California CalFresh

my friend had her benefits stolen twice last year and the second time they accused her of being in on it and denied her claim!! be careful and save any evidence that shows you weren't near where the fraudulent purchases happened

I'm so sorry this happened to you and your family! EBT theft is unfortunately becoming way too common. From what I've seen in my community, the timeline really does vary by county but most people get their benefits back within 10-14 business days once the paperwork is properly submitted. A few things that might help speed up the process: - Make sure you have your case number from the theft report - Keep records of all your communications with your worker - Consider reaching out to your local food bank for emergency assistance while you wait - Some counties have emergency food assistance programs specifically for EBT theft victims Also, once you get your benefits back, definitely look into the card freezing feature others mentioned - it's been a game changer for preventing future theft. Hang in there, and don't hesitate to follow up with your worker if you don't hear back within the timeframe they gave you.

UPDATE: My benefits came through at 12:10am!! Just got back from the grocery store with ACTUAL FOOD! Thanks everyone for the help. For anyone else wondering, at least in my county (Alameda), they definitely hit around midnight of your assigned day and there's no "lock" - I was able to use them immediately!

So glad you got your benefits and could get some real food! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you're ever in a similar situation waiting for benefits, most food banks don't require any paperwork and can help immediately. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano has locations throughout the Bay Area, and many churches have weekend food pantries too. Also, if you download the "Too Good To Go" app, some grocery stores sell discounted food that's near expiration for really cheap. It's helped me stretch my budget between benefit deposits before!

Just wanted to follow up - did your benefits show up this morning? Or did you figure out it was something else?

Glad you figured it out! This is such a common mix-up - I've done the same thing before with different benefit dates. It's so easy to get confused when you're receiving multiple types of assistance. At least now you know your benefits will be there tomorrow morning! Hope your grocery shopping goes smoothly then. 😊

my sister gets SSI and had calfresh issues too. they always messin up disabled peoples benefits!!!! take someone with u to the county office if u go in person. they treat u better when u have a witness lol

I'm a CalFresh eligibility worker and I see this mistake happen frequently with co-ownership situations. The system defaults to assuming people living together have one person paying all housing costs, so your daughter's case likely got miscoded as "lives with parent, pays no rent." Here's exactly what you need to do: 1. **Call immediately** and ask to speak to a supervisor - don't accept being put off by the first worker you reach 2. **Bring these documents**: Property deed showing both names, mortgage statements, bank records showing her $450 monthly payments from her account 3. **Request a fair hearing TODAY** - don't wait for the phone call to work out, you can always withdraw it later 4. **Ask for aid continuation** during the hearing process so her benefits don't stay at $29 The good news is this should be a relatively quick fix once you get the right person to look at it. With her SSI income of $1155 and legitimate housing costs of $450 plus utilities, she should qualify for significantly more than even the original $189. One tip: when you call, immediately say "I need to report a change in housing expenses for case number [her case number]" - this gets you to the right department faster than explaining the whole situation to the screener.

Quick update! I found the list of approved RMP restaurants for Sacramento County for 2025: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/county-offices (just select Sacramento and look for restaurant meals program on the page). There are about 130 restaurants including some Taco Bells, Carl's Jr, Subway, and a bunch of local places. But yeah, you still have to qualify with the age/disability/homeless requirement.

Hey everyone! I'm new to this community and just wanted to say thanks for all the helpful info in this thread. I'm a college student who just started getting CalFresh benefits and I had the same confusion about the EBT signs at fast food places. It's really helpful to learn about the Restaurant Meals Program even though I don't qualify for it. I had no idea there were different types of EBT benefits or that some people can use their cards at restaurants. This community seems really supportive and informative - glad I found it!