Where will my stolen CalFresh benefit reimbursement appear on my EBT card?

omg this same thing happened to me in january!!! mine got stolen at some store in san francisco (im in oakland) and i reported it too. when they put it back on my card it showed up under "CASH BENEFITS" not the food stamp part. so when u check ur balance on the phone or at the atm youll see two different balances - one for food and one for cash. its weird but ya the cash one can be used for anything, not just food.

To clarify what's happening: Under California's EBT theft reimbursement policy, when CalFresh benefits are stolen electronically, the replacement benefits are issued as cash benefits rather than regular CalFresh food benefits. This is because of how the theft reimbursement regulations were written. When you check your EBT card balance, you'll see two separate balances: 1. Food Benefits (regular CalFresh) 2. Cash Benefits (includes any reimbursed stolen benefits) You can check your balance by: - Calling the number on the back of your EBT card - Using the BenefitsCal mobile app - Checking at an ATM - Visiting the California EBT website The cash benefits can be used like regular money - you can withdraw it at an ATM, get cash back during purchases, or use it directly at a store as a debit card. Unlike regular CalFresh, there are no restrictions on what you can buy with the cash benefits.

I had something similar happen but my caseworker never told me it would be cash benefits! She just said it would be "replaced" and I assumed it would go back as regular food stamps. No wonder I couldn't find the money when I went shopping last week - I was only checking my food stamp balance!!! Going to check the cash balance now. Thanks for posting this question!

Just to add some important info: there are time limits for reporting stolen benefits. You need to report within 10 days of discovering the theft for CalFresh benefits. Also, the state has up to 10 business days to issue the replacement after your claim is approved. One thing to watch for: in rare cases, they might deny reimbursement if they think there was negligence (like sharing your PIN). Make sure to follow up if you don't see the cash benefits posted within 10 business days of claim approval. The county offices are extremely backlogged processing these claims since benefits theft has increased dramatically in 2024-2025. If you need to check on your claim status and can't get through on the regular EBT customer service line, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They've helped me get through to actual CalFresh workers when the regular line keeps disconnecting. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

wait u can use the money for ANYTHING? So even alcohol and stuff the regular CalFresh doesnt cover?? that makes no sense to me why would they make it less restrictive when it's replacement funds

My sister had her benefits stolen TWICE last year and both times they were replaced as cash benefits. Just know that each family is only eligible for reimbursement ONCE for skimming/electronic theft per year now under the new 2025 rules. They changed it because there was so much fraud happening. So make sure you change your PIN and be careful where you use your card!!! ALSO IMPORTANT: When you get the cash benefits, most people don't realize they expire faster than regular CalFresh! Cash benefits expire after 90 days if unused while regular CalFresh benefits stay on your account for a full year. Don't forget to use them!!

Just a suggestion - when you do get your cash benefits, I recommend withdrawing the full amount from an ATM right away. That way if your card gets hacked again, they can't take the replacement money too. I learned this the hard way when I got reimbursed and then had THOSE benefits stolen again two weeks later. The second time, they wouldn't replace them because of the once-per-year rule.

This thread has been super helpful! I just wanted to add that when you're checking your balance, make sure you're listening carefully to the automated message or looking closely at the app/website display. The cash benefits section might be listed second or at the bottom, so don't hang up or close the app too quickly thinking your reimbursement didn't come through. Also, I work at a grocery store and see this happening A LOT lately. One thing that might help prevent future theft - try to use your card at stores that have those newer chip readers where you insert the card instead of swiping. The older swipe machines are way easier for scammers to put skimmers on. Stay safe everyone!

Just want to echo what everyone else has said - this exact same thing happened to me back in November and I was SO confused when I couldn't find the replacement money in my regular food benefits! Like others mentioned, it definitely shows up as "Cash Benefits" when you check your balance. One small tip that helped me: when I called the EBT customer service line to check my balance, I had to listen through the ENTIRE automated message because they list the cash benefits balance after the food benefits balance. The first time I called I hung up thinking the money wasn't there yet because I only heard my regular CalFresh balance. Also want to second what Rajiv said about the 90-day expiration - I almost lost some of mine because I forgot about that rule! The regular CalFresh benefits last so much longer that I wasn't thinking about using the cash benefits quickly. Good luck and hope you get your money back soon!

This is such valuable information - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! I'm new to this community and haven't had to deal with stolen benefits before, but reading through all these responses makes me feel much more prepared in case it ever happens to me. A couple questions based on what I've read: When you withdraw the cash benefits from an ATM, are there any fees like with regular bank withdrawals? And does anyone know if you can use the cash benefits portion to pay bills online or does it only work for in-person purchases and ATM withdrawals? Also wanted to say how helpful it is that people mentioned specific details like listening to the full automated message and the 90-day expiration rule - those are the kinds of important details that caseworkers sometimes forget to mention but can make a huge difference!