CalWORKs Cash Aid stolen while visiting another county - urgent replacement steps?
I'm in a complete panic right now. I withdrew my CalWORKs Cash Aid this morning (about $1,138) from an ATM, and then got robbed at a bus stop in Sacramento County - I live in Alameda County. I've been trying to report this to the Sacramento Sheriff for the last 4 hours but keep getting disconnected or put on endless hold. I also tried calling my CalWORKs worker in Alameda County but couldn't get through either. Has anyone dealt with Cash Aid theft in a different county? Do I need to file the police report where it happened or can I do it in my home county? Will CalWORKs even replace stolen cash? I have 3 kids and rent is due next week - I'm absolutely desperate.
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Alfredo Lugo
I'm so sorry that happened to you! You need to report this to both the police department where it happened AND your home county CalWORKs office. Last year my cash aid got stolen (from my wallet, not another county situation) and CDSS has a special form for requesting replacement benefits when theft occurs. I think it's called the "CW 2216" form for cash aid theft. You need a police report number to even start the process. Did you at least file an online report with Sacramento Sheriff? Some counties let you do that if you can't get through by phone.
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Gianna Scott
•Thanks for the info about the form! I didn't know about filing an online report - I'll check if Sacramento has that option. Did you actually get your benefits replaced when it happened to you? I keep hearing different things about whether they'll replace stolen cash.
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Sydney Torres
omg that is terrible!!! the same exact thing happened to my cousin last yr when she went to visit family in Fresno!!! she had to go physically to the actual police station in that city to file report bcuz nobody answered phones there either. then she had to send that report to her worker. it took like 3 weeks to get replacement $$ tho so hope u have backup plan for rent
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Gianna Scott
•3 weeks??? I don't have a backup plan, I was counting on this money for rent. Did your cousin have to go back to the county where it happened multiple times or just for the initial report?
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
I work with benefit advocacy cases, and I can provide some accurate information here. For CalWORKs cash theft replacement, you need to: 1. File a police report in the jurisdiction where the theft occurred (Sacramento County) 2. Complete a CW 2216 form ("Request for Replacement of Cash Aid") 3. Submit both to your home county (Alameda) CalWORKs office within 30 days of the theft You must have verification that you accessed the exact amount that was stolen (ATM receipt would be ideal). The rules for cash replacement were updated in 2022 - they will now replace up to one month's benefits if you have proper documentation. The catch is you need that police report number. For immediate help with rent while waiting for replacement, ask your worker about Emergency Assistance funds.
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Gianna Scott
•Thank you for the detailed steps. I do have my ATM receipt showing I took out the full amount this morning. But my worker never answers or returns calls. I've left 3 messages already. Do I need to physically go to the Alameda office to get this form and submit it?
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Caleb Bell
can't u just file police report in ur home county? seems weird ud have to go all the way back to where it happened especally if u dont have money for bus now
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
•Unfortunately, you must file the police report in the jurisdiction where the crime occurred. However, many departments now offer online reporting options for theft when the suspect is unknown. Sacramento Sheriff's Department has an online reporting system on their website for non-emergency reports. The report needs to specifically match the location where the theft took place for it to be valid for your CalWORKs replacement request.
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Danielle Campbell
when my purse got snatched with my cash aid last year, I tried for TWO DAYS to reach my worker and couldn't get through at all!!! THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US!!! they make it IMPOSSIBLE to talk to anyone when u actually need help!!! I ended up having to physically go wait in the welfare office for 5 HOURS with my kids just to talk to someone about the theft paperwork!!! absolutely RIDICULOUS!!!! 😡😡😡
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Rhett Bowman
•I had a similar frustrating experience trying to reach my worker about cash aid theft. I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at my county office within 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You might want to check out their video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE - it saved me so much stress when I needed to talk to someone urgently about my benefits. Their website is claimyr.com if you're interested. It was honestly the only way I could actually reach a human being.
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Abigail Patel
So sorry about what happened to you. One important thing - when you file the police report, make sure they give you the actual case number before you leave (or get it from the online system). When I had an issue, the replacement request got delayed by 2 weeks because I didn't have the actual police report case number on my form. Also, check if Sacramento Sheriff has a non-emergency line that might be easier to get through on than their main number. The CalWORKs office should be able to give you emergency help while you're waiting for the replacement funds to come through - specifically ask about immediate need funding.
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Gianna Scott
•Thank you for the tips! I'll definitely make sure to get the case number. I've been calling the non-emergency line but it just rings forever or disconnects me. I guess I need to try the online reporting option.
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Sydney Torres
the online reporting thing worked for my friend! just make sure u print out everything when ur done and save any confirmation emails they send u
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Alfredo Lugo
Did you try going through BenefitsCal to contact your worker? Sometimes they respond faster to messages there than phone calls. Also, I recommend calling right when the office opens in the morning - that's when I finally got through to someone about my replacement.
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Gianna Scott
•I didn't think about using BenefitsCal! I'll try sending a message there too. And good tip about calling first thing - I'll set an alarm for tomorrow morning.
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Rhett Bowman
After reading everything here, I actually used Claimyr yesterday to reach Sacramento Sheriff's department (had an unrelated issue). Got through in about 12 minutes after trying on my own for over an hour with no luck. Just sharing in case that helps with the police report part. For what it's worth, when I had benefits stolen last year, I DID eventually get them replaced but it took about 18 days total. The hardest part was getting the police report.
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Gianna Scott
•18 days is better than never, I guess. Thanks for the suggestion about Claimyr - at this point I'm willing to try anything to reach someone.
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Daniel White
wat i dont get is why u took out all ur money at once??? thats kinda on u tbh. not tryna be mean but i always take mine out in small amounts for this exact reason
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Gianna Scott
•I needed it all for rent which was due soon. I don't normally withdraw it all at once, but I was in Sacramento visiting my sister who's been sick and needed to pay rent as soon as I got back. Not really helpful to blame me when I'm already stressed about this situation.
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Abigail Patel
•That comment wasn't helpful. Many families need their full benefit amount for essential expenses like rent. The important thing now is getting through the replacement process properly. Focus on getting that police report number and submitting the CW 2216 form with your ATM receipt to your home county as quickly as possible.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
I want to add one more important detail: when submitting your CW 2216 form, you'll need to sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury. Be 100% accurate about all details (time, place, amount, circumstances). Any discrepancies between your statement and the police report could result in denial. Also, while you're waiting for replacement, ask specifically about these emergency options: 1. Immediate Need payment (one-time emergency payment) 2. Homeless Assistance if you're at risk of eviction 3. Emergency food referrals through CalFresh Document every call attempt you make (date, time, number called). This might help if there are delays in processing your replacement request.
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Gianna Scott
•Thank you, I'll be very careful about all the details matching up. I'm going to try the online police report tonight and then call my worker first thing tomorrow. I appreciate everyone's help with this nightmare situation.
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