EBT card skimmed and benefits stolen - diabetic with no food until replacement comes!
I'm in a complete panic right now. I just checked my EBT balance and someone has stolen $310 from my CalFresh account! They left me with only $23 for the entire month! I reported it immediately to the fraud department, but the worker told me it will take UP TO 30 DAYS to get my benefits replaced!!! I'm diabetic and need regular meals to manage my blood sugar. I live in a rural area without transportation, and the nearest food pantry is 20 miles away with no delivery options. I can't wait a month for food - my health will seriously deteriorate. Has anyone dealt with this before? Are there any emergency options? The worker I spoke with seemed completely unconcerned about my situation.
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Hugh Intensity
omg thats awful!! happened to my aunt last year too, these thieves are everywhere now skimming ebt cards
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Sunny Wang
•Did your aunt ever get her benefits back? I'm so stressed about waiting 30 days. My blood sugar is already all over the place from skipping meals.
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Hugh Intensity
•yeah she did but it took like 3 weeks i think. maybe try calling 211? they might know some places that can help
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Effie Alexander
I'm sorry this happened to you. Unfortunately, EBT theft has become extremely common in California. The county legally has up to 30 days to replace stolen benefits, though sometimes it's faster. In the meantime, you should: 1. Contact your county CalFresh office and specifically request an expedited emergency replacement due to your medical condition. They can sometimes prioritize cases with health risks. 2. Ask your county worker about the Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) which is separate from regular food banks. 3. If you receive SSI or SSDI, contact your social worker as they may have emergency funds available. 4. Contact local churches - many have emergency food programs with delivery for disabled individuals. Also, make sure to get a new EBT card with a different number and change your PIN immediately to prevent future theft.
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Sunny Wang
•Thank you so much for these suggestions. I do get SSDI, but I don't have a social worker assigned. Do I need to call the Social Security office for that? I've left a message with my county worker about expediting but haven't heard back yet. I'm going to try calling more churches today.
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Effie Alexander
•For SSDI recipients, call your local Independent Living Center - they can often provide emergency assistance or connect you with a social worker. Also, specifically mention to the county that you're high-risk due to diabetes and need the replacement expedited under the emergency medical needs provision. Document everything - note who you speak with and when. If anyone says they can't help, ask to speak with a supervisor.
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Melissa Lin
GOD the system is BROKEN. This happens ALL THE TIME now and CalFresh acts like its OUR fault!!! I had $455 stolen in November and they made me wait 26 days for replacement while I STARVED. They need to fix this broken system! The thieves know exactly when benefits drop and target us. Meanwhile the county workers just read from their scripts about "mandatory waiting periods" without caring that REAL PEOPLE are suffering! MAKE NOISE and DEMAND a supervisor - sometimes that's the only way to get help.
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Sunny Wang
•It really does feel like they don't care. The person I spoke with just kept repeating "policy is 30 days" when I tried explaining my medical situation. Did calling a supervisor actually help speed things up for you?
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Melissa Lin
•Yes! I went up THREE levels of supervisors and finally someone processed my replacement as an "urgent medical necessity" after I made it clear I wouldn't stop calling. They suddenly found a way to get it done in 10 days instead of 26. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with these people. Don't let them ignore you!
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Lydia Santiago
I work with a disability advocacy group and we see this issue frequently. Here are some specific suggestions for your situation: 1. Call your doctor's office and ask for a letter stating you require regular meals for your diabetes management. Having medical documentation can expedite the replacement process. 2. If you're in California, the CalFresh office should be able to process your replacement in 10 business days, not 30 calendar days, if you provide a police report or fraud report number. 3. Request a "reasonable accommodation" under ADA specifically for your diabetes - this is legally required language that can help prioritize your case. 4. Contact your county's Adult Protective Services as they may have emergency food vouchers for medically vulnerable adults. Also, going forward, try to split your benefits - spend half right when they're deposited to get essential groceries, then use the rest later. This minimizes what can be stolen at once.
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Sunny Wang
•Thank you for such specific advice! I'll call my doctor right away for that letter. I do have a fraud report number from when I called EBT customer service. Is that enough or do I need to file a separate police report too? I didn't know about splitting benefits - that's really smart.
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Lydia Santiago
•The EBT fraud report should be sufficient in most counties, but a police report can sometimes help expedite things further. When you call the county with your fraud report number, specifically mention you're requesting the 10-day expedited replacement process under the "verified theft replacement" provision. And yes, splitting your benefits is unfortunately necessary these days - many of our clients have started doing this as a protective measure.
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Romeo Quest
I've been going through this EXACT nightmare trying to reach someone at my CalFresh office about stolen benefits too - kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours! I finally tried this service called Claimyr that got me through to a human at the county office within 15 minutes. They basically wait on hold FOR you and call you back when a person answers. Totally worth it for emergencies like this! Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Once I actually got through to a supervisor (not just the frontline staff), they were able to expedite my replacement when I explained my medical situation. Hope this helps - the regular phone system is just impossible to deal with.
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Sunny Wang
•This sounds really helpful! I've called 4 times today and either get disconnected or told the wait is over 2 hours. I'll check out that service. Did you have to explain your medical situation multiple times or did they take it seriously once you reached a supervisor?
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Romeo Quest
•Once I got through to a supervisor (which was the hard part), I only had to explain once. Having all my info ready helped - fraud report number, doctor's info, when the theft happened. The supervisor was actually helpful, but impossible to reach through regular channels. The regular workers seem limited in what they're allowed to do about expediting replacements.
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Val Rossi
have u checked with meals on wheels? they deliver to diabetics i think
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Sunny Wang
•I didn't think of Meals on Wheels! I'll call them today - that could really help bridge the gap until my benefits are replaced. Thank you!
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Eve Freeman
My sister is Type 1 diabetic and went thru something similar last year when her benefits got stolen. What helped her was calling the public health nurse program in our county - they have emergency food boxes specifically for people with health conditions like diabetes. Also try contacting your pharmacy where you get your diabetes meds - some have patient assistance programs that include food gift cards for patients with chronic conditions. Don't give up! Call every resource and be firm about your medical needs being urgent. The standard 30 day wait is ridiculous for someone with diabetes. btw after this happened to my sister, she started taking half her benefits out right away each month and using that first, so if thieves hit her card again they won't get everything. Might be worth doing that in the future.
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Sunny Wang
•I hadn't thought about contacting the public health nurse program or my pharmacy - those are great ideas! I'll call both tomorrow morning. And yes, I'm definitely going to start splitting my benefits right away each month. So scary that this is happening to so many people.
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Effie Alexander
One other critical tip: While waiting for your replacement benefits, make sure to freeze your EBT card through the EBT app or by calling the number on the back. Then request a new physical card with a different card number. Many people get their benefits replaced only to have them stolen again immediately because the thieves still have access to their card information.
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Sunny Wang
•I did freeze the card right away, but I wasn't sure about getting a replacement card with a new number. I'll definitely do that - thank you! Do you know if the replacement benefits go onto the new card automatically?
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Effie Alexander
•Yes, any replacement benefits will automatically be loaded to your new card once it's activated. When you get the new card, make sure to create a unique PIN that you don't use anywhere else. Also, it's now recommended to change your EBT PIN monthly as an extra security measure. Glad you froze the card already - that was a smart first step.
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Hugh Intensity
did u try amazon fresh with ur ebt? they deliver groceries and u can use the $23 u have left for some basic stuff maybe
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Sunny Wang
•I didn't know Amazon Fresh delivered in my area! I just checked and they do. That could really help stretch the $23 I have left. Thank you for this suggestion!
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