Hey is anyone still having trouble withdrawing cash from the ATMs or is it just me only?

Hey Chippale! I'm still having issues too as of yesterday. The Bank of America ATMs seem to work better than other ones, but I can still only get like $200 at a time instead of larger amounts. The grocery store cash back method has been my main workaround - I can get $100-200 depending on the store. From what everyone's been saying, this system upgrade thing is still ongoing so we're probably stuck with these workarounds for a little while longer. Have you tried the BofA ATMs or cash back at stores yet?

Congratulations on your new job! This is such an exciting step forward. I just wanted to share my experience from when I went through this exact same situation about a year ago. The most important thing to remember is that you absolutely DO NOT have to pay back any benefits that are already on your EBT card when you report your job change. Those benefits were correctly issued based on your circumstances at the time, so they're completely yours to use even after your case is updated. You need to report your new job within 10 days of your actual start date (March 3rd in your case), not when you got the offer. When you submit your SAR 3 form - whether online through BenefitsCal, by phone, or in person - make sure to include your exact start date and estimated monthly income from your offer letter. Here's something that might surprise you: don't automatically assume you'll lose all your CalFresh benefits! I thought I would too, but I actually still qualified for a reduced amount because of my rent, utilities, and transportation costs. The income limits are higher than many people think once all the allowable deductions are factored in. My advice is to keep detailed documentation of when and how you report (screenshots, confirmation numbers, etc.) and be thorough about listing ALL your monthly expenses when you submit your change report. These deductions can really make a difference in your final benefit calculation. You're being incredibly responsible by planning this out in advance. The system is designed to support people transitioning to work, not penalize them for getting jobs. You've got this!

Congratulations on your new job! This is such an exciting milestone and you're being really smart to plan ahead like this. I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and had all the same worries you're having now. Here's what I learned: you absolutely do NOT have to pay back any benefits that are already on your EBT card when you report your job change. Those benefits were issued correctly based on your situation at the time, so they're 100% yours to use even after your case gets updated. The key is to report your job within 10 days of your actual start date (March 3rd), not when you got hired. You can submit your SAR 3 form through BenefitsCal online, call your county office, or visit in person. Make sure to include your exact start date and estimated monthly income from your offer letter. One thing that really surprised me was that I didn't lose ALL my CalFresh benefits like I expected - I still qualified for a reduced amount because of my rent and utility costs. The income limits are actually higher than many people realize once deductions are factored in, so don't assume you'll automatically lose everything! When you report, be really thorough about listing all your monthly expenses - rent, utilities, transportation costs for the new job, phone bill, etc. These deductions can make a significant difference in your benefit calculation. Also, I'd recommend taking screenshots of your BenefitsCal account before and after you report, showing your benefit amounts and case status. This gives you solid documentation of when you reported and what your benefits were at that time. You're handling this exactly right by being proactive and asking questions. This is a really positive step forward and the system is designed to support transitions like this, not penalize people for getting jobs. Best of luck with your new position!

Emma, I'm so happy to read your update! What an incredible relief that must be after all that stress and uncertainty. It's absolutely maddening that your approval was sitting there for a week while you were worried sick about utilities and your kids' needs - the communication gaps in this system are just unacceptable. Your experience perfectly illustrates why this community is so valuable. Everyone's advice about going in person really made the difference, even though it meant dealing with transportation challenges and waiting 2.5 hours with kids. That takes real determination, and I'm so glad it paid off. As someone who's been through this process myself, I know how overwhelming that waiting period can be. Your story will definitely help other families who are in that same stressful situation right now. The fact that they're expediting your first payment due to the utility situation is great - not all workers go that extra mile. Congratulations on your approval, and I hope your EBT card arrives quickly! Thank you for updating everyone - success stories like yours give hope to so many people navigating this challenging system.

Emma, I'm so relieved to see your update! This entire thread has been incredibly helpful for me as someone who's completely new to both this community and the CalWORKs process. Your journey really highlights how important it is to be persistent and advocate for yourself, even when the system makes it difficult. It's absolutely ridiculous that your approval was sitting there for a week while you were stressed about utilities and your kids' needs - the communication breakdowns in this system are just unacceptable. But your determination to go in person despite having to manage transportation and wait 2.5 hours with kids really shows what kind of advocacy we sometimes need to do for our families. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been like a crash course in navigating CalWORKs. Learning about the 45-day timeline, emergency assistance options, the importance of documenting everything, and how in-person visits can be more effective than endless phone calls will definitely help me when I start my own application process. Thank you for taking the time to update us with your success story - it gives so much hope to newcomers like me who might be feeling overwhelmed by this system. I hope your EBT card arrives quickly and everything gets much easier for you and your kids from here! This community is amazing for how everyone shares real experiences and genuinely supports each other through these challenges.

I'm in almost exactly the same situation and this whole thread has been such a lifesaver! No diploma, no real work experience, and I was honestly terrified that WTW would just push me into random fast food jobs that don't lead anywhere. Reading everyone's success stories about getting their GED first and then moving into actual career programs is giving me so much hope. The medical assistant and medical coding paths especially sound amazing - real careers with decent pay instead of being stuck in poverty wages forever. I'm definitely calling my worker tomorrow to specifically request GED as my primary WTW activity before my orientation even happens. The advice about getting everything in writing and asking about ALL the supportive services (childcare, transportation, clothing allowance) is so helpful - I had no idea about half of those benefits! It's really encouraging to see that this program can actually work if you advocate for yourself from day one. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you've completely changed my perspective on this from something scary to an actual opportunity to build a better future for my family!

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm in the exact same situation - no diploma, no work experience, and I was really scared about what WTW would expect from me. But reading everyone's experiences has completely shifted my perspective from fear to actual excitement about the possibilities. I love seeing all the success stories about people getting their GED first and then moving into real career training programs. The medical assistant, medical coding, and CNA paths everyone mentioned sound amazing - actual careers with decent pay and benefits instead of being stuck in minimum wage jobs forever. Based on everything I've read here, I'm definitely going to: - Call my worker ASAP to specifically request GED as my primary WTW activity - Ask about ALL supportive services (childcare, transportation, clothing allowance) - Get everything approved in writing - Be clear that I want sustainable career training, not just any random job placement The tip about connecting with job counselors at the career center (not just your regular worker) is gold too. And knowing that GED programs usually count toward your participation hours makes the whole thing feel so much more manageable. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - both the good and the challenges. You've given me the confidence to advocate for myself and actually see this as an opportunity to build a better future instead of something to be afraid of. I'm calling my worker tomorrow!

Thanks everyone for the replies! I think I'm going to start keeping better records of everything and make sure what we report monthly matches what goes on the tax return. I'll bring copies of our 2024 return to our next redetermination appointment in September just to be safe. Better to be upfront than deal with overpayments later! I really appreciate all the advice.

Just wanted to add my experience - I've been on CalWORKs for 3 years and my husband does landscaping work (self-employed). They asked for his tax returns during our very first application but haven't asked since then. However, our worker did tell us that they randomly audit cases and can request documentation going back several years. What really helped us was creating a simple spreadsheet to track his monthly income and expenses. We keep all receipts in a shoebox and update the spreadsheet weekly. This way, when we fill out the monthly reporting forms, we have exact numbers that will match our tax return at the end of the year. Also, don't forget that you can deduct mileage for work-related driving! For handyman work, that's usually driving between job sites. It's 65.5 cents per mile for 2023 taxes. Keep a log of work miles - it can significantly reduce your net income calculation.