EBT card skimmed - will CalFresh replace stolen benefits? How long?

This same thing happened to me back in November. I'm so sorry you're going through this! Yes, they will replace the benefits but it can take time. Make sure you've filed a police report - that speeds things up. For me, it took about 3 weeks to get my benefits back, but I've heard others get them faster. Did they issue you a new card already?

omg thats TERRIBLE!!!! this happened to my sister last year too. these thieves are getting so good with the skimmers its scary!!! 😡 i think she got her beneifts back but it took like almost a month, the county office made her jump through so many hoops

I work with an advocacy group that helps with these situations. Here's what you need to know: 1. Under California law, you CAN get skimmed benefits replaced but you must follow the proper procedure 2. File form CF 303 (EBT Benefit Theft Report) with your county office immediately 3. File a police report - many departments allow online reporting now 4. Request expedited replacement if you have less than $100 remaining in benefits 5. Typical processing time is 10-14 business days but can be faster with expedited processing Also, I recommend checking your transaction history regularly going forward. Card skimming at certain stores has increased 350% in the past year.

This happened to me last month! I got my replacement benefits in about 8 days. Make sure you keep checking BenefitsCal for updates on your case. Also, the investigator probably won't call you - I never got a call, my benefits just showed up one day.

Try calling Claimyr.com to get through to an actual CalFresh worker faster. When my benefits were stolen, I spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the county office. The automated system kept disconnecting me. I used Claimyr and got through to a worker in under 10 minutes who processed my theft report right away. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 The worker I reached was able to flag my case as urgent since I had children in the household, and I got replacement benefits in 5 days instead of weeks.

IMPORTANT: Request EMERGENCY REPLACEMENT BENEFITS while your claim is being processed! Many people don't know this, but if you have less than a certain amount in your account, you can request emergency benefits that they'll load onto your new card right away. You need to specifically ask for this though - they won't offer it. Tell them you have children in the household who need to eat. Also, if it's been more than 10 days, contact your county supervisor's office. They can often push things through faster. The standard timeline is supposed to be 10 business days, but I've seen cases that took 30+ days without intervention.

had this happen 2x already this year...its gotten so bad. now i just transfer my benfeits to my other account as soon as they hit so theirs nothing to steal. wish theyd fix this problem but they dont care about us

UPDATE: I wanted to follow everyone's advice here. I filed the CF 303 form online through BenefitsCal and used Claimyr to get through to a real person at my county office. The worker was super helpful and processed an emergency replacement for 60% of my benefits that will be available when my new card arrives in a few days. The rest will be replaced after the investigation, which she said typically takes 10 business days. Thank you all for your help! This forum literally saved my family from going hungry.