CalFresh benefits stolen - reported theft but 'Bene Avail' only shows $10 after 11 days?!
I'm freaking out because someone stole all my CalFresh benefits at the beginning of November. I reported the theft right away on the 6th, but the county didn't start the 'process' until the 12th. The worker told me I'd get my benefits refunded within 10 days, but it's already been 11 days and when I check my account it only shows $10 and says 'Bene Avail.' Does anyone know what 'Bene Avail' means? And why am I only seeing $10 when they stole my entire monthly amount ($675)? I have three kids and we're struggling BAD right now. I've tried calling back but keep getting disconnected after waiting forever. Has anyone actually gotten their benefits back after theft??
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FireflyDreams
Bene' Avail just 'means Benefits' Available -'it s showing the current balance on your EBT card, which is $10. Unfortunately, the 10 days they mentioned is usually business (days not counting)weekends , and with the Thanksgiving holiday,'that s probably causing more delays. Benefit theft replacements are taking 15-20 business days right now because there have been so many EBT thefts in 2025. Did you receive any confirmation number or reference number when you reportedit?
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Oliver Weber
•Oh business days??? Nobody told me that part! And yes I got a reference number but now I'm worried they won't replace the full amount. I heard someone say they only got partial benefits back...I can't wait another week with these kids and no food!
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Natasha Kuznetsova
Def call them AGAIN. i had my benifits stolen twice this year and the 1st time it took 3 weeks to get my $ back but the 2nd time i kept calling and got it back in 8 days. be persistant!!! the squeaky wheel gets the grease u know what i mean
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Oliver Weber
•I've been trying to call but the wait times are insane and then it just disconnects me! Did you have to go in person? I work 2 jobs and can't take time off to go sit in the office all day.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•nah i didnt go in i just kept calling like 5 times a day until i got through. its annoying but u gotta do what u gotta do
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Javier Morales
I went through the EXACT same thing back in February. They told me 10 days but it took 17 calendar days to get my benefits back. The "Bene Avail" just means what's currently available on your card ($10). Unfortunately, the system is completely overwhelmed with benefit theft claims right now. One thing to know: they DO refund the full amount in most cases, but you need to make sure you completed all the paperwork they required. Did you submit the EBT-2259 form? And did you file a police report? Both are technically required for a full replacement of stolen benefits. They should have told you this when you reported it.
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Oliver Weber
•They never mentioned a police report!!! All I did was call and report it stolen through the EBT customer service. Then the county worker called me back and asked a bunch of questions about the last time I used the card. Nobody said anything about a form or police report. Now I'm even more stressed...
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Javier Morales
•Ok don't panic! The county worker might have filed the EBT-2259 on your behalf based on the phone interview. But it would be good to call and verify that. The police report requirement is sometimes waived if there was a mass skimming in your area. Worth asking if that applies to your case.
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Emma Anderson
I want to share something that helped me reach a CalFresh worker when my benefits were stolen last month. After days of failed calls, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you back when a real person is on the line. Saved me hours of waiting and disconnects. 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 pending approval but their system wasn't showing the status correctly. The worker was able to expedite my refund once I actually spoke with them. Definitely worth trying if you keep getting disconnected.
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Oliver Weber
•OMG thank you for this! I never heard of Claimyr but I'm definitely going to try it. I literally can't wait on hold for hours with my work schedule and kids. Did you get your full amount back once you reached someone?
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Emma Anderson
•Yes, I got the full amount back! The worker told me that the system shows the claim status to them but that information doesn't appear on our end when we check our EBT balance. So it might already be approved and just waiting to be processed.
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Malik Thompson
The same thing happened to me and I only got back $200 of the $780 that was stolen. They said I didn't report it fast enough even though I reported it within 3 days. The whole system is rigged if you ask me. They KNOW these cards aren't secure but they do nothing to fix it! And then they blame us when someone steals our benefits!
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FireflyDreams
•The rules changed in January 2025. Now you have to report within 5 days to be eligible for a full replacement. If you reported within 5 days and they only gave you a partial refund, you should file for a fair hearing to appeal that decision. You have 90 days from the date of their determination to request a hearing.
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Malik Thompson
•Well nobody told ME about any 5 day rule!!! Typical government BS keeping the rules secret and then punishing you for not knowing them.
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Isabella Ferreira
Has anything changed? Were you able to get through to someone? The same thing happened to my daughter and she eventually got her funds back after about 15 days, but she had to keep calling. The county offices get super backed up around holidays too.
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Oliver Weber
•I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and FINALLY got through to a worker yesterday! They confirmed my claim was approved and said the full amount should be loaded back on my card by tomorrow. I was stressing for nothing I guess, but they really should give better information when this happens.
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CosmicVoyager
theres a huge skimming operation going on right now. my cousin works for calfresh and they said theres thousands of claims. thats why its taking so long. make sure u change ur pin and check ur balance everyday.
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Javier Morales
•This is accurate. There's been a massive uptick in EBT theft in the last few months. The new chip cards are supposed to be more secure, but they're still rolling them out county by county. If your county offers the new chip EBT cards, request one as soon as you get your benefits back.
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Oliver Weber
UPDATE: I got all my benefits back today!!! $675 loaded onto my card this morning. For anyone else going through this, here's what worked: 1) Used Claimyr to actually reach a person at the county office, 2) They confirmed my case was already approved but hadn't been processed yet, 3) The worker expedited it after I explained my situation. Thank you all for your help and advice!!!
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Isabella Ferreira
•That's great news! So glad you got your benefits back. It's really tough when you have kids and your food money gets stolen.
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Zane Hernandez
So happy to hear you got your benefits back! This thread is really helpful for anyone dealing with EBT theft. I'm saving the info about Claimyr - seems like that service could be a game changer when you can't get through the regular phone lines. Also good to know about the 5-day reporting rule and that business days vs calendar days makes such a difference in processing time. Hope they get those new chip cards rolled out soon to prevent more of these thefts!
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Mei Wong
•This whole thread has been really eye-opening! I had no idea about the 5-day rule or that business days vs calendar days could make such a difference. The Claimyr service sounds like a lifesaver - I'm definitely bookmarking that for future reference. It's crazy that there's such a huge skimming operation going on right now. Really glad Oliver got his benefits back, especially with three kids depending on him. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips!
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Sofia Martinez
This is such valuable information for anyone dealing with EBT theft! I'm bookmarking this thread because unfortunately these thefts seem to be happening more and more. Really glad to see Oliver got his full benefits back - that must have been such a relief with three kids to feed. The tip about Claimyr is genius - I never knew services like that existed to help you get through government phone lines. And wow, I had no idea about the 5-day reporting rule or that they count business days instead of calendar days. These are the kinds of details that really matter when you're in crisis mode and need your benefits back ASAP. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips!
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StarSurfer
•This thread really shows how broken the system is but also how helpful this community can be! I'm new here but dealing with a similar situation - my benefits were stolen last week and I had no idea about any of these rules or resources. The Claimyr service sounds amazing, and I'm definitely going to try it since I keep getting disconnected too. It's scary how common EBT theft has become. Really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences instead of just the official government runaround. Oliver, so glad you got your money back - gives me hope that I'll get mine too!
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