CalFresh benefits not enough after CalWORKs theft - facing eviction with no emergency help!

I'm so sorry this is happening to you. EBT theft reimbursement has been REALLY slow in 2025 because of the huge increase in skimming cases. But 2 months is definitely too long! A few things you can try: 1. Ask specifically for a "Hardship Expedite" on your theft claim. Use those exact words - it's an internal process they don't advertise. 2. File for an Emergency Housing Assistance payment through your CalWORKs worker - this is separate from community emergency funds. It can provide up to $3000 for housing emergencies if you qualify. 3. Bring your 3-day notice directly to the county office if possible. In-person escalation with documentation often gets faster results. Also, have your landlord call your caseworker - they can sometimes verify that payment is coming which might buy you some time.

omg this happened to me last yr too!! took them 3 MONTHS to give me back my money!! the whole time i kept getting the runaround. so unfair they expect us to just magically pay bills with no money. have u tried catholic charities? they helped me with one months rent while i was waiting.

I work with benefit cases, and unfortunately EBT theft reimbursement is critically backlogged right now. Two things you need to know: 1. California's SB 1200 requires them to provisionally credit stolen benefits within 5 business days of a proper claim, while they investigate. If this didn't happen, they're violating state regulations. 2. For your eviction situation, file for a Homeless Assistance payment through CalWORKs immediately. This is different from the standard emergency funds. You can receive temporary and permanent housing assistance. Bring your eviction notice when you apply - this qualifies you as "imminently homeless" which triggers expedited processing. Don't take no for an answer on this - it's your legal entitlement under California regulations.

The EXACT same thing happened to my sister. She had better luck calling the state EBT customer service line (not the county). She specifically asked for a "hardship review" of her theft claim and got her money back within a week after fighting for months. Might be worth trying.

I'm really sorry you're going through this. Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an actual CalWORKs worker? When my benefits were messed up, I was getting nowhere with the regular phone lines. Claimyr got me connected to a real person in about 15 minutes after I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. The service basically waits on hold for you and calls when a real person answers. It made a huge difference in getting my issue escalated properly instead of just talking to the front-line people who couldn't help.

OK I want to address the THEFT part of this since I've been through it. Your funds were probably stolen through "skimming" where thieves put fake card readers on EBT machines. This is super common but workers act like you did something wrong. For anyone dealing with this: 1. Report to local police FIRST (get report #) 2. Call EBT customer service (not county) to report card stolen 3. File FS-28 form with county ASAP (must be within 10 days) 4. Request NEW CARD with chip (not all counties have these yet) 5. Transfer any remaining benefits to new card The county should be helping with ALL these steps but they often don't. For the original poster - did you get the police report? That's often why they delay reimbursement.

This system is DESIGNED to fail us. They make everything so complicated that people give up. I had benefits stolen TWICE last year and the second time they accused ME of fraud for a while! Meanwhile my kids were hungry and we almost got evicted too. The whole "wait patiently" thing is BS when rent is due and kids need to eat. The county workers sit comfortably in their offices while we struggle. I'm so angry for you.

Following up on my earlier comment - I want to add a critical detail about eviction prevention. When you go to request the Homeless Assistance payment, make sure to specifically ask for the "Permanent Housing Assistance" option, not just temporary. This can provide: - Up to two months of back rent ($3,000 maximum) - Security deposit coverage for new housing if needed - Utility deposit assistance You need to bring: - Your eviction notice - Rental agreement - Proof of the CalWORKs theft report - Statement from landlord of exact amount owed One final tip: If the county office is slow-walking your theft claim, immediately ask to speak with a supervisor and use the phrase "expedited fair hearing request" - this triggers a faster review process under California Department of Social Services regulations.