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I work with a nonprofit that helps families access benefits. P-EBT 4.0 distribution for middle school students is scheduled April 20-May 15. If nothing arrives by May 20th, I'd recommend reaching out to your school district's nutrition services office first, as they can confirm if your child's eligibility information was correctly submitted. The state hotline is overwhelmed right now with so many families calling about the new distribution.
I just checked the P-EBT website and they posted an update yesterday - there's apparently a processing delay specifically affecting 7th and 8th graders in some districts due to a data transfer issue. They say benefits will still be issued but may be delayed until late May for affected students. Might explain what's happening with your kid's benefits.
Just to give you some hope - I had benefits stolen last month ($875) and although it took almost 10 days to get the claim processed, they did eventually restore the full amount. The key was persistent follow-up and getting my county worker involved directly when the EBT customer service wasn't helping. The EBT card system really needs better security. Until then, remember to: 1. Change your PIN regularly 2. Check your balance frequently 3. Consider transferring benefits to your bank account if possible (though this has its own risks) 4. Never respond to texts/emails about your EBT benefits - they're all scams
YES! Finally got through this morning. You guys were right - I called my county office directly instead of the EBT line and spoke to a real person after about 45 minutes on hold. They took my claim and said they're processing an emergency replacement that should be available within 3 days. They also said they've never heard of being "out of claim numbers" so that first rep was definitely giving me incorrect info. Thanks everyone for your help!
i think your cutting the card messed things up cause the system mighta tried to transfer everything but the card wasnt active no more???? anyone else think thats what happened?
That's not how it works. Cutting up the physical card doesn't deactivate the account. The benefits are tied to the account number, not the physical card. When you request a replacement, they simply send a new card that accesses the same account. The issue here is that there are two separate accounts (one for each county) rather than a complete transfer of benefits to the new county account.
UPDATE: I called the EBT customer service line and they're sending me a replacement for my old Alameda card! They said my supplemental benefits are still there (phew!!). They're mailing it to my new address and I should get it in 7-10 business days. I also called San Bernardino County and asked about the ICT form someone mentioned. The worker said they did submit it but these things can take time to process fully. She suggested I use up the benefits on both cards, and by next month everything should be consolidated on my new card. Thanks everyone for the help!!
The fruit and vegetable benefit amounts vary by county and implementation phase. The full program rollout with $67/person isn't complete statewide yet. Some counties are still in phase one with lower amounts. The amount also depends on whether you're in the control or test group for the pilot program. It's supposed to be fully implemented by July 2025.
Zane Hernandez
be carful some markets say they do the program but then the machines are broke or the person doesn't know how to use it. happened to me twice now and i got all the way there with my kids just to be told "sorry not today". frustrating!!!
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Nora Brooks
•This! I got to the market once and they ran out of tokens. Now I always go early in the day. Most programs have limited funding.
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Aurora St.Pierre
Just wanted to add some important details: The official name is California's CalFresh Healthy Nutrition Incentive Program (HNIP), which includes several initiatives like Market Match, California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP), and GusNIP. For 2025, the program has expanded to more retailers and the match amount has increased in some locations to $15-20. The key is that you need to use your EBT card to make eligible purchases, and the additional benefits are provided immediately during that transaction. These incentives don't count against your regular monthly CalFresh benefit amount and don't need to be reported as income on your SAR7 or recertification.
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Christopher Morgan
•This is exactly what I needed to know! Especially that it doesn't affect my regular benefits or count as income. I'll try it out this weekend at the farmers market.
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