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Has your daughter switched schools or been absent a lot? My cousin works for CDSS and told me that P-EBT benefits for 2025 are calculated based on actual attendance records, not just enrollment. If your daughter has had significant absences or transferred mid-year, that might explain the difference. Also, double-check that both P-EBT cards are properly activated. Sometimes when they issue new cards, the old ones stop working, and you might be checking an old balance instead of the new card. The county workers can fix this with backdated payments, but you definitely need to reach someone on the phone who specifically handles P-EBT issues, not just the general CalFresh line.
Did u ever get this resolved? Having the exact same issue with my kids right now and getting nowhere with the hotline
Yes! Finally got it fixed yesterday. Turned out my daughter's student ID number had been entered incorrectly in the system (transposed digits). I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above to get through to a person at the county office, and they fixed it right away. They're issuing back payments for the months she missed within 10 business days. Definitely worth pushing on this!
i had the same thing last month but on the 5th (my day is the 4th). i just waited and it showed up the next day. no explanation or anything but at least it came. i think their system is just slow sometimes.
UPDATE: My benefits just loaded this morning! Looks like it was just delayed due to the system update AND the pending verification documents. I uploaded my pay stubs on BenefitsCal and also used that Claimyr service to actually talk to someone at the county office. They confirmed everything was fine with my case and the delay was just processing related. Thanks everyone for your help!!!
I work as a benefits counselor (not for the county), and I'm seeing this issue CONSTANTLY in 2025. The reality is that county offices lost a lot of staff after COVID and never fully recovered. That said, you still have rights. Here's what you should do: 1. Request expedited service if your household income is very low compared to your rent/utilities (sounds like you qualify) 2. Call the county AND submit a message through BenefitsCal specifying that you're facing a food emergency 3. If no response in 2 business days, contact your county Board of Supervisors office 4. You can also file a formal Civil Rights complaint if you believe the delay is discriminatory in any way Remember that when your benefits are eventually approved, they should be backdated to your application date. Make sure they don't just start from the approval date.
Thank you for this detailed response. I did check my BenefitsCal account again, and I see my application status is still listed as 'Pending' with no other details. I'll follow your steps starting tomorrow morning. And yes, I'll make sure they backdate the benefits to when I applied - that would make a huge difference for us.
Quick update? Did you get anywhere with this? I'm curious because I'm having the exact same issue but with Alameda County and wondering if any of these strategies actually worked for you.
YES! Finally got it resolved yesterday! I used the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above to get through to a real person, and then I specifically mentioned I needed 'expedited service' and was experiencing a 'food emergency' (using those exact terms). The worker pulled up my case right away and discovered it had actually been assigned to someone who went on medical leave! They reassigned it on the spot and processed my approval within an hour. Benefits should be on my EBT card by tomorrow. They're also backdating it to my application date like they're supposed to.
btw make sure u activate it RIGHT AWAY!! my neighbor waited like 2 weeks and then couldnt remember what PIN they chose when setting it up...huge hassle to reset it
Update: My 12-year-old's P-EBT card finally came in the mail today! Both kids got the same amount ($958). Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance that I just needed to be patient. For anyone else waiting, they really are sending them in batches even within the same household.
Chloe Mitchell
my neighbor gets almost $800 for her and her 2 kids but she doesnt work at all so thats probably y yours is less. my amount changes all the time depending on how many hours i get at my job. some months i get $600 sometimes $500 its so annoying to predict
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Ashley Adams
•omg same! i never know what ill get month to month cuz my hours r different every week. i hate having to report when i go over the IRT limit and then they cut my benefits for like 2 months until they process everything again smh
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Avery Flores
After reading through everything, it sounds like you might qualify for more benefits if they include your childcare expenses. The $200/week after-school program ($800/month) is definitely a deductible expense that would lower your countable income. Just remember that when you call tomorrow: 1. Be prepared with documentation of the childcare costs 2. Ask for a detailed breakdown of how they calculated your benefit 3. If they did miss the childcare expense, request a benefit adjustment going back to your application date 4. If you have any receipt or proof you mentioned the childcare during your interview, have that ready Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
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Caden Nguyen
•Thank you! I'll gather all the receipts from the after-school program tonight. Really hoping this makes a difference. I'll update once I talk to them.
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