wait ur CalFresh benefits worked at Sams Club??? I thought u needed a membership for sams club? maybe thats how they knew it wasnt u using the card!

make sure when u talk to the county office u specifically say the words "i need an emergency replacement of calfresh benefits due to household hardship" thats the magic phrase that gets them to speed up the process!! otherwise they will just put u on the normal timeline which can take forever

I hope you get your benefits back quickly! My card was skimmed at a grocery store last year and it was so stressful. I ended up having to go to a food bank while waiting for the replacement. If you need emergency food, call 211 - they can connect you with resources while you wait for the reimbursement.

UPDATE: I called the EBT customer service line this morning and explained my situation. They transferred me to a theft specialist who said they could expedite my case since I have children in the household. She said I should see the funds back in my account within 3-5 business days instead of 10! I also went ahead and filed a police report online just to have it documented. Thank you all for your helpful advice - I'll update again when I get my benefits back!

Update: Just wanted to thank everyone for their help! I applied for the Riverside County Food Support Program through BenefitsCal yesterday and got an email confirming my application. The county worker I spoke with (thanks to the callback service someone suggested) said I should expect a decision within 10 business days since I'm already verified for regular CalFresh. Turns out the program only started in January and most people didn't know about it. They're going to start sending out notices about it with the regular CalFresh paperwork next month. Thanks again for all the helpful information!

slightly off topic but does anyone know if san bernardino county has something similar? or is this just a riverside thing?

u know wats crazy tho? my friend in Alameda county said their office has a callback option now but Sac county doesnt have it why not all counties do this??

UPDATE: I finally got through this morning! Called at exactly 7:30am and only waited 20 mins. Turns out my benefits were reduced because my son turned 18 last month and they automatically adjusted my household size even though he's still in high school! The worker fixed it and said I'll get the difference added to next month's benefits. Thanks everyone for all your suggestions!

Just want to clarify something important - if your income did increase (like from extra shifts), you may not need to report it until your SAR7 is due UNLESS it puts you over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). Check your last Notice of Action or eligibility letter - it should state your specific IRT amount. For a single-person household in 2025, the IRT is usually around $2,450 per month in gross income. If you went over that amount, you would need to report it within 10 days, even if your SAR7 isn't due yet.

wait so we NOT supposed to report the tax refund thingy on the SAR7?????? i already did on mine last month cuz i thought we had to report all money we get

My sister had her benefits stolen TWICE last year and both times they were replaced as cash benefits. Just know that each family is only eligible for reimbursement ONCE for skimming/electronic theft per year now under the new 2025 rules. They changed it because there was so much fraud happening. So make sure you change your PIN and be careful where you use your card!!! ALSO IMPORTANT: When you get the cash benefits, most people don't realize they expire faster than regular CalFresh! Cash benefits expire after 90 days if unused while regular CalFresh benefits stay on your account for a full year. Don't forget to use them!!

Just a suggestion - when you do get your cash benefits, I recommend withdrawing the full amount from an ATM right away. That way if your card gets hacked again, they can't take the replacement money too. I learned this the hard way when I got reimbursed and then had THOSE benefits stolen again two weeks later. The second time, they wouldn't replace them because of the once-per-year rule.

I couldn't afford groceries for my kids for THREE WEEKS because someone stole all my April benefits while I was asleep, hadn't even used my card yet! Went to the store the next morning and my balance was $7.28 from the $980 that should have been there. I had to beg my county worker to expedite the claim investigation but she said there was nothing she could do to speed it up. Finally got reimbursed but the whole experience was humiliating and now I'm paranoid every month. One trick that's helped me - I keep my EBT card in the freezer in a ziploc bag until I'm ready to use it. Can't get skimmed if your card is literally frozen! Then I only take it out when I'm heading directly to a store I trust. Is it annoying? Yes. But I haven't been skimmed since I started doing this.

Just a heads-up for everyone in this thread: The California EBT system will be down for maintenance from February 3-4, 2025 (next weekend) from 11 PM Saturday until 8 AM Sunday. If you're planning to do your beginning-of-month shopping during that time, you'll need to reschedule. This is part of the security upgrades they're implementing to address the skimming issues. If you haven't already, download the ConnectEBT mobile app - it lets you temporarily freeze and unfreeze your card between uses, which is another layer of protection against skimming.

And btw the scammers are getting more sophisticated. They know how the system works and use the right terminology. They'll mention things like SAR7, recertification periods, and income reporting requirements to sound legitimate. Some even have background noise that sounds like a call center! Be careful out there.

To answer your original question: yes, legitimate county workers may occasionally call you about your CalFresh case, but: 1. They will identify themselves by name and county department 2. They will reference your case number, not your EBT card number 3. They will never ask for your PIN 4. If you express doubt, they'll suggest you call back through the main line If you're worried there might be a real issue, you can always log into your BenefitsCal account to check for any notices or alerts about your case. That's the safest way to verify if there's a legitimate concern that needs addressing.

Update: I finally got through to a supervisor at Walmart after threatening to report them to the BBB. She confirmed it's a system-wide issue affecting all California EBT users on their platform. Apparently, they're having to update their system to comply with new California EBT processing requirements. She offered me a 3-month extension on my Walmart+ membership as compensation. You might want to try calling and asking specifically for a supervisor and mentioning the compensation I received!

Just want to share an official update: I attended a county CalFresh stakeholder meeting yesterday where this issue was discussed. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) confirmed they're working with Walmart and other retailers on the EBT online purchasing transition. They recommend: 1. Try alternative retailers that have completed the update (Amazon Fresh, Safeway, Albertsons) 2. Contact your county office if you need accommodation due to disability or transportation issues - they may be able to arrange delivery alternatives 3. If you paid for Walmart+ specifically for EBT use, document your attempts to use the service and request a refund They expect most retailers to be fully operational by mid-March. If you're experiencing hardship because of this issue, make sure to tell your caseworker - they might be able to connect you with additional resources during the transition.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now except I live in Ventura and am stuck in San Diego for work. I called the EBT line yesterday after reading this thread and they said they could mail a new card but it would take 7-10 days and I needed food now. So I went to the San Diego county office this morning and explained my situation. The security guard initially said I couldn't get help there because my case was in Ventura, but I asked to speak to a supervisor and showed them the CalFresh handbook on my phone that says replacement cards can be issued in any county. They eventually agreed to help me and I got a new card right away! So be persistent if they try to turn you away!

Update?? Were you able to get your card replaced at the San Bernardino office?? I'm curious because I might be in this same situation next month when I visit my sister in Sacramento lol