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To directly answer your question: P-EBT for the 2024-2025 school year runs through June, and then there's typically a Summer P-EBT program through August 2025. For children to qualify, they must attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program and be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. If you need longer-term food assistance, make sure your regular CalFresh benefits are maximized by reporting all qualifying deductions during your recertification or on your SAR7 form: - Housing costs (rent/mortgage) - Utility costs (even if included in rent, there's a standard deduction) - Child care expenses - Medical expenses for elderly or disabled household members - Child support payments Reporting these correctly can significantly increase your monthly benefit amount.
Thank you so much for this detailed info! I didn't know all those things could increase our benefits. We just submitted our SAR7 last month but I don't think I included my childcare costs. Is it too late to add that? Our next recertification is in October.
It's not too late. You can submit verification of your childcare expenses anytime, and the county should adjust your benefits accordingly. Just make sure you have documentation - receipts or a letter from your provider stating the monthly amount. Submit this with a cover note explaining you're reporting an expense deduction that wasn't included on your recent SAR7.
Just to clarify some confusing information in this thread, P-EBT has specific eligibility criteria and timeframes. For the current 2024-2025 school year program: 1. Children must qualify for free or reduced-price meals at a school participating in the National School Lunch Program 2. Regular benefits run through the end of the school year (typically June 2025) 3. Summer P-EBT typically covers June-August 2025 4. Benefit amounts are currently $120 per eligible child per month during the school year 5. Summer benefits are typically a one-time payment of $395 per eligible child The state should send you a notice before the program ends. If your situation changes, you should contact your county office.
This is really helpful, thank you! So I should budget for it to end after August. I appreciate everyone's help with this - it's making our financial planning much easier.
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i had my benefits stolen last year and it was awful 😭 took almost a month to get them back and the county made me feel like I had done something wrong!!! make sure you keep your pin safe and dont use sketchy atms like everyone is saying also with the cleaning supplies question - have you looked into local food banks? the one near me gives out cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items like soap and shampoo along with food. might be worth checking out!
That's a great idea about the food bank! I'll definitely look into that. Sorry you had to deal with theft - it's so unfair they made you feel like it was your fault. Did they ever figure out how your benefits were stolen?
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One additional clarification: While regular issuance dates follow the standard schedule, supplemental benefits (if you had a change in circumstances mid-month and qualify for additional benefits) might be issued on different dates. These supplements can sometimes come later in the month, which might explain what the person was referring to. However, your regular monthly CalFresh benefit will still follow the standard schedule based on your case number's last digit, and CalWORKs will still be in the first three days of December 2025.
That makes so much sense! I did have an income change recently and submitted verification docs. Maybe that's what they meant - that I might get some kind of adjustment payment. Thank you!
sorta related but did anyone get the letter about the new EBT card design? mine still hasnt come and they said all cards would be replaced by november
The new EBT card rollout is happening in phases by county. Some counties won't receive new cards until January 2026. Your current card will continue to work until you receive the replacement. If you're concerned, you can check your county's specific timeline on the CDSS website or call your county office.
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This happened to me back in June!!! I had to go to a food bank for the weekend. Which was humiliating because I already get CalFresh but the volunteers were nice. The most frustrating part is that when benefits finally came back Tuesday, they acted like it was no big deal. Like we're just supposed to magically find food for 4 days with no warning???
right??? they dont care at all about us. my worker once told me "oh just go to the food bank" like im not already getting benefits cuz i NEED THEM
I'm sorry you went through this too. Did they at least give you the full benefit amount when it finally went through? I'm worried they'll prorate it or something because of the delay.
Quick update for everyone in this thread - I just got a text alert from the CalFresh office stating benefits delayed by the system outage will be deposited by Monday 9am, even though offices are closed for Labor Day. They're prioritizing getting benefits loaded before resolving other systems issues. Hope this helps ease some stress for the weekend.
That's such a relief to hear! Thank you for sharing this update. I haven't received any text yet but hopefully that means mine will come through Monday too. Going to try the food bank tomorrow just in case, but this makes me feel so much better.
Just got the same text! Really wish they'd sent this information out BEFORE people panicked, but at least they're fixing it faster than Tuesday.
Where to upload CalFresh verification documents online? BenefitsCal not working
Hey everyone! I need to send some income verification papers to my CalFresh worker ASAP but I can't remember the website where we can upload documents. I tried BenefitsCal.com but it keeps giving me an error when I try to login. Is there another site I can use? My worker is requesting proof of my new job by Friday or my benefits might get cut. I've been calling the county office all day but just getting the automated system. Any help would be appreciated!
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dont forget u can also use the YourBenefitsNow! website for LA county! its older but sometimes works when BenefitsCal is down. just google it
YourBenefitsNow is actually being phased out. They're moving everyone to BenefitsCal, so that might not work for much longer.
UPDATE: I got into BenefitsCal finally! Had to create a completely new account even though I already had one. Not sure why, but at least it worked. My documents are uploaded now. Thanks everyone for your help!
That's great! Make sure to screenshot your confirmation page as proof. I've had workers claim they never received documents even when I uploaded them properly.
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my friend said she got a text to verify her ebt card but it was a scam!! they tried to get her to enter all her info on a fake website. be careful about texts sayin they're from calfresh
This is an extremely important warning. The official EBT Edge app will NEVER send texts asking you to verify information via a link. The California DSS has reported an increase in phishing attempts targeting benefit recipients in 2025. Always go directly to the app or call the number on the back of your EBT card if you receive suspicious messages.
BTW - another tip: when you're in the store and ready to check out, you can quickly unlock the card, check out, then lock it again right there in line. Takes like 10 seconds. I've been doing this for months and my cashiers don't even notice the tiny delay. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY!! My friend had $1200 stolen and they only replaced half of it!!!
That's exactly what I'll do! Just set it up and the app seems pretty fast to unlock/lock. Thanks everyone for the help! Feeling much better about keeping our benefits safe.
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One other thing to keep in mind - sometimes these calls are automated reminders about upcoming deadlines or verification needs. The system is supposed to play a recording when you answer, but if it malfunctions, you just get silence and then a hang-up. Since you mentioned your recertification is due next month, I'd focus on completing that ASAP. Make sure you have: 1. Income verification for everyone in your household (pay stubs, award letters, etc.) 2. Rent/mortgage documentation 3. Utility bills if you're claiming the standard utility allowance 4. Any childcare expenses if applicable 5. Medical expenses for elderly or disabled household members Submit everything through BenefitsCal if possible - it creates a digital record of your submission date and time, which is very helpful if there are any disputes later about whether you met deadlines.
This is super helpful, thank you! I didn't even think about some of these documents. I'm going to gather everything tonight and submit through BenefitsCal tomorrow. Better to be over-prepared than risk losing benefits!
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My daughter qualified for Sun Bucks too but I never received the card. She definitely gets free lunch at school but nothing came in the mail. Do I need to call someone or apply somewhere? How do I check if she's in the system?
You should contact Kings County DPSS directly about this. They can verify if a card was issued and possibly locate or reissue it. Have your child's information ready when you call. The direct line often has long wait times though. When I needed to reach them about my missing card, I used Claimyr to get through - it saved me from waiting on hold for hours.
my neighbors kid never got one either and she had to go physically to the office on kings county drive to get a replacement. said there was some problem with their address in the system.
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To clarify some confusion I'm seeing in these comments - your son will need to file a CF 303 form (CalFresh Replacement Request) within 10 days. He'll need to verify: 1) The power outage occurred (utility company documentation), 2) The approximate value of food lost, and 3) That the food was purchased with CalFresh benefits. They typically replace the portion that was lost, so if he spent $200 of his $270 on perishable foods that spoiled, he should request $200 in replacement.
Thank you for breaking this down so clearly! We'll document everything and be sure to file within the 10-day window. I appreciate all the helpful advice everyone has shared.
Make sure he doesn't throw away the food until after he submits the form!! My cousin had this happen and they asked her to take pictures of the spoiled food as proof. Also tell him to check his benifitscal account to see if they sent him any messages about it
While documentation is important, most counties don't typically require photos of spoiled food - the power outage verification is usually sufficient. However, having a detailed list of what was lost is essential. Your advice about checking BenefitsCal is excellent though - all communications about the replacement request will appear there.
CaptainAwesome
my sister works for the county and she told me they were doing updates to the calfresh system this week so maybe thats why none of us can see pending benefits this month lol but don worry it should still come
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Aaliyah Jackson
UPDATE: My benefits just appeared as pending this morning (Dec 31)! Looks like it was just delayed by a few days. Thanks everyone for the helpful responses and calming my nerves. Hopefully this helps anyone else experiencing the same issue.
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KylieRose
•Great news! Thanks for updating the thread. This is helpful information for others who might be experiencing the same concern. System updates often cause temporary display issues like this.
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Miguel Hernández
•mine too!!! just checked and its there now. what a relief 😅
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