I just got my kids' P-EBT cards yesterday! (We're in Alameda County). They are definitely light blue like someone mentioned. Each card has $490 on it. You need the kid's date of birth and the zip code on file to activate. Just FYI they took about 3 weeks to arrive after I got the text notification.

Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble reaching your county office, you can also try visiting in person if possible. I know it's not convenient for everyone, but when I couldn't get through by phone to update my address, I went to the local CalFresh office and they were able to help me right away. They also confirmed that the P-EBT 4.0 cards are being sent out county by county, so some areas might get them earlier than others. The worker told me to expect mine within 4-6 weeks from when I got the text notification.

UPDATE: I called the P-EBT hotline (took forever to get through) and they confirmed what you all said. The $175 is a combined payment for the first quarter of the school year, and the next payment won't come until December. The representative said they sent notices about this change in July but many people didn't receive them due to a mailing error. Thanks everyone for your help!

That's so frustrating about the mailing error! I'm glad you got through to them though. For anyone else still waiting or confused about their P-EBT status, you can also check your benefit balance online at ca.p-ebt.org without having to wait on hold. Just need your child's case number or EBT card number. I bookmark that site since the phone lines are always jammed. Also worth noting that if you move or change schools mid-year, you need to update your info with both the old and new school districts or your benefits might get delayed.

Something to keep in mind is that the P-EBT program's existence depends on federal funding and approvals. The current program was authorized through the end of the 2025-26 school year, but there's always the possibility of changes. What I've found helpful is signing up for email/text alerts from the California Department of Social Services website so you get notified about these benefits directly rather than relying on schools (which often have outdated or incomplete information).

Just wanted to add that if you're still not seeing any P-EBT benefits after checking all the suggestions here, you can also contact your county's human services office directly. Sometimes there are issues with how the school reported your children's eligibility status to the state system. I had to do this last year when my youngest daughter's benefits never showed up - turns out there was a data entry error with her student ID number. The county office was able to manually trigger the benefits once they verified her free lunch eligibility. It took about 3 weeks to process, but we did get the full quarterly amount retroactively.

Thanks everyone for the helpful info! I checked with my son's school and our address is correct, so now I'll just wait since our last name starts with V. For anyone else waiting - I found the official schedule on the CDSS website showing when each letter should get their cards.

Just wanted to add - if anyone is having trouble with their P-EBT card being declined at stores, try using it at different locations. I had issues at one grocery store but it worked fine at another. Some smaller stores haven't updated their systems yet to accept the new 2025 P-EBT cards. Also, make sure you're selecting "EBT" not "credit" or "debit" when you swipe - I made that mistake the first time!

Update: Just checked our P-EBT cards and the money finally appeared today! So for anyone else waiting in San Diego with last names in the second half of the alphabet, it seems like they're moving through the list now. Thanks everyone for your help!

That's awesome news! I'm so glad you finally got your benefits. Your post actually helped me too - I hadn't checked my kids' cards in over a week and just discovered we got ours yesterday! My last name starts with R and we're in Escondido. Looks like they really are going through alphabetically like everyone said. Hope this helps other families who are still waiting - definitely keep checking those balances!