EBT theft victims - how long until CalFresh benefits are replaced?

I went through this in December. Make sure you've done these three things: 1. File police report (sounds like you did) 2. Report to EBT customer service (you did this) 3. Submit the EBT-2259 form to your county office - THIS IS CRITICAL They won't process your replacement until they have that form. In my case it took about 10 days after submitting the form to get my benefits back. They replaced the full amount, but I had to follow up multiple times. Keep copies of EVERYTHING.

This happened to me in January!!! They stole $812 from my card overnight. It's a NIGHTMARE getting thru to anyone. I was on hold with the county for 3+ hours and then got disconnected TWICE. Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that called for me and got me connected to an actual person at the county. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Once I finally talked to someone, they told me I needed to fill out the claim form (like the other person mentioned) AND provide additional verification. Took about 2 weeks to get my benefits back but they did replace everything.

my sister had her ebt stolen too they never gave her money back said she must have given someone her PIN which is BULLSH*T!!! she never gave anyone her pin the system is rigged against us

i got mine back in like 8 days but my friend waited almost a month depend on your county i think alameda is better than LA county from what i heard

Under California state policy updated in 2025, counties must process EBT theft claims within 10 business days of receiving a completed claim form. The key requirements are: 1. File police report within 5 days of discovering theft 2. Report to EBT customer service within 5 days 3. Submit EBT-2259 form to county office with all documentation 4. Maintain copy of claim number and all documentation If you're in emergency need, request an expedited replacement by telling your worker you have no food. They can issue emergency benefits while your claim is processed. For security going forward, remember to change your PIN immediately after each benefit deposit and avoid using your card at ATMs – use it only at store checkout terminals.

Just wanted to add that if you have kids, make sure to tell the worker that you need emergency food assistance. Counties can provide emergency CalFresh replacement in 3 days or less for households with children who have no food. Be very clear that you have no food and no money to buy food. They should also tell you about local food banks that can help immediately.

my nephew works for the county and he says theyre getting SLAMMED with EBT theft claims right now. like hundreds every week!!! he says to make sure u answer your phone if they call u for more info cuz if they cant reach u they just put ur claim aside

hey random question but did u load ur whole monthly benefit on ur card at once? i always transfer mine to my other account right away in smaller amounts so if i get skimmed they only get part of it... just a tip for the future

UPDATE: I finally got through to my county worker! The EBT-2259 form wasn't on their website but the worker emailed it to me. I filled it out and submitted it along with the police report. They said I should get emergency replacement benefits within 3 business days since I have kids, then the full claim will be processed in 7-10 days. Thank you all for the advice - especially about mentioning the emergency situation with my kids. Will update again when I get the benefits back.

One more tip - when this happened to me, I started using the BenefitsCal app's "freeze card" feature. You can instantly freeze your EBT card after you use it each time, then unfreeze it only when you're at the store and ready to use it again. It's inconvenient but better than getting all your benefits stolen again.