wait what are summer P-EBT cards? my kids get regular calfresh on my EBT card but i never heard of special summer cards. are we supposed to get those too??

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! Got duplicate P-EBT cards for my 7-year-old last week. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like the key is to call and report it ASAP. I'm going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned because I can't afford to sit on hold for hours either. One thing I'm wondering - for those who've been through this, did you get any kind of confirmation letter or email after they resolved it? I want to make sure I have proof that I reported it properly in case any questions come up later. Thanks for sharing your experience @Giovanni, it's really helpful to know we're not alone in dealing with this!

I was SO CONFUSED about this too!! I called the county office (took FOREVER to get through) and they confirmed they use the name of whoever is the head of household on the CalFresh case. For me that's my name even though my kids have a different last name. The worker said the alphabetical groups are: A-F (May 10-13), G-M (May 14-17), N-S (May 18-21), and T-Z (May 22-25). After May 25, everyone can access regardless of last name if they somehow missed their window.

As someone who just went through this process, I can confirm what others have said - they definitely use the primary account holder's last name (Johnson in your case) for the alphabetical distribution. I had the same confusion because my stepkids have different last names but are on my CalFresh case. One thing I'd add is that you should make sure your phone number is updated with the county office because they send text notifications about 24-48 hours before your group's window opens. Also, even though the windows are only 3-4 days each, the actual Sun Bucks benefits stay on your EBT card for 30 days once loaded, so you don't have to rush to spend them immediately. Hope this helps ease some of the stress!

good 4 u!!! put a freeze on ur card when ur not using it btw. u can do it in the app now

So glad you were able to get some emergency benefits! Just wanted to add that when you get your replacement card, consider using contactless payment (tap to pay) instead of inserting the card whenever possible - it's much harder for skimmers to intercept. Also, if you shop at stores with self-checkout, try to use the ones that are closest to the attendant station since skimmers are less likely to be placed on those machines. Stay strong - you're doing an amazing job advocating for your family!

One more thing to note - if your income changes at all (even by a small amount), make sure to report it if it puts you over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) listed on your approval notice. For a single person, I believe the current IRT is around $1,700/month, but check your specific notice to be sure. If your income goes up and you don't report it when required, you could end up with an overissuance that you'd have to pay back. On the flip side, if your income goes down, reporting it promptly could increase your benefits.

Hey Liam! I went through something similar when I got back on CalFresh after a gap. The adjustment from those pandemic emergency allotments to regular benefits was definitely noticeable. One thing that helped me figure out if my amount was right was using the CalFresh benefit calculator on the GetCalFresh website. You can plug in your income, rent, and other expenses to get an estimate of what you should be receiving. It's not perfect but gives you a good ballpark to compare against your actual benefits. Also, if you do have any utilities you pay separately (like electricity, gas, water, or trash), make sure those are documented in your case. Even if it's just one utility bill, you might qualify for the Standard Utility Allowance which can increase your benefit amount. Good luck getting everything sorted out!

I checked the latest CalFresh policy guidelines for 2025, and there's a new process for expediting theft claims when there are children in the household. File form CF 303 "Expedited Hardship Review" with your county office. This can move your claim to priority status. Regarding your original claim, the standard process now includes: 1. Initial review (10 business days) 2. Investigation phase (up to 30 calendar days) 3. Determination and replacement (up to 10 additional days) However, with the hardship review, they can replace up to 50% of your benefits immediately while continuing to investigate the rest of your claim. I also recommend contacting your county's CalFresh Outreach Coordinator rather than your assigned worker. They often have more authority to address urgent situations.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - having your benefits stolen is stressful enough without the system making it even harder to get help. I just went through something similar a few months ago and wanted to share what finally worked for me. The key thing that made a difference was getting really specific about who I was talking to. Instead of just calling my regular worker, I started asking to be transferred directly to the "EBT Fraud Investigation Unit" when I called the main county number. They have people who specifically handle theft claims and they know the process way better than regular eligibility workers. Also, when you do get someone on the phone, ask them to put notes in your case file about the call - date, time, what was discussed, and when they'll follow up. Then reference those notes in your next call. It forces them to actually document what's happening instead of just giving you the runaround. One more thing - if you haven't already, start documenting everything yourself. Write down every call you make, every person you talk to, every promise they make. If this drags on much longer, you might need that documentation for a hearing or complaint. Hang in there! The system is broken but your benefits WILL get replaced eventually. In the meantime, definitely reach out to local food banks and see if any churches or community centers are doing food distributions.