UFCW Local 7 Data Breach Settlement 2026, Claim $50 Cash or Up to $3,075 Before December 14

Nearly 56,000 people whose personal information may have been exposed in a December 2024 cybersecurity incident at United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7 (UFCW Local 7) can now submit claims for cash compensation and identity protection under a proposed class action settlement.

Eligible people may request a $50 alternative cash payment without documenting any financial loss, or seek up to $3,000 for qualifying documented losses plus $75 for time spent dealing with the incident. Class members can also request two years of free credit monitoring with up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage.

The settlement resolves Kathy Linneman, et al. v. United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7, Case No. 2025CV31569, in the District Court of Jefferson County, Colorado. The court granted preliminary approval on September 15, 2026.

The deadline to submit a claim, request exclusion or object is December 14, 2026. The final approval hearing is set for January 13, 2027.

UFCW Local 7 denies wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled on the merits of the claims. The parties settled to resolve the case and provide benefits to class members. Payments remain subject to final court approval.

UFCW Local 7 Settlement: Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Settlement	UFCW Local 7 Data Breach Settlement
Case	Linneman v. United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7
Case number	2025CV31569
Court	District Court of Jefferson County, Colorado
Judge	Ryan P. Loewer
Defendant	United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7
Data incident	Discovered on or around December 11, 2024
People potentially affected	Approximately 55,900
Alternative cash payment	$50
Documented losses	Up to $3,000
Lost-time reimbursement	Up to $75
Maximum combined loss and time benefits	Up to $3,075
Credit monitoring	Two years, one-bureau monitoring
Identity theft insurance	Up to $1 million in coverage
Overall cap on class member benefits	None stated
Preliminary approval	September 15, 2026
Claim deadline	December 14, 2026
Opt-out deadline	December 14, 2026
Objection deadline	December 14, 2026
Final approval hearing	January 13, 2027, at 3 p.m. Mountain
Administrator	CPT Group Inc.
Official website	ufcw7datasettlement.com

Who Qualifies for the UFCW Local 7 Data Breach Settlement?

According to the court-approved preliminary settlement order, the settlement class includes:

All living individuals residing in the United States whose private information may have been affected by the December 2024 UFCW Local 7 data incident.

The union began sending notification letters around September 22, 2025. If you received one of those notices about the incident, you are generally included in the class.

Excluded are the union’s directors and officers, governmental entities, the judge and certain court staff, and anyone who validly opts out.

Do you have to be a current UFCW Local 7 member?

Not necessarily. The settlement concerns potential exposure of private information, not current employment or active membership. Former members and others whose information was in the affected records may qualify if they meet the court-approved definition.

Can people outside Colorado qualify?

Yes. UFCW Local 7 represents workers in Colorado and Wyoming, but the class is not limited to those states. It covers qualifying people living anywhere in the United States.

What if you never received a settlement notice?

Contact CPT Group to find out whether your information appears in the settlement records.

Phone: 1-888-261-1463

Email: [email protected]

Receiving a breach notice is a strong sign of eligibility, but the administrator should resolve questions about individual records.

How Much Money Can You Receive?

The settlement offers three types of monetary benefit plus credit monitoring.

Benefit	Maximum payment	Proof needed?
Alternative cash payment	$50	No loss receipts
Documented fraud or identity theft losses	$3,000	Yes
Lost time responding to the breach	$75	Description and attestation
Two years of credit monitoring	Included	No financial-loss receipts

Class members can claim documented losses and lost time together, for a potential total of up to $3,075. Or they can choose the $50 cash payment instead.

The $50 alternative payment cannot be combined with documented losses or lost-time reimbursement. Credit monitoring can be added to either option.

These benefits are paid by or on behalf of the defendant. According to the notice, there is no overall cap on valid claims for class member benefits, so payments are not described as shrinking if many people claim.

Option 1: Claim $50 Cash Without Receipts

Eligible class members who didn’t suffer financial losses can request the alternative cash payment of $50. No receipts or proof of identity theft are required. You still have to give the required identifying information and submit a valid claim form. The $50 payment replaces the documented-loss and lost-time options.

Option 2: Claim Up to $3,000 in Documented Losses

Class members who had qualifying fraud or identity theft can ask for reimbursement of up to $3,000. The losses must:

• Result from fraud or identity theft connected to the data incident
• Occur after the incident and before the claim deadline
• Be actual, documented and unreimbursed
• Be fairly traceable to the unauthorized access
• Remain unpaid despite reasonable efforts to avoid or recover the loss

Examples of reasonable out-of-pocket costs include fees for credit reports, credit monitoring or replacing IDs. Supporting evidence can include bank statements, credit card statements, invoices, receipts and telephone records. Personal statements alone are not enough, although they can help explain other documents. Losses already reimbursed by a bank, insurer or another source cannot be reimbursed again.

What if your documented-loss claim is rejected?

The agreement has a fallback. If the administrator rejects a documented-loss claim because the proof is missing or insufficient, and you don’t fix the problem, the claim may be treated as a request for the $50 alternative cash payment. You still have to submit a valid claim in the first place.

Option 3: Claim Up to $75 for Lost Time

Class members who spent time dealing with problems from the incident can claim $25 per hour for up to three hours.

Time spent	Potential payment
1 hour	$25
2 hours	$50
3 hours	$75

Relevant activities can include reviewing financial statements, checking credit reports, contacting financial institutions or dealing with possible identity theft. You must describe the time spent and attest that it was related to the incident. The claim form tells applicants to round up to the nearest hour when choosing a time category.

Can you receive $3,000 and $75 together?

Yes. The settlement allows documented-loss reimbursement and lost-time compensation together, so a qualifying person could receive up to $3,075, plus credit monitoring. Those are maximums, not guaranteed payments.

How to Submit a UFCW Local 7 Settlement Claim

Claims must be submitted by December 14, 2026.

Step 1: Visit the official claim website

https://www.ufcw7datasettlement.com/Login

Step 2: Enter your CPT ID and passcode

The online form needs the CPT ID and passcode printed on your settlement notice. If you can’t find them, email [email protected].

Step 3: Select your settlement benefits

Choose either the $50 alternative cash payment, or documented-loss and/or lost-time reimbursement. You may also choose two years of credit monitoring.

Step 4: Upload documents if necessary

If you are requesting documented-loss reimbursement, upload records showing the loss and its link to the incident. No financial-loss receipts are needed for the $50 option.

Step 5: Select a payment method

Online claimants can choose an electronic payment option. Paper claimants receive approved payments by check.

Step 6: Submit before the deadline

Online claims must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 14, 2026. Keep your confirmation.

Can You File a Paper Claim?

Yes. Download the official printable claim form, complete and sign it, attach any required documents and mail it to:

Linneman v. United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7 c/o CPT Group Inc. P.O. Box 19504 Irvine, CA 92623

Mailed claims must be postmarked by December 14, 2026. You can also call CPT Group at 1-888-261-1463 to ask for a paper form.

What Does the Free Credit Monitoring Include?

Eligible class members can request two years of one-bureau credit monitoring. According to the settlement notice, the benefit includes:

• Credit monitoring
• Dark web monitoring
• Real-time authentication alerts
• High-risk transaction monitoring
• Lost wallet protection
• Identity theft insurance of up to $1 million

The $1 million figure is insurance coverage, not a cash settlement payment. The monitoring is meant to help you spot and respond to suspicious activity. Enrollment instructions come after the settlement receives final approval, and you need a valid claim to receive the benefit.

For another settlement that pairs credit monitoring with cash compensation, see Lowe Engineers Data Breach Settlement, $50 Cash or Up to $5,500 in Documented Losses, Plus Two Years of Credit Monitoring.

What Happened in the UFCW Local 7 Data Breach?

According to the settlement agreement and the union’s September 2025 notification letter, unauthorized activity on UFCW Local 7’s computer network occurred around December 10 to 11, 2024. The union discovered suspicious activity on December 11 and began an investigation. It concluded that an unauthorized party may have accessed or acquired files containing personal information. The union secured the affected systems, brought in cybersecurity professionals and reviewed the potentially exposed records.

What personal information was exposed?

A sample breach notice dated September 22, 2025, says the affected files contained people’s first and last names and Social Security numbers. What was involved may differ by recipient. The settlement agreement identifies approximately 55,900 potentially affected people.

When were affected people notified?

The union finished reviewing the affected data around August 21, 2025, and began sending notices about a month later, on September 22. The notices told recipients about the incident and offered complimentary identity protection. Those original notices offered 12 months of monitoring through Cyberscout. The class settlement separately provides two years of credit monitoring for eligible claimants who ask for it.

Why Was UFCW Local 7 Sued?

After the breach notices went out, affected people filed lawsuits alleging the union failed to adequately protect the sensitive information it collected and kept. The consolidated case names five plaintiffs:

• Kathy Linneman
• Tom Jaramillo
• Gerisue Hancock
• Zackary Lewis
• Lance Heath

The plaintiffs alleged negligence, negligence per se, unjust enrichment and breach of implied contract. They argued that reasonable data-security precautions could have lowered the risk of unauthorized access and that affected people faced financial and identity-theft risks. UFCW Local 7 denies wrongdoing.

What happened in court?

The plaintiffs first filed separate lawsuits in federal and Colorado state courts between September 25 and October 2, 2025. They combined their allegations in an amended complaint filed on November 14, 2025, in Jefferson County District Court. On January 5, 2026, UFCW Local 7 moved to dismiss the claims. The court denied the motion on March 4, so the lawsuit continued. The parties went to mediation on May 20, 2026, and agreed on the material settlement terms.

Denying the motion to dismiss was not a finding that the union was legally responsible for the breach. The parties agreed to settle without a trial determination of liability.

What Laws Apply to a Case Like This?

No single federal law covers every data breach, so cases like this rest on state law and general legal theories. These are the rules that matter most here.

• Colorado’s data breach law. Colorado Revised Statutes § 6-1-716 requires entities that maintain personal information to notify affected Colorado residents of a breach, generally within 30 days after determining that a breach occurred, and to notify the Colorado Attorney General when 500 or more Colorado residents are affected. C.R.S. § 6-1-713.5 requires reasonable security procedures for personal information, and § 6-1-713 covers disposal of personal identifying information. The Attorney General enforces these rules. Whether a particular union falls under them is a legal question this settlement does not decide.
• Wyoming’s breach law. UFCW Local 7 also represents workers in Wyoming, whose breach-notification statute (Wyo. Stat. § 40-12-501 et seq.) may apply to Wyoming residents.
• Colorado Consumer Protection Act. C.R.S. § 6-1-101 et seq. bars deceptive trade practices and allows private suits in some circumstances. It is often pleaded in data breach cases.
• Class actions in Colorado courts. The case is governed by Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 23, which covers class certification and notice to the class and requires court approval of a class settlement after the court finds it fair, reasonable and adequate. That is the purpose of the January 13, 2027 hearing.
• Negligence per se and the FTC Act. The negligence per se claim generally relies on a statute, such as Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. § 45), as a standard of conduct. Whether a given statute can support that theory in a data breach case is a contested legal question.
• Economic loss rule. Colorado’s economic loss rule (see Town of Alma v. AZCO Construction, Inc., 10 P.3d 1256 (Colo. 2000)) can limit tort claims for purely economic loss when a duty arises from a contract. Defendants in data breach cases often raise it, and the court’s denial of the motion to dismiss means the claims survived that stage.
• Standing. To sue, a plaintiff needs a legally protected injury. Colorado courts apply a two-part test in Wimberly v. Ettenberg, 570 P.2d 535 (Colo. 1977). In federal court, TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez, 594 U.S. 413 (2021), holds that a risk of future harm alone does not support damages.
• Credit protections. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act you can get free credit reports (15 U.S.C. § 1681j), place fraud alerts and place or lift security freezes for free (15 U.S.C. § 1681c-1). Using another person’s identifying information without permission is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1028 and 1028A.
• Time limits if you opt out. Colorado sets different deadlines by claim, such as two years for many negligence claims (C.R.S. § 13-80-102), three years for many contract claims (C.R.S. § 13-80-101) and three years under the Consumer Protection Act (C.R.S. § 6-1-115). Exactly when a claim begins to run can depend on when you learned of the breach. If you’re thinking about opting out, talk to a licensed attorney soon.
• Taxes. Settlement money can be taxable in some situations, and reimbursement of a documented loss may be treated differently from a flat payment. Ask a qualified tax professional.

Is the UFCW Local 7 Settlement Really Worth $345,000?

The $345,000 figure needs some clarification. The official notice identifies $345,000 as the maximum attorneys’ fees and litigation costs Class Counsel plans to request. It is not a fixed fund to be shared among class members. The agreement separately provides for qualifying monetary benefits, credit monitoring, settlement administration and court-approved legal fees, and the union funds approved class benefits.

How much will the lawyers receive?

Item	Requested amount
Attorneys’ fees and litigation costs	Up to $345,000
Service award for each named plaintiff	Up to $2,500
Maximum combined service awards (five plaintiffs)	$12,500
Class member benefits	Based on approved individual claims

The requested amounts need court approval, and the judge may award less. The union has agreed not to oppose the fee request up to the stated amount. The fees and service awards are paid separately by or on behalf of UFCW Local 7, so they do not reduce class member payments and are not deductions from a fixed $345,000 pool.

What Are the Important Settlement Deadlines?

Event	Deadline
Preliminary approval	September 15, 2026
Claim submission	December 14, 2026
Request exclusion	December 14, 2026
Submit objection	December 14, 2026
Final approval hearing	January 13, 2027
Payment distribution	After the settlement becomes effective

The court may change the hearing date, so check the official website for updates.

Your Options at a Glance

• Submit a claim. This is the only way to receive benefits.
• Opt out. Exclude yourself so you can pursue your own lawsuit. You receive no benefits from this settlement.
• Object. Tell the court why you disagree. You must remain in the class to object.
• Do nothing. You stay in the class, release related claims and receive no benefits.

Can You Opt Out of the Settlement?

Yes. If you want to keep the right to pursue your own lawsuit over the claims the settlement releases, you must request exclusion by December 14, 2026. Your signed request must include your name, mailing address, telephone number, email address if you have one, and a clear statement that you want to be excluded from Linneman v. United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7, Case No. 2025CV31569. Mail it to:

Linneman v. United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7 ATTN: Opt-outs P.O. Box 19504 Irvine, CA 92623

It must be postmarked by December 14, 2026. Anyone who opts out will not receive settlement benefits.

Can You Object to the Settlement?

Yes. Class members who stay in the settlement can object to its terms, the requested legal fees or other proposed relief. Objections are due December 14, 2026. The long-form notice lists the details required, including identification, the reasons for objecting, prior class-action objection history, counsel information and your signature. Objections must go to the court, Class Counsel, defense counsel and the settlement administrator as the notice specifies. The administrator’s address for objections is:

United Food Data Incident ATTN: Objections P.O. Box 19504 Irvine, CA 92623

Read the official long-form settlement notice before you submit an objection, so you meet every filing and service requirement.

When Will UFCW Local 7 Settlement Checks Be Sent?

No calendar payment date has been announced. The final approval hearing is set for January 13, 2027. If the court approves the settlement and it becomes effective:

• The administrator must distribute approved cash payments within 60 days after the effective date
• Credit monitoring enrollment codes should be issued within 30 days after the effective date

The effective date can depend on objections, appeals and other proceedings.

How long are settlement checks valid?

Under the settlement agreement, paper checks and electronic payments generally go stale 90 days after issuance. Class members may request one reissuance during the original 90-day period, subject to the agreement’s conditions, and a reissued payment is valid for 30 days. Deposit or redeem payments promptly.

What Happens If You Do Nothing?

If you are an eligible class member and don’t submit a claim:

• You won’t receive a cash payment
• You won’t receive the settlement’s credit monitoring
• You will remain bound by the settlement if it becomes final, unless you validly opt out
• You will generally release the claims described in the settlement agreement

A valid claim is necessary to receive benefits.

How to Protect Yourself After a Data Breach

Social Security numbers were involved in this incident, so these steps are widely recommended whether or not you file a claim:

• Place a free security freeze with each credit bureau, and consider a fraud alert.
• Review your free credit reports regularly at AnnualCreditReport.com.
• Watch bank, card and insurance statements for activity you don’t recognize.
• Consider an IRS Identity Protection PIN to help prevent a fraudulent tax return.
• If you become a victim of identity theft, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and keep the report. It can support a documented-loss claim.
• Be careful with emails, calls and texts that use details from the breach, and share your CPT ID and passcode only with the official administrator.

Other Data Breach Settlements

If you were affected by more than one data breach, check each settlement on its own. For example, Grayback Forestry Data Breach Class Action Settlement, $65 Cash or Up to $5,000, Plus 3 Years of Credit Monitoring concerns a separate incident and has different deadlines. DotHouse Health Data Breach Class Action Settlement, $725,000 Fund, Up to $2,000 or an Estimated $40, Plus 2 Years of Credit Monitoring offers different benefits and eligibility rules. Neither is connected to UFCW Local 7.

UFCW Local 7 Settlement Timeline

Date	Development
December 10 to 11, 2024	Unauthorized activity on union network; suspicious activity discovered December 11
August 21, 2025	Union completes review of affected data
September 22, 2025	Breach notification letters begin going out
September 25 to October 2, 2025	Plaintiffs file initial lawsuits
November 14, 2025	Consolidated amended complaint filed in Jefferson County
January 5, 2026	Union moves to dismiss
March 4, 2026	Court denies the motion to dismiss
May 20, 2026	Mediation; parties reach agreement on material terms
September 15, 2026	Preliminary approval granted
December 14, 2026	Claim, exclusion and objection deadline
January 13, 2027	Final approval hearing
Payment date	After the settlement becomes effective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the UFCW Local 7 data breach settlement legitimate?

Yes. Jefferson County District Court granted preliminary approval on September 15, 2026, and CPT Group administers the official claims process.

Who qualifies?

Living U.S. residents whose private information may have been affected by the December 2024 UFCW Local 7 data incident, subject to the exclusions.

How many people were affected?

The settlement agreement identifies approximately 55,900 potentially affected people.

How much money can I claim?

Up to $50 without loss receipts, or up to $3,000 in documented losses plus up to $75 for qualifying lost time.

Can I claim $3,075?

Potentially. That is the combined maximum for approved documented-loss and lost-time benefits.

Can I receive the $50 and $3,075 together?

No. The alternative cash payment replaces the loss and lost-time reimbursement options.

Do I need proof for the $50?

No financial-loss documentation is needed, but you must submit a valid claim.

Is credit monitoring available?

Yes. Eligible claimants can request two years of one-bureau credit monitoring with additional identity protection features.

What is the claim deadline?

December 14, 2026.

Where do I submit my claim?

At ufcw7datasettlement.com/Login with your CPT ID and passcode, or by mail postmarked by the deadline.

What if I lost my settlement notice?

Email [email protected] or call 1-888-261-1463.

Does the union admit responsibility?

No. UFCW Local 7 denies wrongdoing and agreed to settle without a determination of liability.

Has the settlement received final approval?

No. The final approval hearing is set for January 13, 2027.

Is $345,000 the total settlement fund?

No. The $345,000 figure is the proposed maximum for attorneys’ fees and litigation costs, not a fixed class-member compensation fund.

Is there a cap on how much the union will pay in claims?

According to the notice, there is no overall cap on valid claims for class member benefits.

Do I need to hire a lawyer?

No. You can submit your claim directly through CPT Group.

When will payments arrive?

Approved cash payments are due within 60 days after the settlement becomes effective. The exact date has not been announced.

What Should Eligible Class Members Do Now?

If you got a UFCW Local 7 breach notice, find your CPT ID and passcode and decide which option fits. If you had no documented loss, the $50 cash payment is the simplest choice. If you had fraud losses or spent time dealing with the incident, consider the reimbursement options. You can also request two years of credit monitoring.

Submit your claim by December 14, 2026. Anyone who wants to keep the right to sue separately has to decide on exclusion by the same date.

The Bottom Line

The UFCW Local 7 data breach settlement offers compensation and identity protection to people whose private information may have been exposed in a December 2024 cybersecurity incident. Eligible people can request up to $50 without receipts, or as much as $3,075 in combined documented losses and lost-time compensation, plus two years of credit monitoring.

The settlement is still subject to final court approval. The most important step is a valid claim by December 14, 2026.

Official Court Documents and Sources

1. Official UFCW Local 7 Data Breach Settlement Website. Eligibility, benefits, deadlines and administrator contact information.
2. Official Claim Submission Portal. Online claim form requiring CPT ID and passcode.
3. Official Long-Form Settlement Notice (PDF). Court-authorized notice explaining benefits and legal rights.
4. Settlement Agreement (PDF). Terms governing payments, releases, attorneys’ fees and distribution.
5. Preliminary Approval Order (PDF). September 15, 2026 court order.
6. Printable Claim Form (PDF). Paper claim instructions and benefit selection.
7. Settlement Documents Library. Official collection of court documents.
8. UFCW Local 7 September 22, 2025 Data Breach Notification (PDF). Original breach explanation and affected data categories.
9. Federal Trade Commission: IdentityTheft.gov. Official identity theft reporting and recovery resources.
10. C.R.S. §§ 6-1-101 et seq., 6-1-713, 6-1-713.5, 6-1-716, 6-1-115, 13-80-101 and 13-80-102; Wyo. Stat. § 40-12-501 et seq.; C.R.C.P. 23; 15 U.S.C. §§ 45, 1681c-1 and 1681j; 18 U.S.C. §§ 1028 and 1028A; Town of Alma v. AZCO Construction, Inc., 10 P.3d 1256 (Colo. 2000); Wimberly v. Ettenberg, 570 P.2d 535 (Colo. 1977); TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez, 594 U.S. 413 (2021). State breach-notification, class action procedure, consumer-protection and standing background.

Research and authorship: Researched and written by Israr Ahmad for AllAboutLawyer.com using the settlement agreement, preliminary approval order, court-authorized notice, the official administrator claim form and the union’s September 2025 breach notification.

Verification note: Settlement terms were verified against the primary court documents and the administrator website as of November 11, 2026. Individual eligibility, reimbursement amounts and claim validity are determined through the settlement administration process. No final approval or confirmed payment distribution date has been established.

Disclaimer: AllAboutLawyer.com is an independent legal-information website, not a law firm. This article provides general legal and settlement information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Settlement benefits depend on eligibility, valid claims, court approval and the terms of the agreement. Always use the official administrator website before submitting personal information.