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my niece had the same thing happen and it turned out her birthday made her switch categories or something?? like once they turn 2 they count differently than the babies or something. did your kid have a birthday recently?
Update: I finally got through to someone at P-EBT! The daycare had actually reported him absent for the whole month of April because of a system error on their end (even though he only missed that one week). The P-EBT worker put in a correction and said benefits for both missing months should be loaded within 10 business days. They're also sending me a letter confirming everything. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great news! Make sure to save that letter in case there are any issues with the retroactive benefits being loaded. And set a calendar reminder to check his P-EBT balance in exactly 10 business days - if it's not there, call back right away using the reference number from the letter.
my neighbor said the government can track everything u buy with ebt and thats how they catch people selling their benefits which is a FELONY just fyi be careful who u talk to about ur card
That's partially correct. The system does record where benefits are spent and for what amount, but not the specific items purchased. And yes, selling benefits is illegal and treated seriously. However, this is unrelated to the current discussion about theft via skimming. No one here is suggesting anything improper with benefits - we're discussing protecting legitimate benefits from criminals.
I just changed my PIN and set up text alerts for transactions! The worker at my county office finally called me back and confirmed there was a skimming operation they busted at several stores around town. She said they're working with the local police department and the USDA to investigate. She also mentioned they're planning to replace the affected clients' benefits but it could take 30-45 days for the funds to be restored. I'm checking my balance every morning now just to be safe. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice!
Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing here: P-EBT 4.0 benefits for children under 6 are being issued on a rolling basis through July 2025. Benefits are loaded to your P-EBT card (the special one, not your regular CalFresh EBT card). The strange cases where one child receives benefits before another in the same household typically happen when children are in different age groups or were added to CalFresh at different times. If you haven't received benefits by the end of June, then it would be worth following up with your county office.
Update: After helping several clients with this exact issue (Sam's Club in Illinois), I've learned that the state is now investigating this as a coordinated fraud ring. If you call your county office, specifically mention Case #FSF-2025-876 which is the statewide fraud investigation number for this specific scam. This might help expedite your replacement benefits. Also, until this is resolved, here are some protective steps: 1. Change your PIN immediately after benefits are deposited 2. Transfer benefits to a separate account if possible 3. Consider using the BenefitsCal app to freeze/unfreeze your card between uses 4. Examine all card readers before inserting your card (look for loose parts) I'm sorry you're dealing with this. The system should be protecting vulnerable families, not making them prove they were victims.
i got my benefits back after my card was skimmed!!! took 6 weeks tho. what worked was i went to the actual county office in person with all my evidence. brought my work schedule, bus receipts, even a affadavit from my neighbor who saw me that day. in-person they actually listen better than on phone. good luck!!
Zoe Walker
anyone know if the pbt is a one time payment or do they reload the card again next month??
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Ryan Kim
•From what I understand after reading everything here, this seems to be a one-time payment for now. That's why it's so frustrating that it's such a small amount! Barely covers a week or two of food costs for growing kids.
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Elijah Brown
Just to clarify about the P-EBT amount that several people have mentioned - the $230 per child is specifically for the fall semester period. It's calculated based on a daily rate multiplied by the number of eligible school days. If you're struggling with food costs beyond what P-EBT and CalFresh provide, here are some additional resources in LA County: 1. WIC (if you have children under 5) 2. Food banks - LA Regional Food Bank has distribution sites throughout the county 3. School-based pantries - many LAUSD and other district schools now have food pantries for families 4. Summer meal programs will be starting soon where kids can get free meals during summer break Also, if your income has decreased recently or your expenses have increased significantly, you can report these changes to potentially increase your regular CalFresh benefits, even if it's not your regular reporting month.
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Natalie Chen
•The food banks are ALWAYS out of food by the time working parents can get there!!! I've tried 3 different locations and they're all picked clean by noon. Some of us WORK during distribution hours and can't just take off whenever we want!!!
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