I'm so sorry this happened to you and your kids. EBT skimming is absolutely out of control right now and it's heartbreaking that families have to go through this. I had my benefits stolen twice in the past 6 months - first time took 38 days to get reimbursed, second time took 47 days. The "30 day" timeline they quote is basically meaningless at this point. A few things that helped me: 1. Call your county CalFresh office directly (not the EBT customer service) and specifically ask for "emergency food assistance due to EBT theft hardship" 2. Mention you have children - they prioritize cases involving kids 3. Ask about the mobile food pantries in your area - many don't require paperwork during emergencies 4. If you qualify for WIC, apply immediately as backup food assistance 5. Document EVERYTHING - dates, times, who you spoke with, case numbers The virtual EBT card in the app is much more secure but honestly the whole system needs an overhaul. Families shouldn't have to choose between rent and food because of criminals targeting the most vulnerable people. Keep calling every few days to check status - sometimes the squeaky wheel gets faster processing. Hang in there! 💙

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare right now - had $425 stolen from my EBT card on May 8th at some sketchy convenience store I've never even heard of. Filed everything immediately but they're giving me the runaround about "30 days" while my family is struggling to eat. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both helpful and terrifying - sounds like we're all looking at 45-60 days minimum based on what people are actually experiencing. I'm definitely going to try calling my county office directly tomorrow instead of the useless EBT customer service line, and ask specifically about that hardship replacement for 60% of benefits that @Zara Shah mentioned. Also switching to the virtual card ASAP because clearly these physical cards are just targets for thieves. It's absolutely insane that families with kids are expected to just wait months without food assistance because criminals are exploiting a broken system. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and tips - at least we're not going through this alone. Going to start documenting every call and visit from now on too.

Mine just came through too! I was getting really worried since I'm a single mom and needed to do grocery shopping today. This whole situation was so stressful - I wish they had sent out better notifications about the delay instead of leaving everyone in the dark. At least now I know to check this community when weird stuff happens with benefits. Thanks to everyone who shared info and resources!

I'm so relieved to find this thread! I'm new to CalFresh and when my benefits didn't show up on my usual day (the 9th), I thought I had somehow messed up my application or missed a deadline. I was panicking because I didn't know this could be a system-wide issue. Reading everyone's experiences here was way more informative than anything I could find on the official website. My benefits just loaded this morning too, so it looks like they're getting everyone caught up. Thank you all for sharing your situations - it really helped ease my anxiety as a newcomer to the program!

This is such a helpful thread! I just received my P-EBT cards for my two kids today and was completely baffled by the activation process. Like everyone else here, I kept waiting for the system to ask me to set up a PIN and was so confused when it just gave me the balance and hung up. I actually called back twice thinking I had somehow skipped a step or pressed the wrong button! It's really frustrating that the materials they send with the cards don't explain that the PIN is automatically set to the last 4 digits of the child's SSN. That seems like crucial information that should be included right on the activation instructions. I'm so grateful I found this discussion - it's saved me from a lot more confusion and worry. Planning to test out the cards this weekend using the SSN method and then definitely calling to change the PINs to something more secure. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!

Just got my P-EBT cards for my twins yesterday and went through the exact same confusing activation experience as everyone else here! I called the number expecting to set up PINs like I did years ago with regular CalFresh, but it just asked for the card numbers and gave me balances. I was so worried I had messed something up. Reading all your comments has been such a relief - knowing that the last 4 digits of their SSNs are the default PINs is incredibly helpful information that definitely should have been included in the packet! Planning to test this out at the store tomorrow and then immediately call to change the PINs to something more secure. It's so frustrating that they don't explain this process clearly, but I'm grateful for this community where we can help each other figure these things out. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

When you get your new card, I recommend having it sent to the actual county office for pickup instead of mailed to your home. Most counties offer this option for security reasons. Also, immediately create a PIN that's not obvious (not your birth year or 1234). And check your balance frequently through the BenefitsCal app. This happens way too often unfortunately.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! This is unfortunately super common in California, especially with the mail delivery issues we've been having. A few additional tips that helped me when I went through this: 1. When you file the police report, ask for a copy of the report number - the county office will need this for your claim 2. If you have any screenshots of the fraudulent transactions from BenefitsCal, save those as evidence 3. Consider signing up for Informed Delivery with USPS so you can track what mail is supposed to come to you 4. Ask the county worker about getting your replacement card expedited shipping (they sometimes offer this for theft victims) The good news is that California's replacement process has gotten better in recent years. Most legitimate theft claims get approved, especially when you have clear evidence like transactions in locations you've never been to. Hang in there - you should have emergency benefits soon and the full replacement within a few weeks!

Thanks for this advice. I'm definitely going to file a complaint. My kids had to eat ramen tonight because that's all I had left. They should at least send out a text alert when there are delays.

I'm so glad to see everyone's benefits finally came through! This whole situation really highlights how much we depend on these systems working properly. As a fellow parent, I totally understand the stress of not knowing if you'll be able to feed your kids tonight. For anyone dealing with similar delays in the future, I've found that some local churches and community centers keep emergency food boxes for exactly these situations - no paperwork required, just show up. It's not a long-term solution but can help bridge the gap when these system glitches happen. Also, filing those complaints James mentioned is super important - if we don't document these issues, nothing will change about their communication practices.