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Wait, are we talking about school P-EBT or summer P-EBT? Because those are different, right? I've been expecting the summer one and wasn't aware of a new school year distribution. Can someone please explain the difference? My kids get free lunch at school already.
You're right that there are different P-EBT distributions. For the 2025 cycle: 1. School Year P-EBT: This covers days when children couldn't access school meals during the regular school year (currently being distributed) 2. Summer P-EBT: This is a separate benefit to help with food costs during summer break when school meals aren't available (typically distributed in June/July) Both are automatic if your children qualify for free/reduced meals. You don't need to apply separately. The current discussion is about the School Year P-EBT that's rolling out now through May.
Anyone know how much we're supposed to get per kid this time? Last year it was like $120 per kid per month for 5 months, but I heard they reduced it this year?
For the 2025 school year, P-EBT benefits are $130 per eligible child per month for qualifying months. Some counties may receive fewer months of benefits depending on how many qualifying school closure or virtual instruction days they had. The maximum benefit period is 5 months, so potentially up to $650 per child for the full benefit period. This is actually a slight increase from last year's rate.
Our elementary school sent home a flyer about this last week. The Jan-May 2023 P-EBT is scheduled for distribution in March-April 2025, and benefits will be loaded onto existing 3.0 cards. For anyone who lost their card, you can request a replacement at 877-328-9677. Just a heads up - the replacement takes 7-10 business days, so if you need a new card, request it now before the benefits are loaded. Hope this helps!
wait so this is different from calfresh right? i get regular ebt but my kids still got pebt cards during covid. will they still get this benefit even tho our income went up and we dont get calfresh anymore?
Yes, P-EBT is completely separate from CalFresh. P-EBT eligibility is based on whether your children qualified for free or reduced-price school meals during the specific time period (in this case, January-May 2023). If your kids were eligible during that period, they'll receive the benefit regardless of your current income or CalFresh status. The eligibility was determined based on your situation in 2023, not now.
btw if ur worried about making food last til next month check out ur local food bank. the one near me gives out really good produce on tuesdays and thursdays. definitely helps when im low at the end of the month
To answer your follow-up question about updating expenses: Yes, reporting your increased rent and medical expenses could potentially increase your benefit amount. Medical expenses over $35/month for elderly or disabled household members can be deducted, and housing costs are a major factor in benefit calculations. You can submit this information to your county office even between regular reporting periods if the changes would increase your benefits. Use the "Report of Change" form (some counties call it "Change Report Form" or "CW 377.5") to document these expenses and include copies of receipts or bills as verification. This can be done through BenefitsCal online or by mail/fax to your county office.
this is why i HATE the calfresh system!!! they keep changing the rules and not telling anyone. first they give extra benefits then they take them away with NO NOTICE!!! how are we supposed to budget???
The emergency allotments actually ended with plenty of notice - counties sent letters to all recipients several months before the program ended in 2023. But I understand your frustration. Changes to benefits can be really disruptive, especially for those on fixed incomes.
Just to add one more thing - if you're seniors on fixed income and your IRT is N/A, you might want to check if you qualify for simplified reporting. Some seniors only need to report changes once a year instead of submitting the SAR7 every six months. Makes the paperwork burden much lighter!
Freya Christensen
UPDATE: I found the letter! You guys were right - it was about adding my nephew. The letter says I'll get an additional $110 for May (prorated since he moved in on the 12th) and starting June my regular amount will increase by $178 monthly. The additional May amount should be on my EBT card by the 20th. Thanks everyone for the help!!
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Omar Hassan
Glad you got it figured out! That makes perfect sense - the mid-period adjustment for adding a household member is exactly what we were talking about. And now you know your regular benefits will be higher going forward. 👍
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