CalWORKs benefit theft replacement money not showing up on EBT card - was told it was issued

this happened to me in january!!! the letter said replaced but took another WEEK to actually show up. the county tells u one thing but the eft ppl do another. dont panic yet

The replacement process for stolen CalWORKs benefits has two stages that often confuse people. First, they approve the replacement (that's your letter), then it takes 3-5 business days for funds to actually load to your card. However, I've seen many cases where the county marks it as 'replaced' in their system but the actual transfer to the EBT processor takes longer. You should definitely call your caseworker directly to confirm the exact date the funds were sent to the EBT system. If they say it was already processed, ask for the transaction number and then call the EBT customer service with that specific information. Also, when benefits are replaced after theft, they sometimes appear as a separate deposit rather than just adding to your regular balance, so check your transaction history carefully for any new deposits.

The same thing happened with my calfresh benefits last month! But mine were replaced in 2 days. Did you make sure to check if its under a different account? Sometimes they create a new account for the replacement benefits i think.

I've been through this nightmare with stolen benefits twice in the past year. The system is completely broken and they make it nearly impossible to actually get your money back even after they "approve" the replacement. The letter is meaningless - my last replacement took THREE WEEKS after I got the approval letter. And every time I called the county they just said "it's processing" and the EBT people said "we don't see any pending deposits." Meanwhile my kids needed diapers and we had no money for gas. Your best bet is to physically go to the office and refuse to leave until they can show you proof the money was actually transmitted to the EBT system. They'll suddenly be able to "fix the issue" when you're sitting there in person.

i had my benefits stole last year too and they never even replaced mine. they said i waited too long to report it (it was 4 days). make sure u keep calling them everyday

I work at a community legal aid office, and we see this issue pretty frequently with EBT theft replacements. Here's what's likely happening: the county has approved your replacement in their system, but there was a delay in the file they send to the EBT card processor. Calling your caseworker directly is the right step, but as you're experiencing, getting through can be nearly impossible. Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that helps you get through to CalWORKs workers much faster. The system calls and waits on hold for you, then calls your phone when a real person answers. I've referred several clients to it and they've had good experiences. They have a quick video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE or you can check out claimyr.com If you can't get through by phone by tomorrow, then yes, going to the office in person is your best option. Bring your approval letter and ask to speak with a supervisor if needed.

yeah my sister used that claimyr thing last month when her benefits got cut off. she said it worked to get thru but she still had to wait like 20 mins but better than the 2 hours she waited before

There are some important technical details about benefit theft replacement that might help you understand what's happening: 1. When CalWORKs approves a theft replacement, the county must submit form 271 to CDSS (California Dept of Social Services) for the replacement authorization 2. After CDSS approval, it gets sent to the EBT card processor (FIS) through a batch file process 3. Batch files are typically only processed on business days 4. The replacement will be issued as a separate transaction in your EBT history labeled "ADMIN ACTION" or sometimes "BENEFIT REPLACEMENT" 5. You have the right to request an emergency replacement if you're facing imminent hardship (like eviction or utility shutoff) I recommend calling your county's EBT customer service number (not the general EBT number) and specifically asking about the status of your form 271 replacement. They should be able to tell you exactly where in the process your replacement is stuck. If that doesn't work, you can also contact the state EBT customer service centers directly at one of these numbers: - Northern California: (877) 328-9677 - Southern California: (877) 328-9677 Specifically ask for a supervisor who can check the EPPIC system for pending administrative actions.

UPDATE: I went to the office this morning and waited for 3 hours, but finally got to speak with a supervisor. Turns out they approved my replacement but there was some kind of "system error" when it was supposed to transfer to my EBT card. They had to manually reprocess it and promised the money would be on my card within 24 hours. The supervisor gave me her direct number to call if it doesn't show up by tomorrow. I asked why nobody told me about this error when I called before, and she just shrugged and said the regular workers probably couldn't see that note in the system. So frustrating! Will update tomorrow if the money actually shows up.

This is exactly why I always tell people to go to the office in person when dealing with EBT theft replacements! The phone system is completely useless and the front desk workers often can't see the full picture of what's happening with your case. I'm glad you got a supervisor who could actually identify the system error - that's probably what was causing the delay for everyone else too. Definitely keep that supervisor's direct number handy for future issues. And once your money shows up, I'd recommend taking screenshots of your EBT balance and transaction history just in case there are any other "system errors" down the line. Hope it all works out by tomorrow! 🤞