EBT benefit theft replacement taking weeks - normal waiting time for CalFresh stolen benefits?

I went through this exact situation in January 2025. It took almost 4 weeks for me to get my stolen benefits back, even though they also promised me 'expedited replacement'. The frustrating part is that they're supposed to reissue benefits within 10 days if your claim meets all the requirements, but it rarely happens that quickly.\n\nMake sure you've submitted Form 303E (EBT benefit theft claim) AND the police report. They won't process it without both. Also, call your worker directly to check your status - sometimes these claims sit in a pile and a follow-up call can move things along.

4 WEEKS?! Oh my god, we can't survive that long without food assistance. I did submit the 303E form and police report on the same day it happened. My worker never answers their direct line though - it just goes to voicemail every time. Is there any way to escalate this?

mine took 3 week but my friend got hers in like 6 days so i think it depends on ur county tbh

Which county are you in? I'm in Alameda. Maybe I should just camp out at the office until someone helps me.

Unfortunately, benefit theft replacements are taking longer than the stated timeframes in most counties right now due to the massive increase in skimming cases. The official policy is 10 business days for expedited claims, but the reality is 2-4 weeks in many counties. \n\nTo potentially speed things up:\n\n1. Ask specifically for a supervisor review of your case\n2. Mention that you have

This is so typical of the broken system. They make us jump through hoops when WE are the victims! I had $633 stolen last year and it took them 7 weeks to replace it. SEVEN WEEKS! The supervisor kept telling me they were \

I had to wait about 3 weeks when my benefits were stolen ($790) last month. What helped me get it resolved was using Claimyr to actually reach a live person at the county office. I kept calling for days before that and just got voicemail or disconnected. With Claimyr (claimyr.com) they got me through to a real CalFresh worker who could see my claim and actually do something about it. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Once I got through, they processed my replacement in 2 days.

Thanks for the tip! I'm desperate at this point, so I'll try anything. Did you just call your regular county number through them or is there a specific department to ask for?

they always say 10 days but ive never seen anyone get it that fast lol. took me 5 1/2 weeks back in november. had to use food banks n borrow money from everyone i know. system is a joke

I know right? When I had my benefits stolen they told me 10-15 days. Ended up being almost 6 weeks! But my neighbor somehow got hers in just 8 days 🤷‍♀️ I think it depends on who processes your claim and if they actually care.

I forgot to mention - while you're waiting for the replacement, you can also apply for a hardship payment through your county office. It's a separate process from the theft claim and can sometimes be processed faster. Ask specifically for the \

Thank you so much! I had no idea about the hardship payment option. I'll definitely ask about that. I really appreciate the help - it's been so stressful trying to figure this all out while also trying to feed my family.

Update on my situation - I finally got my benefits back! I ended up using that Claimyr service to reach someone at the county, and then I specifically asked for a supervisor review of my case and mentioned \

congrats!! glad u got ur money back. its crazy how much we gotta fight just to get what was STOLEN from us in the first place