CalFresh EBT card marked delivered but missing, replacement already requested - how long to wait?

this happened to me last year!! mail carrier probably delivered to wrong address 😡 my replacement took exactly 8 business days to arrive but that felt like foreverrr

8 days? That's way too long! We're already low on food. Did you try going to the county office to get an emergency card? I'm wondering if that's possible.

Sorry this happened to you. Unfortunately, this is more common than you'd think with EBT cards. Here's what you should know:\n\n1. Replacement cards typically take 5-7 business days, though the official line is always 7-10 to cover themselves.\n\n2. You can go to your county CalFresh office in person with your ID and request an emergency replacement card - many counties can print one for you on the spot. Call your county office first to confirm they offer this service.\n\n3. Your benefits are still safe and will transfer to the new card automatically - nothing is lost when a card is canceled.\n\n4. If you're desperate for food before your card arrives, contact local food banks. You can find them through 211 or at cafoodbanks.org.\n\n5. Document everything, including when you reported it missing. If this becomes a pattern in your neighborhood, report it to USPS.

Thank you SO much for this info! I didn't know I could get an emergency card in person. I'll call my county office first thing tomorrow morning. Really appreciate the food bank suggestion too - might need that option if I can't get to the office right away.

When I worked for the county, I saw this constantly. Mail theft of benefit cards is unfortunately common. If you call your county office, you'll likely just get an automated system that keeps you on hold forever. I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they'll get you connected to a real county worker quickly so you can arrange an emergency replacement. Their video explains how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 \n\nDefinitely worth it when you need to reach someone immediately for food assistance issues.

is that service legit? never heard of it before

I used it last month when my recertification wasn't processing and I couldn't get through on the regular line. It worked - got me to a real person in like 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own.

The system is DESIGNED to be difficult! They hope people just give up trying to get their benefits. I had THREE cards \

I think that's a bit extreme... mail carriers are overworked, mistakes happen. My replacement card came in 4 days even though they said 7-10, and the customer service people were really helpful. Let's not assume malice when it could just be a simple mistake.

Oh please, you were LUCKY. Most people have horrible experiences. Do you work for the county or something???

You mentioned they canceled your card right away - that was smart on your part to report it quickly! One thing no one mentioned yet is that if you absolutely need emergency food assistance right now, some counties have partnerships with certain grocery stores that can set up a temporary voucher system. Ask specifically about

Thank you! I didn't know emergency vouchers were even a thing. Will definitely ask about that!

what about ur recertification form? sometimes they send new cards when u do recertification stuff. my cousin mixed up her SAR7 and recertification and thought her card was lost when actually they sent a new one cuz of the recertification period

No, this wasn't a recertification issue. I just had my recertification approved last month, and this was supposed to be the same card I've been using. It just got lost/stolen in transit when they delivered it.

Just to clarify - they don't normally send new cards for recertification unless you specifically request one. They send new cards for initial approval, when cards are reported lost/stolen, or when cards expire (every 4 years). SAR7 reports don't trigger new card issuance either - that's just for reporting changes midway through your certification period.

Wait, I'm confused about something. You said \

Sorry I wasn't clear! This WAS my regular card, but we recently moved apartments (same building, different unit). I updated my address with CalFresh, and they said they had to send a new card to the new address even though the old one was still working. Then when I called to report that the new card didn't arrive, they had to cancel it in case someone stole it from my mail. So now my old card AND the replacement are both canceled, and I'm waiting for yet another card. 😩

Ohhh that makes more sense! The same thing happened to my sister when she moved - such a frustrating policy. Hang in there!

check with ur neighbors maybe it got delivered to wrong mailbox

Already did that - no luck. And I'm nervous about asking too many people since I don't want someone to figure out it's an EBT card and try to use it somehow.

Just checking back - were you able to get to your county office for an emergency replacement card? If you're still waiting, remember most counties are required to expedite replacement cards when there's a food security issue involved, especially for households with children. Make sure you specifically mention when you call that you have children and limited food in the house.

Yes! Thank you for checking back. I went to the county office yesterday after calling them first. I had to wait about 2 hours, but they were able to print a temporary card for me that will work until the permanent one arrives. So relieved! For anyone else reading this with the same problem - definitely go in person if you can, it's much faster than waiting for mail!