UPDATE: Finally got through to someone at the county office! They said the supplement was approved but got stuck in their system because of a "batch processing error" (whatever that means). The worker said she'd manually release it and I should see it on my EBT card within 3 business days. She also said this is happening to quite a few people right now because of a recent system update. If anyone else is having this problem, definitely keep trying to reach your county office. Thanks everyone for your help!

One more thing to keep in mind - make sure you check your balance daily once they say they've fixed it. Sometimes these supplements come through at odd hours and not necessarily on your regular benefit deposit day. Also, when you get it, check that the amount matches what you were approved for. I've seen cases where they fix the issue but only part of the benefit amount actually posts. If that happens, you'll need to call them again. Glad you got through to someone!

I work at a community resource center in Long Beach, and we've had several clients come in this week with the same issue. From what we can tell, there was a technical issue with the benefit distribution system affecting about 30% of LA County recipients. Benefits are being released in batches through Feb 15th. If you don't receive yours by then, that's when you should escalate.

UPDATE! Just got my benefits loaded about an hour ago! Check your cards everyone!

btw i called my post office supervisor and they said mail theft is up like 200% in alameda county right now so def report it if u think its stolen

Good news - I just checked the P-EBT website and they've posted an alert about mailing delays in several counties including Alameda. They're saying to wait up to 15 business days after seeing it in Informed Delivery before reporting it missing. They're also extending the benefit redemption period by 30 days to account for these delays. To answer the question about card security - yes, P-EBT cards require activation and PIN setup, so a stolen card can't be used without the activation information that's sent separately. Still, report any suspected lost or stolen cards right away.

wait is p-ebt the same as pandemic ebt? i thought that ended years ago when covid benefits stopped??? are we still getting those????

You know what I just remembered - my sister (she lives in Folsom but still Sacramento County) had this issue last year with her kid Jackson. The card never showed up and she had to report it missing. Turned out they had his school registration address which was our old address from when they stayed with us. Maybe double check that the school has your correct address on file?

the people stealing these cards should be ASHAMED of themselves. taking food from children!!! what is wrong with people these days. back in my day we would never dream of stealing from neighbors especially not FOOD MONEY. society is going downhill fast. hope they catch whoever did this to you.

One important update for everyone in this thread: If you're experiencing P-EBT theft, you should be documenting the incident with BOTH the local police AND the USPS Postal Inspector if it was stolen from your mailbox. The Postal Inspector report can carry more weight in your CalFresh fraud investigation because it establishes federal mail theft, which is taken very seriously. You can file a report online at https://www.uspis.gov/report. Also, once your benefits are restored, I strongly recommend setting up online account access immediately so you can monitor for any suspicious activity. You can also request that your replacement card be sent to your local CalFresh office for pickup rather than mailed to your home if mail theft is common in your area.