualify for a housing voucher through your local housing authority. It's frustrating that we have to jump through so many hoops just to pay our basic expenses, but this community really shows how we can help each other navigate the system!

This whole situation really highlights how broken the system is - they give you a replacement card but don't warn you about withdrawal limits that could literally make you homeless! I'm so glad everyone came together with practical solutions. For anyone else dealing with this, I'd also suggest keeping a backup plan ready. You can sometimes get money orders at places like the post office or grocery stores using your EBT card, which your landlord might accept instead of cash. Also, if you're ever in this emergency situation again, try calling 211 - they can sometimes connect you to same-day emergency rental assistance programs in your area. The fact that we have to become experts at navigating all these workarounds just to access our own benefits is ridiculous, but at least we have each other to share the knowledge!