i just go to the office in person now cause the app AND the website are both trash lol easier to just hand them papers directly

Update on your specific issues: For the BenefitsCal app in Shasta County, there's a known issue affecting users trying to upload verification documents. The county is aware of it and working on a fix. In the meantime, you can email documents to shastaESS@co.shasta.ca.us with your case number in the subject line, or use the website version which is more stable. For P-EBT status, Shasta County's distribution is scheduled for late March 2025, so you likely won't receive notification until early March. The P-EBT cards are mailed to the address the school district has on file, so make sure your address is current with your children's school.

As someone who's helped several clients with this issue, I want to clarify some information: 1. Yes, California now has a limited EBT theft reimbursement program as of October 2024 2. You must report the theft within 10 days of discovery 3. You need to submit form CF 303 along with a police report 4. The county can replace benefits stolen via skimming/electronic theft (not PIN-based transactions) 5. There's a maximum of two months of replacements per federal fiscal year 6. Processing time is typically 15-30 days The most critical factor is documenting everything and following up persistently. Many county workers aren't fully trained on the new replacement program yet, so you might need to specifically mention "Administrative Notice 24-12 regarding EBT benefit theft replacement" to get to the right person. Also, request a PIN change and new card immediately to prevent further theft.

Update on this issue: The state recently announced additional EBT security measures rolling out in 2025. They're finally adding chip technology to new cards and implementing transaction alerts via text message. But that doesn't help right now, unfortunately. One thing I didn't see mentioned - if you're approved for replacement benefits, make sure you request a new card with a different card number before those replacement benefits are loaded. Otherwise, if your card information was compromised through skimming, thieves could potentially access the replacement benefits too.

Just to clarify some information in this thread: 1. The program changed names from P-EBT (pandemic-related) to Summer EBT (federal name) to Summer Food Benefits (California's implementation name) 2. Each county follows the same state distribution schedule, but some counties may be processing faster than others 3. Children in the same household may receive cards on different days even with the same last name - this is normal 4. The benefit amount is $43.50 per child per month (June, July, August) totaling $130.50 per child for summer 2025 5. Once activated, benefits remain available for 274 days If you're having trouble reaching someone, you can also check status at calfresh.dss.ca.gov/summer or text SUMMEREBT to 877-877.

It's a completely separate white card that looks different from your regular Golden State Advantage EBT card. It will come in a white envelope addressed to your child (not to you), which is why these sometimes get overlooked in the mail. The card itself will say "California Summer Food Benefits" on it.

also make sure ur actually at a store that accepts ebt!! not all grocery stores do and some only accept it for certain items. my first time i tried using it at this small market and they didnt take ebt at all and i was so confused

UPDATE: I just wanted to follow up because I noticed there was a system-wide delay reported for CalFresh benefits deposited on September 5th due to a processing error. Several counties were affected. Benefits should be loaded by midnight tonight according to the CalFresh status page. Here's the direct number for the California EBT Customer Service if you need to check your balance again: 1-877-328-9677. You can also check status updates at www.ebt.ca.gov.

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.

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!