Reading through all of this incredible advice has been so heartwarming! As a new member here, I'm amazed by how supportive and knowledgeable this community is. @Vincent Bimbach - I just wanted to add one more encouragement. Your thoughtful approach to this whole situation really shows what an amazing parent you are. The fact that you're researching everything thoroughly, asking the right questions, and being so considerate about doing things correctly tells me you're going to handle this process beautifully. I've seen several family members go through CalWORKs applications, and honestly, your situation as a separated parent with children and no income is one of the clearest qualifying scenarios. The caseworkers deal with separated couples all the time, so you won't be explaining some unusual situation - this is really common. One tiny thing I'd add that helped my sister - when you do your interview (whether phone or in-person), have a pen and paper ready to jot down anything important they tell you. Sometimes there are deadlines or follow-up steps mentioned that are easy to forget when you're nervous, and having notes really helps. You've got such a strong support system here now, and it sounds like you have a solid plan of action. Your kids are going to have the stability they need while you get back on your feet. Wishing you all the best with your application tomorrow! Please do keep us updated - we'll all be rooting for you! 💙

Welcome to the community! I'm new here too but wanted to reach out after reading through this amazing thread. As someone who's currently navigating a similar situation (legally married but separated with kids), your story really resonates with me. I'm so impressed by how thoroughly you've researched this and how thoughtfully you're approaching the application process. Reading through everyone's responses has been incredibly educational for me too - I had no idea about things like the expedited processing options or the community liaisons that can help with applications. Your determination to get your family the support they need while being completely honest about your circumstances shows what an incredible parent you are. It's clear that your kids are your top priority, and that's exactly the kind of family these programs are designed to help. I don't have much advice to add since everyone here has covered things so comprehensively, but I did want to say that your courage in reaching out and asking for help when you need it is really inspiring. Sometimes it's hard to take that first step of admitting we need assistance, but you're showing such strength in advocating for your children. Wishing you all the best with your application! I'll be following along to see how things go for you, and I'm sure your experience will help other families in similar situations too. This community is truly special! 💙

This thread is incredibly helpful and shows just how widespread these EBT security issues really are! I'm fairly new to CalWORKs (started about 8 months ago) and had no idea about error code 104 until reading all these experiences. What really bothers me is how the system can essentially hold your own money hostage without any warning or explanation. It's especially problematic since so many CalWORKs recipients are already in precarious financial situations where even a day without access to benefits can mean missing rent or going without food. I've been lucky so far and haven't hit any major EBT issues, but after reading all these stories I'm definitely going to switch to direct deposit ASAP. The fact that so many people have found the Claimyr callback service helpful is really good to know too - I'm bookmarking that along with the EBT customer service number just in case. Thank you to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences and practical solutions. This community provides way better guidance than any official documentation I've seen!

This thread has been incredibly eye-opening for me! I've been on CalWORKs for about 2 months now and had absolutely no idea that error code 104 or these security flags even existed. Reading everyone's experiences is both super helpful and honestly pretty anxiety-inducing - the thought of suddenly losing access to my benefits right when I need them for essentials like rent and groceries is really scary. It's frustrating that they can basically freeze your own money without any warning, especially when so many of us are already living on such tight budgets. I'm definitely going to ask my caseworker about direct deposit at my next appointment after seeing how many people have run into these EBT card issues. Also writing down that customer service number and the Claimyr callback service info just in case I ever need it. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and solutions here - this is exactly the kind of practical, real-world advice that new recipients like me need but never get told during the application process!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share something that might help others in similar situations. When I was having issues with my CalWORKS case last year, I discovered that many counties have a separate "expedited" phone line for people whose cases were closed in error. It's not well-publicized, but if you call the main number and specifically ask to be transferred to the "case closure review unit" or "expedited services," you might get through faster than the general customer service line. Also, I learned that if you mention you're facing "immediate hardship" due to the closure, they're supposed to prioritize your call. It's frustrating that we have to know these magic words, but it worked for me when nothing else did. @Gemma Andrews I'm so glad you got your situation resolved through Claimyr - it's encouraging to see that there are multiple paths to getting help even when the main system fails us!

I'm new to this community but this entire thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who just started receiving CalFresh benefits, I had no idea about all these potential pitfalls - verification requests going to spam folders, mysterious error codes, phone systems that don't work, etc. @Gemma Andrews I'm so glad you persisted and got your benefits restored! Your experience is a perfect case study in why this community is so valuable. @Melina Haruko thank you for explaining the error codes and appeal process - that kind of insider knowledge should be publicly available but clearly isn't. @Chloe Taylor and @Ezra Bates the suggestions about assembly member offices and expedited phone lines are brilliant workarounds I never would have known about. It's honestly shocking that we need services like Claimyr and all these unofficial channels just to access basic government benefits, but I'm grateful people here share what actually works. I'm definitely saving this whole conversation as my go-to resource guide if I ever run into issues. The level of practical help here is better than any official website I've seen!

I'm new to this community but reading through your situation and everyone's responses has been both heartbreaking and incredibly informative. What you're going through is unfortunately way too common, and it's clear the system has some serious flaws when people can get approved at recertification and then have their benefits yanked away without proper notice. I wanted to add something that might be helpful: if you do end up having to wait for reinstatement, look into your local food banks and community resources immediately. Many food banks don't require lengthy applications and can help bridge the gap while you're fighting to get your cash aid restored. Some churches and community centers also have emergency rental assistance programs that can help if you're at risk of eviction. Also, when you go to the office tomorrow, consider asking if they have any emergency vouchers or temporary assistance available while your case is being reviewed. Some counties have small emergency funds specifically for situations where benefits were wrongfully discontinued. The advice everyone has given here is spot-on - especially about going in person, bringing all your documentation, asking for the case narrative, and mentioning you never received proper notice. You've got a strong case here since you were literally just approved. This whole thread shows how broken the system is, but also how helpful this community can be. Wishing you the best tomorrow - please update us on how it goes!

I'm new to this community but your situation hits really close to home because I just went through something very similar last month. My CalWORKs benefits were also discontinued right after recertification approval - it's like they approve you just to yank it away weeks later with no explanation! Reading through all the amazing advice here, I wanted to add one more thing that helped me: when you go to the office, ask them to check if there are any "system holds" or "pending actions" on your case. In my situation, there was an automated hold that got placed on my case due to what they called a "data verification mismatch" - basically their system flagged something that wasn't actually a problem, but no human had reviewed it to clear the flag. Once they identified and manually cleared that hold, my benefits were restored within 48 hours. The worker told me these automated system holds have been happening a lot lately, especially right after recertification periods when there's a lot of data being processed. Also, definitely ask for a printed copy of whatever they find so you have documentation of the issue and resolution. That way if it happens again (which hopefully it won't!), you'll have proof of what the problem was. This whole thread has been so helpful - it's clear this community really knows how to navigate these system failures. Hoping your office visit goes smoothly tomorrow and you get this nightmare sorted out quickly!

I'm new to this community but going through something very similar right now! This entire thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you everyone for sharing such detailed advice. I wanted to add one thing that my caseworker mentioned that I haven't seen discussed yet. If your older child qualifies for any disability-related programs or services (even if it's just documentation from his doctors about his condition), make sure to bring copies of those records when you submit your SAR 3 form. My worker said that children with documented disabilities or chronic conditions get additional protections during case transitions, including priority processing and extra safeguards against coverage interruptions. Also, when you're gathering all your documents, include any recent hospital bills or explanation of benefits statements from your son's medical treatments. These help establish the "Medical Necessity" coding that someone mentioned earlier, and they can also count toward the medical expense deductions for CalFresh calculations. One practical tip - I started using a small notebook to write down every interaction I have with the county office (date, time, worker name, confirmation numbers). It's been so helpful when I need to reference previous conversations, and the workers seem to take me more seriously when I can quote back exactly what was discussed in earlier calls. You're doing an amazing job advocating for your children during what must be such a stressful time. All the preparation you're doing will definitely pay off!

I'm new to this community but have been following this thread closely since I'm preparing for a similar separation situation. I wanted to share something my neighbor mentioned that might be helpful - she said when she went through her case split, the county office gave her a "transition checklist" that outlined exactly what documents she needed and the timeline for each step. Apparently not all workers offer this, but if you specifically ask for a "household change transition checklist" they're supposed to provide one. It includes things like deadlines for reporting changes, what forms to submit when, and even phone numbers for different departments if you need to escalate issues. Also, since several people mentioned the importance of keeping records, I use a free app called CamScanner to photograph all my documents and create PDFs. This way I always have digital copies on my phone when workers ask for information during calls, and I can email documents instantly if needed instead of having to mail or fax everything. Your situation with your son's medical needs sounds challenging, but you're clearly doing everything right by researching and preparing so thoroughly. This thread has been an incredible resource - I've learned more practical information here than from hours of reading official websites. Thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences!