CalWORKs EBT card completely drained - stolen benefits right before rent due. How long for replacement?

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I went through something similar in December when someone skimmed my EBT card at a sketchy ATM. Here's what you need to do: 1. Good job canceling the card right away, that was the right first step 2. On Monday, call the county and report the theft - they'll have you fill out a "Benefit Theft Report" form 3. You DO need to file a police report and provide the report number to the county 4. Ask for expedited replacement of both your card AND benefits In my case, it took about 7 days to get the Cash Aid replaced after I submitted all the paperwork. For the immediate crisis, call 211 and ask about emergency rental assistance. Also check with local food banks for the weekend until you can get your new EBT card and access your CalFresh benefits. The county should replace your benefits if you can show it wasn't you who used them. Check your EBT transaction history online or when you call - note any transactions you didn't make to report them.

omg the SAME EXACT THING jst happnd to my sister last month!! did u use ur card at the gas station on 5th street?? theres a skimmer there thats been stealing everyones info. she had to wait 2 weeks to get her $ back and the landlord was NOT happy. theres a diaper bank at the community church on elm if u need emergency diapers they helped her out

I work with benefit theft cases and here's what you need to know about the process: 1. When you call on Monday, specifically request a "Cash Aid Theft Replacement" - this is different from regular EBT card replacement 2. California has a specific timeline for these cases: - They must take your statement within 3 business days - They should issue a replacement in 5-10 business days once all documentation is received - You can request an emergency replacement if you explain your rent situation 3. Documentation you'll need: - Police report (call non-emergency line to file this before Monday) - Your EBT transaction history showing the fraudulent transactions - A signed affidavit declaring you didn't authorize the transactions 4. For your immediate needs, also contact your WTW caseworker on Monday and explain the situation - they sometimes have access to emergency funds for situations like this. The good news is that California is actually pretty good about replacing stolen benefits if you follow all these steps correctly.

The same thing happened to me last year and I NEVER got my money back!!!!! The county said I couldn't prove I didn't spend it myself even though I TOLD THEM it was stolen. They just dont care about us. I had to borrow money from everyone I knew and it took months to pay back. The system is designed to keep us broke and desperate. Good luck but don't get your hopes up.

If you need to reach someone at the county before Monday, I highly recommend using Claimyr. I was in a similar emergency situation last month and couldn't get through on the regular line. Claimyr got me connected to a real CalWORKs worker in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They can help with emergency benefit replacement in some cases, even outside regular hours. Check out their demo video here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE and their website is claimyr.com. It was seriously a lifesaver when I needed to talk to someone urgently about my benefits.

I thought I had my benefits stolen last year but it turned out my teenager had taken my card and withdrawn cash without telling me 🤦‍♀️ Not saying that's what happened to you! Just make sure you check with everyone in your household before filing fraud paperwork because they take false reports really seriously. But if it was definitely stolen, make sure to ask for "immediate need" assistance when you call. That's the magic phrase that can get things moving faster. They can sometimes issue emergency funds while they investigate the theft. Also important - change your PIN number on the new card and NEVER share it with anyone, not even family members.

I used Claimyr on a Friday evening once and yes, they connected me to the after-hours emergency services for CalWORKs! They can't solve everything on weekends, but emergency benefit theft actually does qualify for urgent response in many counties. It depends on your county though. When I used it, I got through to someone who could flag my account for urgent review first thing Monday morning, which meant I got help immediately when the offices opened instead of waiting all day. They also issued a temporary emergency voucher that I could use at certain stores until my new card arrived.

One more thing I forgot to mention - while you're waiting for your Cash Aid to be replaced, make sure to call your landlord ASAP and explain the situation. Ask if they can give you a few days extension without late fees. Some landlords will work with you if you're proactive about communicating the problem. Also, bring a printout of your EBT transaction history showing the suspicious transactions when you meet with your worker on Monday. The more documentation you have, the faster they can process your claim. And definitely mention your immediate need for rent money - they can sometimes process emergency assistance within 3 business days for housing emergencies.