CalWORKs Cash Aid stolen from BofA EBT card - need emergency help for rent!

This happened to me in January! It took almost 3 weeks to get my $ back from BofA. Go to your county office in person TOMORROW with your police report and BofA claim # and ask for emergency assistance. They can sometimes give you emergency funds while ur claim is pending. Good luck

You need to request an Immediate Need payment for your stolen Cash Aid. This is separate from the BofA claim process. Take these steps right away: 1. File a police report - this is required for most EBT theft claims now 2. Get a copy of the BofA claim confirmation 3. Go in person to your county CalWORKs office with both documents 4. Ask specifically for an "Immediate Need" payment due to benefit theft 5. Explain that you're at risk of eviction The county can issue a replacement payment while your BofA investigation is pending. This is covered under MPP Section 44-304 for emergency situations. Make sure you're also applying for Homeless Assistance if you're at risk of eviction - you may qualify even if you're not homeless yet.

I dealt with this exact situation last summer. BofA will eventually refund the stolen money but their timeframe is way too slow when you have bills due. Bring these documents to your county office: - Your ID - BofA claim confirmation - Police report - Copy of your lease - Any eviction notice if you have one - Rent receipt history Be prepared to wait all day at the office. The most frustrating part for me was getting hung up on repeatedly when trying to reach my worker. I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual CalWORKs worker in under 5 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Once I spoke to my worker, I explained the emergency and she processed my Immediate Need payment that same day. The money was available the next business day.

Have you contacted BofA's EBT fraud department? Their number is 855-328-6551. Sometimes they work faster if you keep calling them for updates. My roomate had her CalWORKs money stolen 2 months ago and it took 10 business days to get it back but she was calling them EVERY DAY. persistence helps!!!

The county wont help u!!! same thing happened to me TWICE and they said it was my fault for not protecting my pin better. they said i had to wait for bofa to decide. took over a month!! government doesnt care if u and ur kid end up homeless

This almost happened to me once but I caught the skimmer on the ATM before I put my card in! Now I only use the ATM inside the actual bank building. Have you tried applying for homeless assistance? Even if you're not homeless yet, you might qualify for temporary rental assistance if you're at risk of eviction. It's a separate program from regular CalWORKs and you can get help with back rent. Just make sure you apply BEFORE you get evicted!

Just to follow up since several people have asked - the Immediate Need payment is covered under CalWORKs regulations for emergency situations. The county should provide this while your theft claim is being processed. It's not a loan - it's an advancement of benefits you're already eligible for. Also, Bank of America is required to complete EBT theft investigations within 10 business days according to state regulations, but they often take longer. If you don't receive a determination by day 10, call the California EBT Customer Service Center (877-328-9677) and file a complaint. Keep all documentation of the theft and your claim. If the county tries to count this emergency payment against your future benefits or time limits, you have grounds for appeal.

i tried that claimyr thing someone mentioned after seeing it here and it actually worked! i was shocked lol. got through to my worker in like 3 min when i had been trying for days. they're not free but worth it when ur dealing with an emergency and need to talk to someone NOW

UPDATE: I went to the county office today with all my documents. The worker said I qualified for Immediate Need due to the theft and processed a payment for me! Should have the money by tomorrow morning. They're also helping me apply for Homeless Assistance as a backup plan. Thank you all SO MUCH for your advice. I'll definitely use Claimyr next time I need to call instead of waiting for hours. Still waiting on BofA but at least I won't be evicted now!