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For everyone in this thread, here's important information about protecting your remaining and future benefits: 1. Change your PIN immediately and use a non-obvious number (not birthdays, sequential numbers, etc.) 2. Check your EBT account regularly for suspicious activity 3. Never share your PIN or card information with anyone 4. Be careful about where you use your card - avoid sketchy ATMs or card readers that look unusual 5. Consider checking for skimmers before using your card (wiggle the card reader) 6. If possible, use your EBT card at major retailers rather than smaller stores Also, there's a bill currently in committee (AB-508) that would enhance fraud protections for EBT users. Consider contacting your representatives to support stronger protections.
Based on what I've heard, this appears to affect both CalFresh food benefits and CalWORKs cash benefits on EBT cards. The policies for both programs regarding electronic theft are generally aligned. I recommend taking extra precautions with your cash benefits - perhaps withdrawing them as soon as they're deposited rather than keeping them on the card.
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP US CONFUSED AND UNDERPAID!!! They intentionally make the process complicated so fewer people get the benefits they deserve. I had to fight for months to get my correct benefit amount after they 'lost' my verification documents THREE TIMES. And now they just cancel extra benefits with barely any notice???
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at my county office! They confirmed what several of you said - the extra supplement ended in May. The worker actually was really helpful and went through all my expenses with me. Turns out I've been undercounting my housing and childcare costs. She said my regular benefits should increase by about $80/month after she processes the updated information, which doesn't completely replace the supplement but helps a lot. Thanks everyone for your advice!
That's great news! So glad you were able to get some of the benefit back through proper expense reporting. This is exactly why it's so important to report ALL qualifying expenses. For anyone else reading this thread, remember that even things like child support payments and certain educational expenses can count as deductions for CalFresh calculations.
The whole program is a scam to make us dependent on government handouts. They deliberately make it confusing so people give up applying. My sister works in a school and says half the cards never even reach families because they get lost in the mail or sent to old addresses. They should just increase regular CalFresh benefits instead of creating these complicated new programs every year that barely work.
P-EBT was actually created as an emergency program during COVID to ensure children who normally received meals at school could still access food when schools were closed. It's since been extended to help address ongoing food insecurity. The program has actually been quite successful overall, distributing over $2.2 billion in food assistance to California children in previous phases. The implementation certainly has room for improvement, but the program itself has helped millions of families put food on the table. For families who don't qualify for regular CalFresh (due to income limits), P-EBT is often their only food assistance option.
Update: I finally got through to someone helpful! Called the P-EBT specific number (877-328-9677) that was suggested here and after waiting about 45 minutes, I spoke with someone who actually knew what they were talking about. She confirmed my kids ARE in the system and eligible. The cards for our county are being mailed out next week! The three categories thing was just about how they're prioritizing card distribution. She also said to make sure our address is updated in both the school system AND on the ca.p-ebt.org portal. For anyone else dealing with this confusion, definitely use the P-EBT specific number instead of the regular CalFresh line. The regular CalFresh workers don't seem to have accurate info about P-EBT at all!
Great news! I'm so glad you got accurate information. This is exactly why I suggested the dedicated P-EBT line - they have direct access to the P-EBT database and actual training on the program. Regular CalFresh workers are only trained on SNAP/CalFresh benefits and often give incorrect information about P-EBT. Make sure to activate the cards as soon as you receive them. The benefits don't expire for at least a year, so you can use them gradually if needed.
my sister got hers yesterday and she said it was $250 for her two kids. someone told her its gonna happen every summer now not just this year which would be really helpful
UPDATE: You guys were right! Just checked my EBT card balance this morning and the Summer Nutrition money was added yesterday evening. Exactly $250 for my two kids. What a relief! Thanks everyone for your help explaining this - the official website was so confusing compared to the clear info you all provided here.
Keisha Jackson
Sorry, didn't mean to ask something that gets asked all the time! I'm new to all this and my worker didn't really explain much when I got approved - just sent a letter with my benefit amount.
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QuantumLeap
Not your fault. I'm just frustrated with the system. They should give clear information to new applicants instead of leaving everyone confused.
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