CalFresh EBT theft reported - how long for benefit replacement in Riverside County?

I had this exact same thing happen in April. Filed the police report and theft form with the county just like you did. It took them 10 business days to reissue my benefits. The key is making sure you completed the EBT-2259 form (Benefit Theft Claim) and that they gave you a copy with a case number on it. They should've also given you a pamphlet about the CalFresh Emergency Allotment option, which you can request while waiting. Did they mention any of that when you were there?

OMG this happened to me too!!! Mine wasn't in riverside but in san bernardino county and it was last month. the thieves took all $398 of my benefits within like 2 hours at stores i'd never even been to. the county office people were SO unhelpful at first, saying i might not even get the money back!! i was freaking OUT!!

The state has a mandated timeframe to process EBT theft claims, which should be within 10 calendar days for most counties in California after you've completed all the required documentation. The specific requirements are: 1. You must file a police report 2. Complete the EBT-2259 Benefit Theft form 3. Provide proof that you possessed the card (which it sounds like you did) Riverside has been better than many counties at processing these quickly. If you don't see the replacement benefits by the 15th (10 business days after filing), I would definitely go back in person to check on the status. Make sure you have your case number or a copy of the report you filed with them. Also, ask specifically about emergency food assistance while you wait. They can issue a temporary emergency allotment in some cases, especially with children in the household.

when this happened to my cousin they told her 7-10 days but it actually took almost three weeks!!!! the system is so broken. make sure to CALL THEM everyday to check on it because otherwise they forget about you. thats what she did and finally got her money after bothering them enough

I went through this nightmare back in February. Called the EBT customer service line daily and couldn't get any updates. Just automated messages and disconnections after waiting 45+ minutes. Wasted half my phone battery every day trying. Finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual CalFresh worker in about 10 minutes. They basically call for you and when they reach a real person, they connect you. Saved me days of frustration. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 When I finally got through, I found out my claim was actually approved but stuck in some processing queue. The worker manually pushed it through and I got my benefits back the next day. Definitely worth trying instead of waiting weeks in the dark.

The county offices dont tell u but u actually have better chance of getting ur benefits back if u go to the office IN PERSON vs just calling. im in riverside 2 and had $330 stolen in January. got it back in 8 days but only cuz i went in twice to check on status. they told me calling wouldnt have done anything cuz the theft claims go to a special unit. bring ur case # and police report copy when u go back.

This is why I ALWAYS transfer my benefits to my bank account IMMEDIATELY when they hit my EBT card!!!! Too many skimmers out there now. The money is safer in your bank than on the EBT card. So sorry this happened to you!

Update on the emergency allotment option - it's specifically for situations like yours where you have no food resources while waiting for a theft claim to be processed. Since you have children in the home, you absolutely qualify. When you go back tomorrow, specifically request to speak with an emergency services worker and tell them you need an emergency allotment while your theft claim is being processed. They can often issue this same-day or next-day in urgent situations. Bring documentation showing your theft report and emphasize that you have no other resources to feed your family. They should be able to issue a partial replacement while the main claim is being processed.

hope u got ur money back by now but if not go to a food bank!!! theres one at the community center on madison street that gives out good stuff on tuesdays and fridays. got us through when our benefits got messed up last year

I wanted to follow up - did you get any resolution when you went back to the office? For others reading this thread in the future, California implemented new EBT theft protections in 2025 that should make these situations less common. They're now using chip cards and have better fraud monitoring systems. If anyone experiences theft: 1. Report it immediately to the EBT customer service line AND local police 2. Submit the EBT-2259 form to your county office within 5 days of discovering the theft 3. Request an emergency allotment if you have no other food resources 4. Check benefit status through the BenefitsCal portal or mobile app 5. Consider transferring benefits to a bank account as soon as they're received (as another commenter suggested) The state is required to process valid claims within 10 calendar days, though some counties may take longer.