EBT card dispute timeline - anyone get funds back before 20 days?

I went through this exact situation in January. They told me 20 days too, but I actually got my benefits back in 12 days. Make sure you've completed ALL the paperwork they sent and return it immediately (sounds like you did). The key is calling to confirm they received everything. I called their EBT customer service line every 3-4 days to check on status. You can also contact your county worker directly to flag the urgency of your case.

That's a relief to hear! I did send everything back right away but I haven't called to verify they got it. I'll do that tomorrow morning. Did you have to do anything special when you called or just ask about the status?

mine took the full 20 days smh they dont care if ur kids are hungry or not

That's what I'm worried about... my kids' school has free breakfast but dinner is getting really hard with what we have left.

The official timeline is 10-20 business days, but in my experience working with benefit recipients, the actual resolution time depends on several factors:\n\n1. How clear the fraud evidence is (unauthorized location, unusual purchase pattern)\n2. Whether you've had previous disputes (first-time disputes often resolve faster)\n3. Your county's current workload\n\nI recommend:\n- Contact your local food bank for emergency assistance during the wait\n- Call the EBT customer service line (1-877-328-9677) and specifically ask if your case has been assigned to an investigator yet\n- Request an expedited review due to hardship\n- Check if your county office offers emergency replacement benefits while the investigation is ongoing\n\nKeep documentation of all calls and communications.

Thank you for this detailed info! I didn't know about possibly getting emergency replacement benefits - I'll definitely ask about that. We've never had a dispute before, and it's pretty obvious fraud (store I've never been to 30 miles away).

After trying to get through to EBT customer service for THREE DAYS (kept disconnecting me after 45+ minutes on hold), I used Claimyr.com and got through in under 8 minutes! They called the EBT office for me, waited on hold, then connected me when a rep answered. Totally worth it when you need to check on something urgent like your dispute status. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

does it actually work? i h8 waiting on hold forever

Yes! I was super skeptical but it saved me hours of frustration. The EBT worker I finally spoke with told me my claim was still

I had an EBT dispute last year when someone somehow got my card info (I still had my physical card!) and spent $230 at a Walmart two counties away. The rep said 20 days, but it only took 9 days to get my benefits back. I think it helped that I filed a police report and sent them a copy. They didn't require it, but I think it made them process my claim faster.

That's really smart about the police report! I'll do that tomorrow. Would you mind sharing how exactly you sent it to them? Did you call first or just mail/email it?

tbh depends on ur county some counties r faster than others. i'm in LA county and it took the FULL 20 days and they made me verify my identity TWICE!! so frustrating. my friend in alameda county got hers back in like a week.

I'm in San Bernardino County. Not sure if they're fast or slow with these things. That's really frustrating you had to verify twice! Did they make you go in person?

Had something similar happen last month where $210 disappeared from my EBT account. Called immediately and filed a dispute like you did. They also told me 20 days. I was desperate and called my assigned county eligibility worker directly (not the general EBT customer service). She couldn't speed up the investigation, BUT she was able to issue emergency supplemental benefits to help us get through until the dispute was resolved! It wasn't the full amount, but it was enough to keep food on the table. The dispute itself took 17 days to resolve, and I did eventually get all the stolen benefits back.

This is REALLY helpful information. I didn't know county workers could issue emergency benefits while waiting! Do you just call the general county CalFresh number to reach your worker?

Yep! I called the main county CalFresh number and asked to speak with my assigned worker. If you don't know who your worker is, they should be able to look it up. If you can't reach your specific worker, ask to speak with any available eligibility worker about emergency benefits during an EBT dispute. Make sure to emphasize that you have children in the household - that definitely helped in my case.

Just to follow up on what others have said - the 20 days is the maximum time allowed by regulation, but most counties complete investigations more quickly. Based on recent cases I've seen, the current average is about 10-14 days, with some resolved in as few as 7 days.\n\nOne important tip: when you call to check status, specifically ask if they need any additional verification from you. Sometimes they're waiting on something but the notification gets lost in the mail or goes to an old address.\n\nAlso, document everything: write down dates and amounts of the fraudulent transactions, names of representatives you speak with, and case numbers assigned. This will help if you need to escalate your case.

Thank you so much! I'm hoping it's closer to the 7-10 day range. I just checked my mail and got a letter asking for a signed statement about where I was when the transaction happened, so I'll send that back today.

try calling riiiiight when they open in the morning! thats what i did and actually got thru to a human being for once lol

Good idea! I'll try calling right at 8am tomorrow.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's incredibly stressful when you have kids to feed. I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago with $190 stolen from my EBT card. A few things that helped me get through the waiting period: 1. Contact 211 (dial 2-1-1) - they can connect you to local food pantries and emergency food assistance in your area 2. Check if your kids' school has a weekend backpack program - many schools send food home on Fridays 3. Look into local churches and community centers - many have food distribution programs that don't require paperwork For the dispute itself, I got my funds back in 8 days by being persistent but polite with follow-up calls every 2-3 days. Each time I called, I asked if there was anything else they needed from me to expedite the process. Also, if you're comfortable sharing which county you're in, other members here might have specific advice about how fast that county typically processes disputes. Hang in there - you're doing everything right!

San Bernardino County typically processes EBT disputes in 10-14 days from my experience helping families in that area. Since you have kids and are facing food insecurity, definitely call your county CalFresh office tomorrow and ask about emergency food assistance while your dispute is pending. They often have discretionary funds for exactly these situations. A few San Bernardino County specific tips: - Their EBT customer service is usually less busy between 10-11am - The main CalFresh number is (909) 891-3000 - ask for an eligibility worker - There's a food bank network in SB County that can help immediately - search "Feeding America Inland Empire" for locations near you Also, since you mentioned the fraudulent transaction was 30 miles away, make sure to emphasize that distance when you call for status updates. Geographic impossibility (being that far away) is one of the strongest pieces of evidence for fraud cases and often speeds up approval. You're doing everything right - hang in there! 🙏

I went through this nightmare last year - $205 stolen from my card at some sketchy liquor store 40 miles away! The whole process is so dehumanizing when you're already struggling. Mine took 13 days to get resolved, but here's what I learned that might help: Call the EBT line and specifically ask if your case has been "assigned to an investigator" yet. If not, ask them to escalate it due to hardship with children in the household. Sometimes cases just sit in a queue until someone pushes them along. Also, I don't know if this helped or was just coincidence, but I sent a follow-up email to the fraud department with photos of my work schedule showing I was at my job when the fraudulent transactions happened. Having that timeline documentation seemed to speed things up. In the meantime, definitely hit up food banks and see if your county has any emergency bridge benefits. Some counties will give you a small amount of emergency SNAP while the investigation is pending, especially if you have kids. The worst they can say is no, but it's worth asking! Stay strong - I know how scary it is when you're watching your food dwindle and don't know when relief is coming. You WILL get your benefits back, just trying to help you get through the waiting period easier. 💪

I work for a local nonprofit that helps families navigate benefit issues, and I wanted to share some additional resources that might help while you're waiting for your dispute to resolve: **Immediate Food Resources:** - Most Walmart and Target stores have community bulletin boards with local food pantry schedules - Churches often don't require membership for food assistance - just call and ask - Some libraries have "Little Free Pantries" outside that are restocked regularly **Speed Up Your Case:** - When you call, mention you're a "vulnerable household with children" - this is the exact language they use for priority cases - Ask for a "supervisor callback" if the first rep can't help with emergency assistance - Get a case reference number for your dispute and use it in every call **Emergency Bridge Benefits:** San Bernardino County does offer emergency food assistance even during EBT disputes. The magic phrase to use is "I need emergency food assistance due to EBT card fraud affecting my children's food security." **Pro Tip:** Keep calling! I've seen cases where the first rep says "no emergency help available" but a different rep approves it the next day. Each county worker has some discretion. You're advocating perfectly for your family. Most of these disputes resolve in 7-12 days despite the 20-day warning. Hang in there! 🙏

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress, especially with kids depending on you! I went through something similar about 8 months ago when someone used my EBT card at a gas station I'd never been to. Here's what worked for me: **Timeline:** They told me 20 days, but I got my $160 back in 11 days. The key was staying on top of it without being pushy. **What helped speed it up:** - Called every 3-4 days to "check if they needed anything else from me" - Always asked to speak with the same rep if possible (wrote down their name) - Emphasized that I had the physical card in my possession when the fraud happened - Mentioned I had children in the household during every call **Emergency help while waiting:** - My county office (I'm in Riverside) gave me $50 emergency benefits when I explained the situation - Local food bank helped bridge the gap - no paperwork needed, just showed up - School counselor connected me with weekend food program for my daughter The waiting is absolutely the worst part when you're stretching every dollar. But based on what others are saying here about San Bernardino County, you should hopefully see resolution closer to 10-12 days. You're doing everything right - just keep following up regularly and don't be afraid to ask for emergency help while you wait. Your kids need to eat NOW, not in 20 days! 💙

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago with $142 stolen from my card at a store I'd never heard of. The 20-day timeline is definitely the worst part when you're already struggling to feed your family. Here's what actually helped me get my benefits back faster (got them in 9 days): **Call Strategy:** - I called every 2-3 days and always asked "Is there anything additional you need from me to process this faster?" - Asked specifically if my case had been assigned to an investigator yet - Always mentioned I had children in the household and that we were facing food insecurity **Documentation that helped:** - I took photos of my work schedule showing I was at work when the fraud happened - Kept a log of every call (date, time, rep name, what they told me) - Made sure they had my current phone number so they could reach me quickly if needed **Emergency help while waiting:** - My county gave me $75 in emergency replacement benefits when I explained the situation with kids - Hit up the local food bank - they were amazing and didn't require any paperwork - Asked my kids' school about any weekend food programs The geographic distance (30 miles away) is actually really good evidence in your favor - make sure to emphasize that every time you call. Most reps I talked to said cases with clear geographic impossibility get processed faster. Hang in there! I know how scary it is watching your food supply dwindle, but you WILL get your benefits back. Just stay persistent with the follow-ups. 💪

I'm really sorry you're going through this - having your benefits stolen when you're already struggling is such a violation, especially with kids to feed. I've been following all the great advice in this thread and wanted to add a couple things that helped me when I went through a similar situation last year: **Document everything in writing:** In addition to calling, I also sent a brief email to the EBT fraud department after each phone call summarizing what we discussed and what the next steps were. This created a paper trail and seemed to keep my case more visible in their system. **Check your county's website:** Some counties have online portals where you can actually track the status of your dispute case. San Bernardino County might have something like this - worth checking so you're not always calling blind. **Food resources while waiting:** If you haven't already, try searching "food pantry San Bernardino County" - there's usually a central directory that shows which ones are open on which days. Also, many WIC offices have emergency food resources even if you're not on WIC. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like 10-14 days is pretty typical for resolution, which is way better than that scary 20-day number they throw at you. Keep advocating for yourself and your kids - you're doing everything right. The fact that it was 30 miles away and you still have your physical card should make this a pretty straightforward case for them to approve. Hang in there! 💙

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress - EBT fraud is unfortunately becoming more common and it's especially hard when you have kids depending on you. I went through something similar about 4 months ago when $185 was stolen from my card at a store I'd never been to. Here's what worked for me to get my benefits back in 8 days instead of the full 20: **Key things that seemed to help:** - Called every 2-3 days and always asked "Has my case been assigned to an investigator yet?" - Emphasized I had children in the household and we were facing immediate food insecurity - Made sure to mention the geographic distance (yours being 30 miles away is actually great evidence) - Asked if they needed any additional documentation from me to speed up processing **Emergency help while waiting:** - My county provided $60 in emergency replacement benefits when I explained the situation - Local food banks were a lifesaver - most don't require paperwork, just show up - Called 211 for additional food resources in the area **Documentation tip:** I gathered my work schedule/time clock records showing I was at work when the fraud happened and emailed those to the fraud department. Having that timeline seemed to really help my case. The waiting is absolutely the hardest part when you're watching your food supplies dwindle. But based on everyone's experiences here, San Bernardino County seems to process these in the 10-14 day range typically. You're doing everything right by staying on top of it. Your kids need to eat NOW, so don't hesitate to ask for emergency assistance while you wait! 💙

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's absolutely terrifying when you have kids to feed and your benefits get stolen. I went through a similar situation about 3 months ago when someone used my EBT card at a liquor store 25 miles from where I live. They told me the same 20-day timeline, but I actually got my $198 back in just 6 days! Here's what I think helped speed up my case: **Called immediately and frequently:** I called every 2 days (not every day - didn't want to annoy them) and always asked the same question: "Is there anything else I can provide to help resolve this faster?" **Emphasized the evidence:** Every single call I mentioned that I still had my physical card AND that the store was 25+ miles from my home. Geographic impossibility is apparently one of the strongest pieces of evidence for fraud cases. **Asked for emergency help:** My county worker approved $80 in emergency replacement benefits when I explained I had two kids and we were down to our last few meals. Don't be afraid to advocate for this - they have discretionary funds for exactly these situations. **Documentation:** I took a photo of my work badge/schedule showing I was clocked in at my job when the fraudulent transaction occurred and texted it to the fraud department's number they gave me. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're watching your kids eat smaller portions, but based on everything I'm reading here, you should get resolution much faster than 20 days. Stay persistent, document everything, and don't hesitate to ask for emergency food assistance while you wait. You're doing everything right! 💪

I'm really sorry you're dealing with this - EBT card fraud is so stressful, especially when you have kids depending on you. I went through something very similar about 2 months ago when $220 disappeared from my card at a store I'd never even heard of, 40 miles away from me! The good news is I got my benefits back in 12 days instead of the full 20 they warned me about. Here's what I think helped: **Stay persistent but polite:** I called every 3 days and always asked "Has my case been assigned to an investigator yet, and is there anything additional I can provide?" This seemed to keep my case visible in their system. **Document everything:** I kept a simple log of every call - date, time, rep name, and what they told me. I also took photos of my work schedule proving I was at my job when the fraud happened and emailed those to the fraud department. **Ask about emergency assistance:** This was huge - my county provided $70 in emergency replacement benefits when I explained I had children and we were facing food insecurity. Don't be shy about asking for this help while you wait! **Use the evidence:** Every call I mentioned that I still had my physical card AND emphasized the 40-mile distance. Geographic impossibility is apparently strong evidence that speeds up approval. The waiting period is absolutely terrifying when you're watching your food supply shrink, but based on what everyone's sharing here about San Bernardino County, you should hopefully see resolution in 10-14 days. Keep advocating for your family - you're doing everything right! 💙