my kids r in riverside and we got ours last week names start with T if that helps

Update: I asked my sister who works for the school district, and she said the real issue is that they had a problem with the student database for certain schools in Riverside County. They had to manually verify some of the eligibility data, which affected certain last name ranges including R and N. She said all cards should be out by August 10th at the latest, and they're processing about 5,000 cards per day now to catch up.

UPDATE: Just checked my EBT card again and the extra supplement just posted! It was $90 for my household (me + 2 kids). So looks like they ARE sending them out separately just like everyone said. Thanks for all the helpful info!

To answer the question about whether this is recurring: No, this January 2025 supplement is a one-time payment. It's part of the emergency food assistance measure passed in the last budget session to address rising food costs. It's separate from your regular CalFresh benefits and won't continue in future months unless there's new legislation. Also, for those who are confused about seeing their deposit history, you can request an EBT transaction history either through the BenefitsCal portal or by calling the EBT customer service line and requesting a mailed statement. This will show exactly when deposits were made and in what amounts.

Happened 2 me twice last yr. The county gave me replacement $$ but took almost 2 weeks. Make sure u tell them u have no food so they mark it URGENT. also change where u shop, someone at that store might be stealing card #s

UPDATE: I finally got through to the county using the Claimyr service mentioned above. They took my fraud report, deactivated my old card, are sending a new one with expedited shipping, and put a note on my account about the fraud attempt. The worker also told me my recertification next month won't be affected at all. Just wanted to update everyone in case someone else has this problem!

One more tip about preventing future skimming: Always check card readers before inserting your EBT card. Look for loose parts, unusual colors/materials, or anything sticking out. Cover the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN, as thieves often use tiny cameras to capture PINs. Also, the new ebtEDGE app now lets you set up purchase alerts so you're notified immediately of any transactions. That way, you can freeze your card and report suspicious activity before your entire balance is drained.

just updating - my friend had this happen last month and she got her benefits back in like 6 days! way faster than when it happened to me last year. i think theyre getting better at handling these cases since its happening so much. just stay on them and keep calling!!

To answer your question from earlier, Summer EBT is usually automatically provided if your children qualify for free/reduced school meals. The school should provide the information to the state, and then benefits are loaded onto a card (either your existing EBT card or a separate one).\n\nBased on all the replies here, you should:\n\n1. Call about expedited CalFresh benefits (using that call service someone mentioned to avoid the wait)\n2. Check with local churches and community organizations \n3. Make sure your school has your current information for any summer programs\n4. Call 211 to get connected to all available resources in your specific area\n\nHang in there - the first month is the hardest while waiting for benefits to start.

Thank you so much for this summary! I'm going to start with calling about expedited benefits tomorrow using that Claimyr service. I just checked and my county has a 211 website too so I'm looking through that now. It feels so overwhelming but this helps a lot to have steps to follow.