California CalFresh

btw if u dont use all ur tokens at the farmers market they dont go back on ur card u just save them for next time thats what i do

Just wanted to add that some counties also have special events where they boost the matching rate! I went to a "Double Up Day" event at the Santa Monica farmers market last month where they were doing 100% matching up to $40 instead of the usual $20. They announced it on their Facebook page a few days before. Also, if you're shopping at chain stores, Whole Foods and some Ralphs locations participate too - you can usually tell by looking for the "CalFresh Healthy Living" decals near the produce section. The program really has expanded a lot since I first heard about it in 2023!

I'm in a similar situation! I moved twice in 2024 and was so worried about my P-EBT 4.0 card going to the wrong address. What really helped me was creating an account on the P-EBT Portal (pebt.dss.ca.gov) and updating my address there, even though I wasn't sure if it would make a difference. I also contacted my kids' school directly to make sure they had my current address on file. The school registrar told me that as long as I updated it before January 2025, it should be the address they use for P-EBT mailings. Still waiting for my card to arrive, but at least I feel more confident now that it'll come to the right place. Good luck Mason!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! I moved in November 2024 and have been panicking about my P-EBT 4.0 card going to my old apartment. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been SO helpful - it sounds like as long as I updated my address with my son's school before January 2025 (which I did in December), I should be okay. I tried calling the hotline last week and waited 2 hours just to get disconnected, so I'm really grateful for all the real-world data points people are sharing here. Has anyone else noticed if certain counties are getting their cards faster than others? I'm in Orange County and still waiting. Also @Hannah Flores that Claimyr service sounds like a lifesaver - definitely going to try that if I need to call again!

So glad to see Target worked for you! This thread has been super helpful - I've been having the exact same Walmart issues. Just wanted to add that I called my county office yesterday about the "online transaction restriction" that Derek mentioned, and sure enough, I had one on my account too! The worker said it's been automatically flagged on tons of accounts since January 2025 due to some new fraud prevention measures. She removed it and said to wait 24-48 hours before trying Walmart again. For anyone still struggling, definitely ask specifically about "e-commerce blocks" or "online transaction restrictions" when you call your county office. The workers know exactly what you're talking about now because they've been getting so many calls about it.

I am having issues with Wal-mart too but I will be looking into calling the local county office Monday to check into the "online restriction" thing!!! In the meantime, how do I use EBT Cash with Target or CVS? Thanks in advance!!!

my sister works for the school district lunch program and she said they started the new system cuz of budget issues but they didnt have time to update all the computer systems so theyre doing partial payments til they fix everything

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! This has been so helpful. I was panicking thinking we lost eligibility somehow. Based on what everyone's saying, it sounds like this is just the new "split deposit" system they're using. I'll keep checking my balance over the next week for the additional deposits. It's frustrating they didn't send clearer communication about these changes - I never got any notice about the new attendance-based calculations or the split payments. For other parents dealing with this, it seems like the key takeaways are: 1) Check your balance multiple times throughout the month, 2) Absences now reduce benefits by about $4.50/day, and 3) The total monthly amount did increase to $135 if your child has perfect attendance. Really appreciate this community for helping figure this out when the official channels are so hard to reach!

wait I'm confused are we talking about calfresh or calworks? cuz I think those are different systems right???

Another thing to keep in mind - if you do suspect someone tried to steal your card from the mailbox, you might want to report it to your local post office too. Mail theft is a federal crime and they take it pretty seriously. I had issues with mail theft in my neighborhood last year and after I filed a report, they actually increased patrols in our area. It won't help with your immediate EBT situation but could prevent future issues for you and your neighbors.