How long did your stolen CalFresh EBT benefits take to get reimbursed?

It really depends on your county and how backed up they are. When my benefits were stolen in February, it took exactly 37 days from report to reimbursement. Make sure you've completed the EBT-2259 form completely and accurately - any missing information can delay the process. Also, request an emergency allotment while you wait if your family is struggling. They should be able to issue you at least some emergency benefits within 3 business days if you qualify based on need.

It took almost 5 weeks for me!! i had $430 stolen and they made me jump through so many hoops. kept saying they needed more proof it was actually stolen. like how am i supposed to PROVE someone skimmed my card???

I'm in LA County and it only took 21 days for me, but that was after I escalated to a supervisor. The key is persistence and documentation. Call every week to check on status. Make sure you keep detailed notes of who you speak with and what they tell you. The county workers are overwhelmed right now with a huge increase in EBT theft cases, so squeaky wheel gets the grease unfortunately.

When mine got stolen last month the worker told me 90 days but it only took about 6 weeks. I kept calling everyday which probably didn't help but I was desperate. The most frustrating part is calling and never getting through. I spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected.

The official policy is that valid EBT theft claims should be processed within 30 days, though counties can take up to 90 days in certain circumstances. Make sure you've completed these exact steps to speed things up: 1. File police report (which you've done) 2. Complete form EBT-2259 (Stolen Benefits Claim) 3. Provide transaction history showing the fraudulent transactions 4. Submit signed affidavit that you did not authorize the transactions 5. Ask explicitly about expedited processing due to hardship If you're experiencing food insecurity while waiting, request an appointment with an eligibility worker to discuss emergency supplement options. They can sometimes issue partial emergency benefits while your claim is processed. The timeline is usually: - Initial review: 5-7 business days - Investigation: 10-20 business days - Decision and reimbursement: 5-10 business days So realistically, 30-45 days is the average timeline in 2025.

mine took 67 days and i had to call like every other day!!! its ridiculous how they treat us when its not our fault the card got skimmed

Update: I called this morning and specifically asked about emergency benefits while I wait for the stolen benefits claim to be processed. The worker said I qualify for expedited benefits due to our low bank balance and should receive about half of our normal amount within 3 business days! Thanks everyone for the advice. Will keep you posted on how long the full reimbursement takes.

Quick tip: If your claim isn't resolved within 30 days, you can also file a State Fair Hearing request. You don't need to wait for a denial to request this. Having a hearing pending sometimes speeds up the process because counties don't want to deal with the paperwork of a hearing. Just call the State Fair Hearing number at 1-800-743-8525 and tell them you want to file for a hearing due to excessive delay in processing your stolen benefits claim.