btw i called my post office supervisor and they said mail theft is up like 200% in alameda county right now so def report it if u think its stolen

Good news - I just checked the P-EBT website and they've posted an alert about mailing delays in several counties including Alameda. They're saying to wait up to 15 business days after seeing it in Informed Delivery before reporting it missing. They're also extending the benefit redemption period by 30 days to account for these delays. To answer the question about card security - yes, P-EBT cards require activation and PIN setup, so a stolen card can't be used without the activation information that's sent separately. Still, report any suspected lost or stolen cards right away.

the people stealing these cards should be ASHAMED of themselves. taking food from children!!! what is wrong with people these days. back in my day we would never dream of stealing from neighbors especially not FOOD MONEY. society is going downhill fast. hope they catch whoever did this to you.

One important update for everyone in this thread: If you're experiencing P-EBT theft, you should be documenting the incident with BOTH the local police AND the USPS Postal Inspector if it was stolen from your mailbox. The Postal Inspector report can carry more weight in your CalFresh fraud investigation because it establishes federal mail theft, which is taken very seriously. You can file a report online at https://www.uspis.gov/report. Also, once your benefits are restored, I strongly recommend setting up online account access immediately so you can monitor for any suspicious activity. You can also request that your replacement card be sent to your local CalFresh office for pickup rather than mailed to your home if mail theft is common in your area.

my cousin works for calfresh and she said they sometimes close for emergencies too like if theres a threat or something? maybe check local news?

just to update everyone i called my county (sacramento) and they said its definitely the quarterly training and offices will be open tomorrow. they're automatically adding 10 days to any deadlines for people with appointments today. the lady was super nice about it and said theyre sending notices but they went out late.

anybody else notice that CalFresh theft is getting worse?? seems like every week someone on here is posting about stolen benefits. the whole system needs better security!!! regular credit cards have fraud protection but EBT is stuck in the 1990s 🙄

UPDATE: I finally got through to my county office! Used that Claimyr service someone recommended and it worked great - had a caseworker on the phone within 15 minutes. The caseworker was really helpful and walked me through filling out the CF 303 form. She said I need to email them: - The completed form - Copy of police report - Any evidence showing I couldn't have made the purchases She said they'll review it within 10 days but it looks promising since I reported it immediately and the purchases were made far from my home. She also referred me to a local food bank that can help with emergency food while I wait. Thank you everyone for your help! I'll update again when I hear their decision.

MY FRIEND SAID theres gonna be another increase in october 2025!!!! she works for the county so she knows, but she said its only like 2% so not that much really

This whole system is a JOKE. I'm a single mom with 2 kids and they gave me $23 a month. TWENTY THREE DOLLARS. What am I supposed to do with that??? The worker told me it was because I make "too much money" at my job. I make $17.50 an hour!!! HOW IS THAT TOO MUCH??? Meanwhile my neighbor doesn't work AT ALL and gets $600+ every month. Make it make sense!!!