btw for everyone the p-ebt 3.0 benefits dont expire for like a year so u don't have to spend it all at once. and u can use it at farmers markets for double value with market match program

Just wanted to add another data point - I'm in San Bernardino County and got my P-EBT 3.0 card yesterday (April 15th). It came with a letter explaining the benefits and had $1,760 loaded for my daughter. The letter mentioned that if you don't receive your card by 30 days after your county's distribution phase, you should contact your local county office to request a replacement. Also, for anyone who moved recently, you can update your address by calling the P-EBT customer service line at 877-382-8622 - they can help make sure future cards get to the right place. Really glad this thread exists because it helped me realize I should check for the card!

Just wanted to update everyone - I took several of your suggestions! I called and requested emergency replacement benefits, and they're giving me 50% of what was stolen while my claim processes. Also went to my county office in person yesterday and spoke with a worker who looked up my claim and said it looks like it should be processed by next Friday (so about 10 days total). Thanks for all your help and suggestions! I've also enabled that PIN-less blocking feature and will be changing my PIN regularly from now on.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! EBT theft is becoming such a huge problem and it's heartbreaking that people are stealing food money from families. I went through this about 6 months ago when $580 was stolen from my card. Here's what helped me get through the waiting period: 1. Contact your local food bank ASAP - most don't require any paperwork and can help immediately 2. Call 211 for a list of emergency food resources in your area 3. Many Sikh temples (gurdwaras) serve free meals to anyone, no questions asked 4. Some grocery stores have programs where they'll let you shop and pay later if you show them your theft claim paperwork My benefits were replaced in 16 days, but those two weeks felt like forever. The emergency benefits that others mentioned are definitely worth asking for - I didn't know about those when it happened to me. Stay strong and keep following up on your claim. The system is frustrating but most people do eventually get their money back. Sending good thoughts your way! 💙

Thanks everyone for clearing this up! I'm going to stop by our school office tomorrow and make sure they have our current information for the Summer EBT program. My sister must have gotten confused about the name - seems like she was talking about Summer EBT but called it "P-EBT 4.0" which makes sense why I couldn't find any information about it. Really appreciate all the helpful responses!

Just wanted to add that you can also check your eligibility status online through the BenefitsCal website at benefitscal.com. They have a section specifically for Summer EBT where you can see if your kids are already in the system and what your current status is. It's much faster than calling sometimes! Also, make sure your school has your current mailing address AND phone number - I almost missed out last year because they had my old cell number and I didn't get the text notifications.

UPDATE: After using that Claimyr service someone recommended, I finally got through to a real person at my county office! They're expediting my claim and said I should have emergency replacement benefits loaded onto a new card within 3 business days. The worker also told me they've had a huge spike in these fraud cases in the last 2 months - apparently there's an organized ring targeting EBT cards throughout California. I've filed a police report too, and they told me to keep checking my transaction history because sometimes the thieves will make several smaller withdrawals over time rather than taking all the benefits at once. Thanks everyone for your help and advice during this nightmare situation. If anyone else goes through this, definitely emphasize that you have children when requesting expedited replacement benefits.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! This is becoming a huge problem and it's awful that families are being left without food while waiting for investigations. One thing I wanted to add - if you're having trouble reaching your county worker even with the phone service, you can also try going to the local office in person. Sometimes they have walk-in hours for emergencies like this. Also, some counties have online portals where you can submit urgent requests that might get faster attention than the phone lines. Another tip for everyone - I started taking photos of card readers before I use them. If something looks off or feels loose when you insert your card, don't use it. Better safe than sorry with all these skimmers going around. Really glad to hear you're getting emergency benefits soon! Keep us updated on how the investigation goes.

Thank you all for the information! It sounds like there won't be automatic extra benefits, which is disappointing. I wasn't directly affected by the floods but was hoping for some extra help. I'm going to try using Claimyr to get through to my worker because I need to ask about updating my rent amount anyway - it went up last month and I forgot to report it on my SAR7. Might help increase my regular benefit amount at least.

I went through something similar last year when I was confused about emergency benefits. Just want to add that if you do end up calling about your rent increase, make sure to have your new lease or rent notice ready when you call. They usually want documentation for any changes. Also, the SAR7 deadline isn't super strict - you have 10 days from when you receive it to turn it in, but they're usually pretty understanding if you're a little late with reporting changes that would help you (like increased rent). Good luck getting through to them!