I'm also waiting for my SUN Bucks card with last name starting with 'S'! My kids are in elementary school (2nd and 4th grade) and we're in Fresno County. Based on what everyone's shared about the elementary age priority within each letter group, I'm hoping ours arrives soon since Lia already got hers. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there was a separate hotline or that distribution was this complex. I'll definitely wait until August 5th before calling like others have suggested. It's such a relief to know we're not the only ones still waiting and that the August 2nd timeline seems accurate for most S families. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and keeping us updated!

I'm also waiting for my SUN Bucks card with a last name starting with 'S'! My twin boys are in 1st grade and we're in San Bernardino County. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the alphabetical distribution system or that there was age-based prioritization within each letter group. I was getting worried since it's already July 30th, but after reading everyone's experiences I feel much better about waiting until August 5th before calling. It's especially encouraging to see that some S families like Lia are starting to receive their cards, and knowing that elementary kids get priority makes me hopeful ours will arrive soon. Thank you to everyone who shared the Summer EBT hotline number and all the detailed information about how this program works - as a newcomer to CalFresh benefits, I really appreciate this community's knowledge and support!

I'm going through something similar right now! My kids have been getting free school meals since 2020, but I only received that very first P-EBT card. I had no idea there were multiple rounds - this thread is eye-opening. Reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like there's a good chance I have benefits sitting somewhere too. I'm definitely going to try calling the P-EBT hotline tomorrow morning early like Julian suggested. Has anyone had luck getting through on certain days of the week? I'm wondering if there are better times to call to avoid those busy signals that Lauren mentioned. Also, should I call my school district first to make sure they have my current address, or is it better to start with the P-EBT hotline directly? Thanks for all the detailed info everyone - this community is amazing!

I'm in almost the exact same boat as you Vanessa! Got that first P-EBT card in 2020 for my daughter but haven't seen anything since, even though she's been on free lunch this whole time. Reading through all these comments has been super enlightening - I had no idea there were so many different rounds of P-EBT benefits over the years. It's crazy how inconsistent the system seems to be with who gets cards and when. I'm definitely going to try calling that hotline number tomorrow and checking with my daughter's school to make sure they have our current address. Thanks for posting this question and thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips! It's given me hope that we might have some unclaimed benefits waiting out there too.

tried the app too, same maintenance message. this whole system needs a complete overhaul!! 😡

I'm having the exact same problem! Been trying to access my EBT account for 4 days straight and keep getting that maintenance page. What's really frustrating is that there's no clear communication about when it will be fixed - first they said a few days, then the 15th, now the 17th? My family depends on these benefits and not being able to check our balance makes meal planning impossible. I tried calling the customer service line multiple times but either get disconnected or wait over an hour just to be told they can't help with website issues. This system really needs better communication and backup options for when the main site goes down. At least we're all in this together!

I went through this exact same situation last year when I moved from Fresno to Kern County! The app confusion is so stressful when you're trying to budget for groceries. One thing that really helped me was writing down the phone number from the back of my EBT card and keeping it in my phone contacts as "EBT Balance Check" so I could quickly call anytime I needed to verify my balance while the app was being weird. Also, pro tip - if you're shopping and want to be extra sure about your balance before checkout, most grocery stores will let you do a balance inquiry at the card reader before you start shopping. Just select "EBT" and then "Balance Inquiry" instead of payment. That way you know exactly what you have to spend without any surprises at the register! The app will eventually catch up, but in the meantime the phone system and balance inquiry at stores are your best friends. Hang in there!

This is such a common issue and it's frustrating how little guidance they give you about what to expect during the transfer process! I went through something similar when I moved from Orange County to Ventura County last fall. One thing I learned is that even though your benefits transfer over, sometimes your PIN might get reset during the process (happened to my neighbor). If you have any issues using your card after confirming your balance is there, you might need to call and reset your PIN. The customer service rep can walk you through it over the phone. Also, keep all your paperwork from both counties during the transition period! I had to prove my transfer date later when there was a mix-up with my recertification notice. Having those documents saved me a lot of headaches. Glad to hear you were able to confirm your benefits are actually on your card! The phone system really is more reliable than the app, especially during transfers.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Got my EBT card yesterday and called to check - completely empty. It's so nerve-wracking when you're planning your grocery budget around those benefits. Reading all these responses is making me feel so much better though. Sounds like this delay between card arrival and benefit loading is totally normal, even if it's super frustrating. I'm going to try calling the EBT customer service line tomorrow morning to see if they can confirm my benefits are "pending" like Diego suggested. Really wish they would update those approval letters to warn people about this timing issue! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps to know we're not alone in dealing with this.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm a new CalFresh recipient and was wondering about this exact timing issue. My card should be arriving any day now and I was expecting the benefits to be available immediately based on the approval letter. It's really good to know that there's usually a 1-3 day delay after receiving the card before benefits actually load. I'll make sure to plan my grocery shopping accordingly and not panic if the balance shows zero at first. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this kind of real-world info is so much more useful than the official letters that don't explain these details!