Can stolen P-EBT benefits be replaced? Just had $875 wiped from my card overnight!
I'm freaking out right now because I just checked my P-EBT card balance this morning and noticed $875 worth of benefits were used at a store I've never been to across town! This happened sometime yesterday while I was at work. My kids depend on these P-EBT benefits for their meals and we're now left with nothing until next issuance. Has anyone successfully gotten stolen P-EBT benefits replaced? I called the EBT customer service line but got stuck in an automated loop. The county office has a 2-week wait for appointments. Is there a faster way to report this theft and get emergency replacement benefits? Do they even replace stolen P-EBT like they do with regular CalFresh EBT?
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Aisha Mohammed
omg this happened to my cousin last month!! she never got her money back bc they said it wasnt their problem?? someone needs to fix this system its ridiculous
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Luca Ricci
•What?! They didn't replace her benefits at all? Did she file a police report or anything? I'm so worried we won't make it through the month without this food money.
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Ethan Campbell
Yes, stolen P-EBT benefits CAN be replaced as of October 2023 when California implemented the new theft protection rules. You need to report it within 30 days though. Don't call the regular EBT customer service - you need to call your county CDSS office directly, file a police report, and fill out the CF 303 form (EBT Benefit Theft Report). The process is different from regular CalFresh because P-EBT is technically a different program, but they ARE replaceable now. Make sure to ask for emergency expedited replacement if your family has no food - they can sometimes issue a partial replacement within 3 business days while they investigate.
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Luca Ricci
•Thank you so much for this information! I didn't know about the CF 303 form. Where can I find it? And do I really need a police report or just the form? Really appreciate your help.
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Yuki Watanabe
I went through this EXACT situation in January! It took forever to get through to a real person at the county office. I literally called over 50 times and kept getting disconnected. I finally found this service called Claimyr that helped me skip the phone queue and got me connected to a real CalFresh worker in under 5 minutes. The worker helped me file the theft report right over the phone and I got emergency replacement benefits the next day. Seriously check out claimyr.com or watch their demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 - it saved my sanity during a really stressful time.
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Carmen Sanchez
•does that service actually work? i always thought those things were scams
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Andre Dupont
THE COUNTY NEVER HELPS!!! I had $1200 stolen from my EBT last year and they made me wait SIX WEEKS for an "investigation" while my kids went hungry! Then they only replaced HALF because they said I must have "shared my PIN" which I NEVER DID!!! These skimmers are everywhere and the county blames US instead of fixing their broken system. I ended up having to borrow money and went into debt just to feed my family. The whole thing is CRIMINAL!!!
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Zoe Papadakis
•That's terrible! Did you file an appeal? My sister works for the county and says they're supposed to replace the full amount now if there's a police report filed. The rules changed in 2023.
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Zoe Papadakis
Just to clear up some confusion here - P-EBT and regular CalFresh EBT are different programs with slightly different rules, but both CAN have benefits replaced if stolen. For P-EBT specifically: 1. Report theft within 30 days 2. File police report 3. Complete the CF 303 form 4. Submit to county office (can be done by email now) 5. Request expedited replacement if you have no food Important: P-EBT is administered by CDSS in partnership with CDE, so sometimes the regular EBT customer service people get confused about the rules. Always specify you're talking about P-EBT when you call.
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ThunderBolt7
•Does this work if you don't know exactly when it was stolen? I check my balance like once a week so sometimes don't notice right away
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Zoe Papadakis
•Yes, as long as you report within 30 days of the theft occurring (not 30 days from when you notice). The EBT transaction records will show exactly when and where the benefits were used, so even if you don't know the exact date, they can find it in their system.
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Carmen Sanchez
this happened to me last year they took all my benefits and i had to wait 2 weeks to get help and my kids were so hungry we had to go to food banks
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Ethan Campbell
•That's unfortunate you had to wait so long. If this happens again, make sure to specifically request an "emergency expedited replacement" due to having no food in the house. By law, they're required to help you within 3 business days if your household has no means to purchase food.
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Luca Ricci
UPDATE: I want to thank everyone for their advice. I used the Claimyr service that someone suggested and actually got through to a real person at the county office today! They helped me file the CF 303 form over the phone and took my police report number. Because I have no food for my kids, they're issuing an emergency replacement of $400 (about half) that should be on my card by tomorrow, with the rest coming after they complete the investigation. They also helped me set up the EBT app alerts so I'll get notified immediately if there are any suspicious transactions in the future. Thank you all for your help during this stressful time!
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Zoe Papadakis
•That's great news! So glad you were able to get emergency help. Just a tip - make sure to change your PIN immediately if you haven't already, and check your card for any signs of tampering. Sometimes these thefts happen because of skimmers placed on EBT card readers at stores.
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Luca Ricci
•Yes! They had me change my PIN immediately. And I'm going to be super careful about where I use my card from now on - only at major grocery stores where the card readers seem more secure.
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Mateo Gonzalez
I'm so sorry this happened to you! It's terrifying how common EBT card theft has become. I work at a local community center and we see families dealing with this almost weekly now. A few additional tips that might help others in similar situations: 1. Always cover your PIN when entering it - even if no one seems to be watching 2. If a card reader looks loose, damaged, or different from usual, don't use it 3. Check your balance frequently through the app or by calling the number on your card 4. Report suspicious activity immediately - don't wait The fact that you got emergency replacement benefits so quickly is encouraging! It shows the new theft protection rules are actually working when people know how to navigate the system properly. Thank you for sharing your experience - it will definitely help other families who face this same situation.
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