That's exactly what I'm worried about. I don't want to count on money that's not actually coming. I'll try to get through to the county office tomorrow and get a definite answer. It seems like there's a lot of confusion around these benefits, even among the workers.

This is a good point. Summer EBT is a relatively new program that provides food benefits to eligible children during summer break when school meals aren't available. California is participating in this program for 2025. If your children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, they might be eligible for Summer EBT benefits. This could be what your caseworker was referring to, rather than a second P-EBT payment. Definitely contact your county office to clarify which specific program was being referenced. CalFresh, P-EBT, and Summer EBT are related but separate programs with different eligibility requirements and payment schedules.

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.

That's a really good point! We did move in October, and while I updated it with the school directly, I wonder if it all transferred correctly to whatever system they use for the P-EBT cards. I'll call the school tomorrow to confirm. Thanks for the suggestion!

This is technically correct but I swear they deliberately "lose" paperwork to restart the clock. They "lost" my police report TWICE during my claim process even though I submitted it online with a confirmation number.

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!

That makes sense - thanks for explaining! I'll make a note that the 21st seems to be my new payment date. Wish they'd sent some kind of notice about this change though.

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.

Glad to hear it was legitimate! I went through something similar last month - was convinced a text was a scam until I called and verified. With all the benefit scams going around these days, you can never be too careful.

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.