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Anyone received their P-EBT 3.0 cards for CalFresh yet? Still waiting for mine
It's almost July 2025 and I still haven't received my P-EBT 3.0 card in the mail. My neighbor said she got hers last week for her two kids, but nothing in my mailbox yet. I have 3 school-age children who were on free lunch program all year, and we're currently receiving CalFresh benefits. The county office automated message said cards would be mailed between May and August, but I'm getting anxious since summer food costs are already piling up. Has anyone else received their P-EBT 3.0 cards yet? How long did it take after the May announcement? Should I be calling my county worker about this or just keep waiting?
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Confused about my daughter's P-EBT deposits - only got November payments, is this normal?
Hey everyone, feeling a bit lost here about my daughter's P-EBT card. I finally received it in the mail last week (after waiting forever!) and when I checked the balance, I noticed there were only two deposits made - one on November 21st and another on November 30th, 2025. Is this normal? I thought there were supposed to be monthly payments or something? This is my first time dealing with P-EBT and I'm not sure if I should be expecting more deposits to come or if these two November ones are all we're getting. The total amount seems pretty small compared to what I thought we'd receive. Any help would be appreciated!
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btw those two November deposits are probably for different things - like one might be the base benefit and the other could be a supplement. P-EBT is super confusing that way. My daughter's card had some weird split payments too.
totally true lol one of my kids deposits was split into 3 different amounts on different days but it was actually just one month's worth of benefits 🤦♀️
After seeing all these responses, I want to clarify something important: P-EBT is NOT the same program as CalFresh, although both use EBT cards. P-EBT is specifically for school-aged children to replace school meals during eligible periods. The current 2025-2026 P-EBT program issues benefits quarterly, not monthly. The payments you received are likely just the first installment, with more scheduled for February and May 2026. If you need definitive answers, I recommend: 1. Check the P-EBT portal at ca.p-ebt.org and create an account if you haven't 2. Contact your child's school nutrition services department 3. Call the P-EBT hotline at 877-328-9677 (though getting through can be difficult) You can also contact your county CalFresh office, but be aware that some county workers aren't fully trained on P-EBT details since it's administered separately from regular CalFresh benefits.
Thanks for the additional information. I'll try the P-EBT portal first and then contact the school. It sounds like I should expect more deposits based on what everyone's saying, which is a relief. I appreciate all the help!
Confused about P-EBT 3.0 payment amounts for my kids - not just $391?
Hey everyone, I'm totally confused about the P-EBT 3.0 payment amounts. I have two kids (ages 4 and 7) and just received our P-EBT cards in the mail yesterday. My oldest got $391 which makes sense from what I've read, but my 4-year-old only got $250 even though we've been on CalFresh the entire eligibility period (Aug 2021-Aug 2022). And now I'm seeing posts saying we could get MORE than just the standard amount? Something about $7/day for school absences? My son missed almost 3 weeks of school in January 2022 due to covid exposure and quarantine requirements. Would we qualify for additional funds? And how would they even know about those absences? Also, does anyone know if my 4-year-old's amount is correct? She was definitely under 6 as of August 2021 and we've had CalFresh continuously. Thanks for any help understanding this confusing program!
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Does anyone know if homeschooled kids qualify for any of this? My children were homeschooled during 2021-2022 and we were on CalFresh, but I haven't received anything. Not sure if I should be expecting cards or not.
Unfortunately, homeschooled children generally don't qualify for the school-aged P-EBT benefits unless they were enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program. However, if any of your children were under 6 as of August 1, 2021, AND your household received CalFresh between August 2021-August 2022, those younger children would qualify for the under-6 benefit regardless of schooling status.
Update: Just wanted to share that I checked my son's P-EBT card balance today and there was an additional $147 added! Must be for his COVID absences in January. So it does look like they're automatically adding those funds if your school reported the absences correctly. Still nothing extra on my daughter's card, but that makes sense since she wasn't school-aged. Thanks everyone for your help understanding this complicated program!
nice!! i just checked mine and nothing extra yet. gonna call tomorrow
That's excellent news! Thanks for updating us. For everyone's information, the state is processing the COVID absence supplements in batches through July 2025, so some eligible families may not see those additional funds for several more weeks. If you don't see anything by August, that would be the time to pursue the appeals process.
CalFresh 2025 increased benefits not showing up on EBT - still getting old amount
Just checked my EBT balance this morning and I'm confused about my CalFresh benefit amount. I was getting $439 for my household before the 2025 increase was announced. According to the letter I received last month, my benefits should have gone up to $490 starting this month because of the new COLA adjustments. But when I checked my balance today, it's still showing the old $439 amount! Has anyone else not received their increased benefits yet? Is there a delay with the new rates being applied? I'm counting on that extra $51 for groceries this week...
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When I got my notice about the increase I thought it was a scam at first lol. But then I got my increased amount last week no problem. Maybe it depends on which county you're in? I'm in Alameda.
I'm in San Bernardino County. Maybe they're rolling it out by county? At least now I know I'm not the only one experiencing this. I'll give it another week before I start making calls.
When will CalFresh post the extra payment scheduled for 21st? Not showing on EBT account
Anyone know exactly when CalFresh posts that supplemental payment that's supposed to hit on the 21st? I keep checking my EBT balance through the Providers portal but there's nothing showing up about upcoming deposits. My regular benefits already posted earlier this month, but I'm counting on this extra payment for my kids' groceries next week. Is there a specific time they usually load these supplemental benefits? The county worker mentioned it when I called about my recertification last month, but didn't give details on timing. Starting to worry it won't come through...
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UPDATE: The supplement posted this morning! It was actually more than I expected - $387 for adding my nephew to the household mid-month. So relieved. Thanks everyone for your help!
Awesome! Glad it worked out for you. That should definitely help with groceries for the kids.
Thats great! Make sure u submit the SAR7 on time when it comes or they'll cut benefits with no warning. Happened to me and was a NIGHTMARE to fix
For anyone finding this thread later: Supplemental payments for household adjustments typically post on whatever date the eligibility worker enters into the system. They don't show as pending in advance, and won't follow your regular issuance date. If you're expecting a supplement and it doesn't arrive when promised, contact your county office immediately as there may have been an entry error or processing delay.
This is really helpful info. I've been on CalFresh for 3 years and never knew supplements worked differently from regular benefits. Good to know if I ever need to add someone to my case in the future.
QuantumQuasar
ALSO another thing they dont tell u is that u HAVE TO activate the card within 30 days of getting it or they can deactivate it!!! happened to my cousin last year and was HUGE headache to fix. the activate number is on sticker on card
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Zainab Abdulrahman
Is that really true?? Omg I got mine last week and haven't activated it yet because the instructions said funds wouldn't load until July 15th! Running to find it now!
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Miguel Castro
Just to prevent panic: You don't have to activate P-EBT cards within 30 days of receiving them. The cards remain valid for one year after issuance. You should activate them when you receive them, but there's no 30-day deactivation policy. What can happen is if you report a card lost/stolen and then find the original, the original will be deactivated 30 days after reporting it lost. The confusion might be from the regular EBT card policy, which does require contact with the card within 365 days to keep it active. P-EBT follows different rules.
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QuantumQuasar
well all i know is my cousins kids card stopped working and when she called they said it was cuz she didnt activate it fast enough. maybe the worker was wrong but thats what they TOLD her. better safe than sorry!!!!
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