CalFresh EBT card suddenly emptied - benefits disappeared overnight with no notice!

omg same thing happened to my cousin last month. turns out sum1 hacked her account + stole all the $$$. u need 2 check if there were purchases u didnt make

This could be several different things. First, check if there were any unauthorized transactions by calling the EBT customer service line (though I know it's frustrating). Second, check if you missed a recertification or SAR7 deadline - they can cut benefits without notice if you miss important paperwork. Third, if someone in your household recently started working or had an income increase that wasn't reported, that could trigger a discontinuance. If none of these apply, it might be a system error that needs to be corrected.

I had exactly this problem in January 2025. Turned out my account was flagged for "verification needed" but they never sent me the notice. I wasted 4 days trying to reach someone at the county office. The phone lines are absolutely terrible - constant busy signals, disconnections after waiting for 2+ hours, or getting transferred and then disconnected. I finally used Claimyr to get through to a real worker on my 5th day of trying. They connect you with your county CalFresh office usually within 30 minutes instead of the usual multi-hour wait. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video that shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Once I actually talked to a worker, they told me they needed proof of rent and utilities, I submitted it right away, and my benefits were restored within 48 hours including the missed month. Definitely worth checking if there's some verification issue first before assuming fraud.

Before panicking, check your EBT card transaction history by calling the number on the back of your card (1-877-328-9677) and selecting the option for transaction history. This will tell you if someone used your benefits or if they were removed administratively. If there are no unauthorized transactions, pull up your last approval letter (should be in your BenefitsCal account under "Documents") and check your certification period. Sometimes benefits stop because you've reached the end of your certification period and need to recertify. If your certification period is still active and there are no suspicious transactions, you need to contact your county worker ASAP. If you don't know your worker's direct number, call the main CalFresh line for your county and request an urgent case review for benefit restoration.

they probably think ur committing fraud lol. happened to me when i started my side hustle. they assume ur hiding income and just cut u off with no warning. the whole system is designed to make u give up.

This just happened to me about 2 weeks ago! In my case, it turned out that the county had sent me a verification request letter that never arrived (or maybe got lost in my pile of mail, who knows). When I finally got through to my worker, she said I needed to provide updated verification of my rent and utility expenses, plus something about my kids' school enrollment. I submitted everything through the BenefitsCal portal and my benefits were restored within 3 days. The most frustrating part was that they're required to give us 10 days to respond to verification requests before cutting benefits, but I never even knew I needed to submit anything! Make sure you check your BenefitsCal account messages too - sometimes they send notices there instead of mail.

I don't want to scare you but my neighbor had all her benefits taken because someone at the county office entered that she was DECEASED!! It took her almost 2 months to prove she was alive!!! The system is completely broken.

UPDATE: Finally got through to my county worker! Turns out they flagged my account because they got returned mail from an SAR7 reminder they sent to my old address (even though I updated my address 4 months ago). Instead of calling me or checking my updated contact info, they just suspended my benefits! The worker was actually pretty helpful once I reached her. She's reactivating my benefits today and said I should see them restored within 48 hours, including the amount I was supposed to get this month. She also fixed my address in all their systems so this shouldn't happen again. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! Special thanks to @user1 for recommending Claimyr - that service actually worked and got me through to a real person in about 25 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever.