Have you been able to get through to customer service yet? If not, try calling exactly at 6:00 AM when the call volume is lowest. Also, since you have no food right now, call 211 and ask about emergency food assistance in your area. Many food banks can provide same-day emergency boxes, and some counties have agreements with certain grocery stores to provide emergency food vouchers in situations like this.

I finally got through! Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and it worked. They've canceled my card and are sending a new one that should arrive in 3-5 business days. They started an investigation but said it could take up to 15 business days to get my benefits back. I'm going to call 211 right now to find emergency food assistance for the meantime. Thanks everyone for your help!

THEY BETTER NOT SEND NEW CARDS!!!! I've kept every P-EBT card since the program started and they've ALWAYS loaded the new benefits on the original card. If they suddenly change this policy without proper notification, thousands of families will miss out on benefits they're entitled to. The state is already doing a terrible job communicating about this program. My daughter's school never even sent out the email about 2025 eligibility - I only found out through a Facebook group for parents!

Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in this thread: 1. For P-EBT 2025, they will attempt to load benefits on existing cards first 2. New cards are only issued if: - Your previous card is reported lost/stolen - Your card has been inactive for 365+ days - Your address has changed and been updated in the system - You're new to the program entirely The P-EBT and CalFresh cards look different (P-EBT is white with a blue stripe, CalFresh is the golden State of California design), but they're both managed through the same EBT contractor and customer service system. P-EBT benefits for 2025 are being issued between April-June depending on your county and school district. Some counties are receiving benefits in waves based on the first letter of the child's last name. If you need to update your address or report a lost card, calling the EBT Customer Service number is correct (though as others have mentioned, wait times can be extremely long).

I used that Claimyr service that someone mentioned above after spending days trying to get through. It actually worked! Got connected to a real person in about 20 minutes who set up the PIN for both my kids' cards. Worth checking out if you're desperate like I was.

Just an update for everyone struggling with P-EBT PIN issues - the Department of Social Services just posted that they're aware of the system problems and are working to increase capacity. They recommend trying during off-peak hours (before 8am or after 7pm) and say the online portal at ca.p-ebt.us should be working more consistently than the phone line. They've also extended the activation period by 60 days, so cards won't be deactivated if you can't set up the PIN right away. Hope this helps reduce some stress for parents trying to access these benefits.

I didn't know about this program for months either. And when I did find out it was almost IMPOSSIBLE to use because the only farmers market near me with the match program was only open Tuesdays from 10-2pm when I'm at work! So frustrating. Like they design these programs to help but make them so hard to actually use.

One more important thing to note: The incentive program (whatever it's called in your area) has a monthly cap - usually between $25-$60 depending on your household size. So for example, if your household gets a maximum of $40 in matching funds per month, and you spend $50 on fruits and vegetables at a participating market, you'd only get $40 in additional benefits, not the full $50. The match resets at the beginning of each benefit month. Also, the match only applies to fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables without added sugar, fat, or salt - not other items you might buy with your regular CalFresh.

This whole P-EBT thing is SO CONFUSING!!! Last year they said my kids qualified, then we never got cards, then they said we didn't qualify, then 6 months later random cards showed up in the mail!!! The government needs to make this WAYYY more clear instead of leaving parents guessing about whether they'll get help feeding their kids!!

Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in this thread: 1. P-EBT eligibility is determined at both the SCHOOL level and the STUDENT level 2. For 2025, schools must participate in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program 3. Students must either qualify for free/reduced meals individually OR attend a school that uses CEP/Provision 2 4. Not all students at a qualifying school will receive P-EBT (unless it's a CEP school) The reason there's no public list is that eligibility can change throughout the year as schools update their participation status and as students' meal eligibility changes. Your school nutrition department will have the most up-to-date information.