UPDATE: I was able to get through to my worker using that Claimyr service and you were all right - the July 23 date was my recertification deadline, not a payment date. The worker let me complete the recertification over the phone and said my benefits should continue without interruption! She also explained that the emergency allotments ended in 2023 and told me about some local food banks I can use if needed. Thank you all so much for your help!

I see this happen ALL THE TIME. The notices can be confusing. For everyone reading, here's a quick guide: - Regular benefits: Issued between 1st-10th based on case number - SAR7: Due twice a year (6-month intervals) - Recertification: Once per year - Income changes: Must report within 10 days if you go over your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) The COVID emergency allotments gave everyone the maximum benefit for their household size regardless of income, but that ended in February 2023. Many people are still adjusting to the lower benefit amounts.

UPDATE: Called my county worker this morning and they confirmed there's been a bunch of reports about the EBT system showing phantom PIN changes from 11/30! Apparently it was a system update that incorrectly displayed as PIN changes to users. My benefits were deposited normally today and I can access them with my PIN. So relieved!!! Still glad I changed my PIN just to be safe though. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

Great news! For anyone reading this later - always better to be safe than sorry with EBT security! I always change my PIN every few months just to be extra careful with my foodstamps.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!