JUST GOT MY BENEFITS FINALLY!!!! Checked my balance and everything loaded. Thanks everyone for the help and letting me know I wasn't alone. This group is seriously a lifesaver sometimes.

I'm new to CalFresh and this is my first time experiencing a delay like this. Reading through everyone's responses has been really helpful - I was starting to panic thinking I did something wrong with my application or missed a deadline. It's reassuring to know this is a system issue and not something on my end. I'll definitely bookmark that Claimyr service someone mentioned for future reference, and it's good to know about the emergency food vouchers if this happens again. Thanks for sharing your experiences everyone!

Update us if your benefits post! Emergency supplements should be prioritized in the system, especially for those experiencing homelessness. If they don't appear by tomorrow morning, I'd recommend going directly to the Tehama County HHSA office in Red Bluff if you can. Sometimes in-person visits get faster results than phone calls for urgent situations.

So glad to hear your benefits finally came through! I'm new to this community but have been dealing with CalFresh issues in LA County. It's really helpful to see how different counties handle the timing - sounds like Tehama is pretty consistent with that late evening posting schedule. Thanks for updating us with the good news, and I hope things improve for your housing situation soon. This thread has been really informative about the timing patterns across different counties.

THE SYSTEM IS RIDICULOUS!!! I made $50 too much on ONE paychcek last year and they cut me off for 3 months!!! Had to jump through HOOPS to get back on. They don't care about people actually trying to WORK and IMPROVE our situations!!! The minute you start doing better they PUNISH you by taking away food money!!! AND THEN THEY WONDER why some people don't bother trying to get better jobs!!!!

u should check the income limits online. maybe ur raise wasnt enough to actually disqualify u and they made a mistake?

System should be back up now - I just checked mine and it's working. They've been migrating to a new server system that should make the app more reliable in the future (at least that's what they claim). For future reference, during outages like this, you can also call 1-877-328-9677 and press 2-1-1 to check your balance through the automated system without having to speak to a representative.

Oh wow, I had no idea there were so many workarounds! I've been dealing with the same issue since Monday and was getting really stressed about it. Just tried a few of the suggestions here and found an old grocery receipt that shows I have enough for the week - such a relief! This community is amazing - everyone sharing tips and helping each other out. Definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference. Thanks everyone for making me feel less alone with this frustrating situation!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! As someone who's been through this nightmare twice, here's what I learned the hard way: First - YES, get a completely new card with new numbers immediately. Don't just change your PIN. Call your county office and specifically say "I need a REPLACEMENT card due to suspected fraud, not just a PIN change." Second - if you haven't already, download your county's EBT app and check your balance EVERY DAY. I caught my second theft within hours because I was checking obsessively. Third - about the investigation timeline: push back if they're making you wait too long. Document everything - dates, who you spoke to, what they said. Some counties are better than others at expediting replacements. The fact that they only replaced 60% of your stolen benefits is unacceptable. You should file an appeal on that decision. The whole amount should be restored unless they have concrete proof you authorized those transactions. Stay strong mama - I know how scary this is when you're trying to feed your kids. You're doing everything right by being proactive about it! 💙

I work at a nonprofit that helps families navigate benefit programs, and I see EBT theft cases weekly. Here's what I tell everyone: The most important thing is getting a NEW CARD with different numbers - changing your PIN alone won't help if they cloned your magnetic stripe. When you call, use the exact phrase "I need an emergency replacement due to fraudulent transactions" - this triggers faster processing. For your appeal on the partial replacement: gather ANY documentation showing your normal shopping patterns (old receipts, bank statements if you ever used cash). The burden should be on THEM to prove you made those large transactions, not on you to prove you didn't. One red flag - if the county didn't automatically offer you emergency food assistance while waiting for the investigation, that's another violation. You should have been offered expedited CalFresh or emergency food vouchers within 7 days of reporting theft. Also document EVERYTHING from here forward: dates, times, names of workers you speak to, reference numbers. If this happens again, having that paper trail will help tremendously. I know this feels overwhelming when you're already stressed about feeding your family, but don't let them brush you off. You have rights as a victim here! 💪