Update: After helping several clients with this exact issue (Sam's Club in Illinois), I've learned that the state is now investigating this as a coordinated fraud ring. If you call your county office, specifically mention Case #FSF-2025-876 which is the statewide fraud investigation number for this specific scam. This might help expedite your replacement benefits. Also, until this is resolved, here are some protective steps: 1. Change your PIN immediately after benefits are deposited 2. Transfer benefits to a separate account if possible 3. Consider using the BenefitsCal app to freeze/unfreeze your card between uses 4. Examine all card readers before inserting your card (look for loose parts) I'm sorry you're dealing with this. The system should be protecting vulnerable families, not making them prove they were victims.

i got my benefits back after my card was skimmed!!! took 6 weeks tho. what worked was i went to the actual county office in person with all my evidence. brought my work schedule, bus receipts, even a affadavit from my neighbor who saw me that day. in-person they actually listen better than on phone. good luck!!

This sounds so frustrating. When I transferred from Riverside to San Bernardino, they told me I had to spend down all my benefits before the transfer went through. No one explained this to your daughter? The whole point of the 2-card system during transfers is that you can empty the old one before activating the new one. Quick question - did your daughter do her SAR7 and recertification forms on time? Sometimes these county transfers happen when there's a recert due, and if any paperwork was missed, that could complicate things even more.

Just to give you a bit more context on why this happens: The CalFresh system is county-administered, which means each county maintains their own databases even though they're all part of the same program. When you move counties, the new county has to essentially create a new case, and the old county has to close theirs. The problem is that most counties are severely understaffed, and inter-county transfers are low priority compared to new applications and emergency cases. It's not uncommon for them to take 2+ years to finally process a transfer (which appears to be what happened in your case). The good news is that the benefits in the LA account should still be there and accessible with a replacement card. The benefits don't disappear when a card is destroyed - they remain in the account for at least a year, sometimes longer.

Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing here: P-EBT 4.0 benefits for children under 6 are being issued on a rolling basis through July 2025. Benefits are loaded to your P-EBT card (the special one, not your regular CalFresh EBT card). The strange cases where one child receives benefits before another in the same household typically happen when children are in different age groups or were added to CalFresh at different times. If you haven't received benefits by the end of June, then it would be worth following up with your county office.

I got mine yesterday! For both my kids (3 and 5). I'm in Sacramento county if that helps. Check your old P-EBT card if you still have it.

Wait I'm confused about something else - when you report things on the SAR7, does that mean your benefits change right away? Or do they wait until the next 6-month period? I'm in a similar situation and trying to figure out when any changes would take effect.

UPDATE: I finally got through to my county worker! She confirmed that security deposit assistance paid directly to the landlord does NOT count as income for CalFresh purposes. She said to still note it on my SAR7 in the 'changes' section but to clearly explain it was a vendor payment for security deposit only, not rent assistance. Thanks everyone for your help!!

i thought calfresh was switching to that new system where u get a text code before the transaction goes thru?? my worker told me that was happening in 2025 to stop these scams. has anyone gotten that feature yet? seems like it would prevent this whole mess

UPDATE: You guys are amazing! She went to the office in person today with all the documentation mentioned here, specifically asked for the EBT-2259 form, and mentioned the 10-day policy requirement. The worker admitted they'd been using the wrong form! They reprocessed everything and said she should have the benefits back within 5 business days - AND they gave her a $75 emergency food voucher to use immediately. Thank you all so much for your help!