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Lost my EBT card in Fresno County - Can I get replacement same-day at office?
I think I lost my CalFresh EBT card yesterday somewhere between grocery shopping and getting home. Tore apart my whole apartment looking for it but can't find it anywhere. I need to buy food for my kids this weekend and can't wait for a replacement in the mail. Does anyone know if I can just walk into the Fresno County office and get a new card right away? Do I need an appointment? Also should I report the card as lost before going in, or can they do that when I'm there? Really stressing about this 😫
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Missing extra CalFresh allotment that was deposited on the 25th last month - is this normal?
I received an extra deposit of CalFresh benefits on the 25th last month (about $175 more than my regular amount). My regular benefits always come on the 10th. This extra amount helped SO much with my kids' groceries, but I'm checking my EBT balance today and don't see anything extra deposited yet. Was that a one-time thing or are we supposed to keep getting that additional amount? Did anyone else get their extra benefits this month? I'm trying to budget for next week and need to know if I should expect that money or not. The county never explains these things clearly!
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My sister said we're getting another emergency allotment next month tho!! Her friend at the welfare office told her!
I'm afraid that information is incorrect. The emergency allotments that were issued during COVID ended in early 2023. There are currently no plans to restart emergency allotments in California for 2025. The payment referenced by the original poster was almost certainly the retroactive settlement payment, which was a one-time adjustment.
Thanks everyone for the explanations. I get so frustrated with how the county communicates (or doesn't) about our benefits. At least now I know not to count on that extra money again. I guess I'll have to adjust my grocery budget for the kids accordingly. Ugh, prices keep going up but benefits stay the same.
When will CalFresh P-EBT 3.0 cards get second deposit - Is it happening?
Hey everyone, I'm so confused about the P-EBT 3.0 program timeline. My kids got their cards in the mail last month and we received the first deposit (around $455 per child), but I haven't heard anything about when the second payment is supposed to hit. Is there even going to be another deposit for the 2024-2025 school year? The letter wasn't clear and the county office put me on hold for 45 minutes before disconnecting my call. My neighbors are saying different things - one says it's coming next month, another says the program ended. Any parents here know the actual schedule? I'm trying to budget for groceries and really need to know if more P-EBT benefits are coming or if that was it.
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To add some clarity here: P-EBT 3.0 for the 2024-2025 school year follows a two-payment structure. The first payment covered August 2024 through December 2024. The second payment covers January 2025 through May 2025. The timing of the second deposit varies by county and is rolling out between April 1-30, 2025. You can verify your balance by calling the number on the back of the P-EBT card or checking online at the EBT portal. Important: P-EBT is separate from regular CalFresh benefits. If you need additional food assistance beyond P-EBT, you should apply for regular CalFresh benefits if you haven't already.
do u know if the cards expire?? my kids still have some left from last year but i heard they might shut off old cards??
Great question! P-EBT benefits remain available for 274 days (about 9 months) from the date they're issued. The physical card doesn't expire for several years, but unused benefits will be removed after that 274-day period. I recommend using any remaining benefits from previous issuances first.
Update: Just wanted to let everyone know that I finally got through to someone at the P-EBT hotline. They confirmed the second deposit is definitely coming in April. The exact date depends on the first letter of your child's last name - they're doing a staggered release to avoid overwhelming the system. The representative said for last names A-G it's April 8-12, H-M is April 15-19, and N-Z is April 22-26. Hope this helps others who were wondering!
thanksss for the update!! my kids last name starts with W so guess we gotta wait till the end 😩
Thank you for sharing this information with everyone! This staggered approach is new for 2025 and should help prevent the system issues they had with previous distributions when everyone tried to use their cards on the same days.
CalFresh EBT 4.0 balance increase skipped my 7yo but my younger child got it - anyone else?
I just checked my EBT balance this morning and noticed something weird with the extra 4.0 benefits. My 2nd grader (age 7) didn't get any extra funds added, but my younger child (5yo) did receive theirs. Did anyone else experience this? I thought all school-age kids qualified for the 4.0 supplement in 2025. My 7yo is definitely enrolled in school and was included on my last SAR7 report from January. Both kids are on the same CalFresh case. Do I need to call the county office about this or will it eventually show up? Really counting on that money for summer grocery planning.
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Update: My 7yo's 4.0 supplement just posted to our EBT card this morning! So I guess they really are doing it in batches like everyone said. Thanks for the reassurance - I was getting worried for nothing.
Glad to hear it was resolved without you having to contact the county! This is consistent with what we're seeing across California - the distributions are happening in waves but most eligible children should receive their benefits by the second week of June. For anyone else checking this thread with similar concerns, I recommend waiting 14 days before contacting your county office.
Lucky you!!! Still nothing for my 7yo. Been checking constantly. Might try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned because I STILL can't get through on the county line. So tired of this system.
speaking of the 4.0 benefits, does anyone know if summer school counts for getting the summer supplements? my oldest is doing summer school this year and im wondering if she'll get the extra EBT benefits for july/august too
Yes, summer school participation does qualify for the Summer EBT program. Make sure you've indicated on your most recent SAR7 or recertification that your child is enrolled in summer educational programs. The summer benefits are separate from the 4.0 supplement and should be automatically added if your case information is current. The summer program provides approximately $125 per eligible child per summer month for 2025.
Missing May 2025 CalFresh Emergency Allotment - Deposit Day Issues?
Is anyone else still waiting for their emergency supplemental CalFresh benefits today? The county worker told me May 15th would definitely be the deposit date for the extended emergency allotments, but my EBT card balance only shows my regular benefits from the beginning of the month. Nothing extra has been added. I called the EBT customer service line but gave up after being on hold for 45 minutes. Our household (me, husband, 2 kids) has been continuously eligible with no breaks in coverage, so we should definitely qualify for the supplemental benefits. The BenefitsCal website still shows our case as active with no pending issues. Every resource I've checked confirms today is supposed to be the deposit day for Sacramento County. Anyone else having this problem or know what might be going on? Do the deposits sometimes come in waves throughout the day?
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I'm in Riverside county and haven't received anything extra either. Is this supplement automatically applied to everyone on CalFresh or do you have to qualify in some special way? I didn't get any notices about this.
According to what I've read, the new CFAP supplement is for households that meet certain criteria - your household income needs to be under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, and you need to have at least one citizen or qualified immigrant in the household. If you already qualify for regular CalFresh, you most likely qualify for this supplement too. The notification process has been very inconsistent though - some counties sent notices, others didn't.
UPDATE: Just called my county office again and finally got through! The worker confirmed that the supplement payment will come on the 17th for my case number ending in 7. She also said this supplement will be ongoing monthly for at least the rest of 2025, which is a huge relief for our family budget. Thanks everyone for your help figuring this out!
lucky you got thru!! ive been trying all day and cant get past the stupid robot voice!!
Thanks for updating us! That's good to know about the ongoing monthly supplements. The CalFresh program really needs to improve their communication about these changes - it would save everyone so much stress and confusion.
NebulaNinja
also dont 4get to ask them for ur pin again cuz they dont give u the same one with new card. i forgot to ask n had to go back next day cuz i couldnt use the card without it lol
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Ava Garcia
sameday replacement totally depends on office staff n how busy they r. my cousin went in fresno last week n they mailed his card instead cuz they said theyre out of blank ones or somethin. bring cash as backup just in case?
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Dmitry Popov
Are you serious??!! They can just be "out of cards"? That's ridiculous! What are people supposed to do if they need food that day?
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Giovanni Mancini
AuthorNow I'm worried... I really need these benefits this weekend. I'll definitely bring some emergency cash just in case. Thanks for the heads up.
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