UPDATE: I used Claimyr to get through to a real person at the county office and explained my situation. They're sending me the CF 88 form and told me to fill out a SAR 3 form for mid-period reporting. The worker said once they process these forms (hopefully within 10 days), I might get my full benefits back since my roommate and I don't share food. I also talked to LAFLA and they said the 14-day notice isn't a legal eviction notice in California, so that buys me more time. They're connecting me with their housing department to explore emergency rental assistance options too. Thank you all SO MUCH for the help and specific resources. I was panicking yesterday but feel like I at least have a plan now.

I'm so relieved to see your update! This is exactly why communities like this are so valuable - you got practical advice that actually worked. For anyone else reading this thread, your situation is a perfect example of why it's important to understand the difference between household composition and food purchasing units for CalFresh. One additional tip: when you submit those forms, ask your caseworker about expedited processing since you're facing housing instability. Some counties can fast-track cases with urgent circumstances like yours. Also, once your benefits are restored, you might want to look into local food pantries as a backup - places like LA Regional Food Bank have locations throughout South LA that can supplement your CalFresh benefits during tight months. Wishing you the best with getting everything sorted out! 🙏

UPDATE: I called the number on the back of the card and activated it! The customer service rep said benefits for Kings County with last names R-T are scheduled to load on the 16th (tomorrow). Thanks everyone for your help! I'm going to save this for our grocery shopping next week.

That's great news! Thanks for updating us with the loading schedule - that's really helpful info for other Kings County families. It sounds like they're doing a really organized rollout this year. Hope you have a good shopping trip next week with the benefits!

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.

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!

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!