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I was supposed to get my CalFresh benefits loaded onto my EBT card on the 10th like usual, but it's the 13th and still nothing. Is anyone else in Los Angeles County experiencing delays this month? My rent went up $175 and I'm counting on this food assistance. Called the customer service line but after waiting 45 minutes I got disconnected. Wondering if it's just me or if there's some county-wide issue going on. When did you guys receive your February benefits?
Hey everyone, I'm trying to figure out what's going on with the emergency supplemental CalFresh benefits this month. I usually get my regular CalFresh on the 10th and then the emergency allotment shows up on the 17th. It's now the 20th and nothing's been added to my EBT card yet for the emergency amount. The regular benefits came through fine. Has anyone else not received their April emergency allotment yet? I called the EBT customer service line but got stuck in that automated system. Is there a delay this month or should I be worried?
This happened to my cousin last month too. The county is rolling out a new payment schedule for the CFAP supplements based on case numbers. Some people are getting them on the 17th, others on the 19th, and some on the 21st now. They're spreading out the payments to reduce system load. Should be the same date for you each month going forward though.
I'm still waiting for mine!!!!! This is RIDICULOUS!!!! I depend on that money for my kids and rent is due next week. The system is completely broken and nobody at the county ever answers their phones. I've been on CalFresh for 5 years and it just keeps getting worse. Are they TRYING to starve people??? I'm so done with this!!!
I understand your frustration, but please keep in mind that CFAP supplements are not meant for rent - they're specifically for food assistance. If you're experiencing a housing crisis, you might want to contact your county's general assistance program or call 211 for emergency resources. Also, double-check that you've submitted all required verification and your most recent SAR7 or recertification. If those are all complete, try contacting your worker through BenefitsCal's secure messaging system, which sometimes gets faster responses than phone calls.
My neighbor has a P-EBT card from the first round of distributions back when they started the program, and she just mentioned she got a text saying something about her card being reloaded in July 2025. I'm confused because I thought P-EBT was a one-time benefit for each issuance period. Has anyone heard if they're actually reusing the old cards instead of sending new ones this time? She doesn't have regular CalFresh, just the P-EBT for her kids, and we're trying to figure out if this is legit or some kind of scam text. The message mentioned keeping her card even if it's empty. Any info would be super helpful!
Update: My neighbor checked her text again and it's definitely from the official P-EBT number she's gotten messages from before. Thanks everyone for the help! She's going to call the hotline tomorrow to verify her kids' eligibility. This community is always so helpful!
does anyone know if the p-ebt card works the same as the regular ebt card?? can she use it at farmers markets and get the extra match?
Yes, P-EBT cards work very similar to regular EBT cards at most locations that accept SNAP/CalFresh. And you're right about farmers markets - P-EBT benefits do qualify for Market Match and other incentive programs that double your dollars at participating farmers markets. This is a great way to stretch those benefits and get fresh produce! The only real difference is that P-EBT is specifically for families with school-age children and has different issuance schedules.
My EBT card was stolen from my wallet last weekend and someone used all my CalFresh AND cash aid benefits before I could report it (about $850 total). I reported it to the fraud department on Monday and filed a police report like they asked. The worker said something about a "10 day emergency replacement" but I'm still waiting and my kids are hungry. Has anyone gone through this? How long did it ACTUALLY take to get your benefits back after theft? The automated line just says "pending investigation" when I call. I'm in Sacramento County if that matters.
Just to update everyone on the current policy: As of 2025, Sacramento County is supposed to process EBT theft claims within 10 business days IF all documentation is complete. The required documentation is: 1) Completed EBT-2259 Benefit Theft Report, 2) Police report or case number, 3) Statement explaining when/how card was stolen, and 4) Completion of the fraud interview. If any of these items are missing, the clock doesn't start. Cash aid (CalWORKs) replacements typically take longer than CalFresh because they require supervisor approval.
Following up on my earlier comment - when I used Claimyr to reach a real person, they told me that theft claims are often delayed because they get sent to a special unit separate from regular EBT customer service. Make sure when you call that you're speaking specifically to someone who handles theft claims, not just a general EBT representative. Regular EBT reps often can't even see the status of theft investigations in their system.
I finally got through using Claimyr like you suggested! You were right - the regular EBT customer service couldn't see details of my theft claim. The specialist I reached said my case was assigned to an investigator but missing the EBT-2259 form. They're emailing it to me now and said once I return it, they'll expedite the review. Thank you so much for the tip!
Has anyone in Sacramento County received their P-EBT cards for school-aged kids with names starting with J yet? My son Jason was supposed to get his by now according to the issuance schedule (it said late April-early May 2025 for J-L last names), but nothing's shown up. My daughter (last name starts with R) got hers already two weeks ago. I called the P-EBT hotline but after waiting 2 hours, got disconnected! I'm worried because we're counting on those extra food benefits with summer coming up. Should I report a lost card or is it just delayed for the J names? Anyone else waiting on Sacramento County P-EBT for J names?
wait is p-ebt the same as pandemic ebt? i thought that ended years ago when covid benefits stopped??? are we still getting those????
Good question. The program was originally called Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), but it's now been extended as a permanent Summer EBT program in California and some other states. It provides food benefits to families with children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals during summer breaks and sometimes during school closures. So while the name is similar, the current program is not specifically tied to the pandemic anymore but continues to provide nutritional support when school meals aren't available.
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?
Mia Alvarez
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.
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JacksonHarris
AuthorThank you for this information! This makes me feel better knowing there's an actual system issue and not something wrong with my case. I'll wait until the 15th before panicking.
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Jeremiah Brown
UPDATE! Just got my benefits loaded about an hour ago! Check your cards everyone!
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JacksonHarris
AuthorJust checked and mine came through too! What a relief. Thanks everyone for the help and information.
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