Switching from BofA EBT card issues - need better bank for CalFresh deposits?

I understand ur frustration with BofA, but unfortunately u cant choose a different bank for CalFresh. All CalFresh EBT cards in California are through Bank of America - its a state contract thing. Its not like u can just switch to Chase or whatever. But u should DEFINITELY get those stolen benefits back eventually! Keep calling ur county worker about the 'benefit replacement' process.

I work with CalFresh recipients, and I need to clarify something important: Your CalFresh EBT card is not actually a Bank of America account in the traditional sense. While BofA does administer the EBT system in California, you don't have a choice of banks for your benefits. The state contracts with BofA to manage the EBT system. For your skimming situation, you should be eligible for benefit replacement if you reported the theft within 10 days. Your county office should process a "statement of stolen benefits" form. If they're not responding, ask specifically for a supervisor or the EBT coordinator at your county office. The replacement can take up to 10 business days once approved. In the meantime, you can request emergency CalFresh if you have no food. They should process that within 3 days if you qualify.

This happened to me last year too!!!! BofA is THE WORST with these EBT cards. I had $578 stolen and it took me almost TWO MONTHS to get replacement benefits. Keep calling your worker EVERY DAY until they fix it. And make sure you change your PIN number like every month. That's what I do now and haven't had problems since.

I completely understand your frustration with the BofA EBT system. Unfortunately, as others mentioned, you can't switch banks for CalFresh since California has a state contract with Bank of America for all EBT services. However, I can offer a practical solution for reaching your county worker about the benefit replacement. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that helps you skip the phone queues when calling government agencies like CalFresh. Instead of waiting on hold for hours, they'll call and wait on your behalf, then connect you once a real person answers. I used it to get through to my county office after trying for days with no success. You can check out their site at claimyr.com and see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 As for protecting your benefits in the future, I recommend: 1. Change your PIN immediately after each deposit 2. Only use ATMs at major grocery stores, not standalone ones 3. Check your balance frequently through the app 4. Never share your PIN with anyone

Bank of America is terrible for everything not just EBT lol. They closed my regular checking account for no reason last year and it was a NIGHTMARE. But yeah for CalFresh your stuck with them sadly

Have you tried going IN PERSON to your county office instead of calling? That's what I had to do when my benefits didn't load correctly. Took 3 hours of waiting but at least I got it fixed same day. Bring your ID, EBT card, and any notices you've received about your CalFresh. Also bring your police report if you filed one for the card skimming. The in-person workers can sometimes process things faster than phone workers.

its rlly stupid we cant choose our own banks 4 benefits i mean its OUR money right?? sorry bout ur card gettin stolen thats happened to me 2x already this year! now i transfer my calfresh to my cashapp as soon as it hits my EBT. u cant do that with ALL benefits but works for some

Update: I finally got through to someone at the county office! They're processing my replacement benefits now and said I should get them within 10 days. They also told me to file a police report for the card skimming if I haven't already (I didn't know I needed to do that). For anyone else dealing with this - keep calling and specifically ask for the "EBT Coordinator" or a supervisor. Thanks everyone for the advice!