CalWORKs EBT theft - filed report May 1st but still no replacement cash aid while others getting theirs?

They just sent min back 2 days ago and mine was stolen April 29!! its totally random i think. sum countys r faster than others maybe? did she check benefitscal to see if theres any notices or updates??

She's checked BenefitsCal obsessively - nothing there except the confirmation that they received her theft report. Which county was yours in? We're in LA County.

This is unfortunately becoming extremely common with CalWORKs benefits. The timeline for replacement is supposed to be 10 business days after filing a theft report, but many counties are backlogged due to the huge increase in EBT theft cases.A few things your cousin should do immediately:1. Request to speak with a supervisor at her local office - regular workers often can't expedite these cases2. Ask specifically about emergency assistance while waiting for the theft investigation3. Document every call with dates/times and who she spoke with4. Contact her assigned Welfare to Work case worker (if she has one) as they sometimes have more pullThe county-by-county processing differences are frustrating but real. Some counties are processing April thefts while others are still working on March cases. The key is getting someone to flag her case as urgent due to her having children and immediate needs.

Thank you SO much for this detailed advice. I'll pass it all to my cousin. She does have a WTW worker but hadn't thought to contact them about this. Great idea!

OMG this happened to me twice last year!!! The first time took almost 6 WEEKS to get my money back and the second time was like 2 weeks. It's completely random and depends on who processes your claim I think. I was so mad I filed a state hearing request after waiting a month the first time and mysteriously got approved right after lol. Maybe try that?

6 WEEKS?? That's insane! How did you manage for that long? And what's a state hearing request - is that different from the theft report?

I just got mine replaced yesterday and it was stolen April 18th. I think they're working through them in batches but not necessarily in order. My friend had hers stolen in early April and is still waiting.Did your cousin check if there was any unusual activity before the May 1st theft? Sometimes the thieves do small test charges first. Also make sure she changed her PIN and got a completely new card, not just a replacement with the same card number. The county told me they won't replace benefits twice for the same card number.

That's good to know about the card number! She did get a new card but I'll double check if it has a completely new number. And no, there weren't any small charges first - they just emptied the whole account at once at an ATM in a completely different city.

I work for a community organization that assists with benefit issues, and EBT theft cases are unfortunately overwhelming the system right now. The replacement timeframes are all over the place.One thing that might help: CalWORKs does have an immediate need payment option that can provide emergency funds while the theft claim is being processed. Your cousin should specifically ask for an \

I've never heard of the immediate need payment option! That could literally save her from getting evicted. And I'll check out that Claimyr service - she's been trying to get through on the phone for days.

i just looked at that claimyr video and im gonna try it tomorrow! been calling for 3 days straight and keep getting disconnected after waiting foreverrr

The system is totally BROKEN!!! I had my benefits stolen in March and STILL haven't received a replacement. Called 23 times and got 23 different answers. Supervisor promised to call back 2 weeks ago and NOTHING. Meanwhile my kids are hungry and my landlord is threatening eviction. But hey, the county works at their own pace while we SUFFER! The EBT cards are clearly not secure but they keep using the same system. And they investigate us like WE did something wrong when we're the victims!!!!

I'm really sorry you're going through this. It's so unfair. Have you tried reaching out to your county Board of Supervisors? Sometimes their constituent services can help push things along when there are delays like this. It worked for my sister when her case was stuck for weeks.

no i havent tried that yet. how do i even find them?? the whole system is designed to wear u down until u give up i swear

It sounds like they're prioritizing certain cases, but not necessarily in chronological order. My theft happened in early April and was replaced within 2 weeks, but I have custody of my grandchildren and made sure to emphasize that in my report. Your cousin should call and specifically mention she has children and is facing hardship - that might get her case flagged for priority processing.Also make sure she's checking both BenefitsCal AND her physical mail. Sometimes the notices only come one way or the other. And she should ask specifically about \

That's interesting about prioritizing certain cases. My cousin is a single mom and definitely emphasized that in her report, but maybe she needs to call and mention it again. And good point about checking physical mail - she mostly relies on the app so might have missed something.

did she check if it was actually stolen or if it hit her Income Reporting Threshold?? my friend thought her benefits got stolen but it turned out she went over her IRT the month before and they just reduced her cash aid without telling her right away

It was definitely stolen - someone withdrew the entire cash aid amount from an ATM in a city 30 miles away where she's never been. The transaction history shows it clear as day.

Quick update for everyone dealing with CalWORKs EBT theft: The counties are now implementing additional security measures that should help prevent future thefts, including the ability to freeze your benefits remotely through the BenefitsCal app and website. For those still waiting on replacements, the Department of Social Services recently issued guidance to counties to process all outstanding theft claims within 30 days. If your claim has been pending longer than that, you should specifically reference this directive when following up.Also, make sure everyone has switched to the new chip-enabled EBT cards. They're more secure than the old magnetic stripe cards.

I got the new chip card but its still confusing cause some stores have u swipe and some have u insert the chip?? Like which is it supposed to be? And i cant figure out how to freeze benefits in the app, where is that option?

The chip card should always be inserted if the terminal can accept chips. If it asks you to swipe, that's fine, but the chip is more secure when available. To freeze your benefits in the app, go to the EBT Card section, select your card, and you should see a

UPDATE: My cousin finally got through to someone at the county office today! They said her case was

That's great news! So glad she finally got some answers. The immediate need payment should come through quickly to help with the current situation. Make sure she keeps a record of who she spoke with today in case she needs to follow up.

Thanks for updating us! That's interesting about ATM withdrawals being flagged for additional review - makes sense they'd look at those differently than store purchases. Hope she gets the immediate need payment quickly!