Anyone in Fresno-Modesto received their P-EBT 3.0 payments yet? Central Valley folks check in!
Has anyone in the Central Valley (specifically Fresno or Modesto areas) received their P-EBT 3.0 benefits yet? I've been checking my kids' cards every day for the past two weeks and nothing's shown up. According to the CDSS website, they were supposed to start issuing them this month for our region, but I'm starting to get worried. My neighbor said she got hers last week, but when I called the P-EBT hotline, they just gave me a generic response about distribution being 'in progress'. Just wondering if I'm the only one still waiting or if most of us in the valley are in the same boat?
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Javier Garcia
Got mine yesterday in Clovis! They loaded about $1,525 for my two elementary schoolers. Check your balance on the website not just the app - sometimes the app doesn't update right away. If you still don't see anything by Friday, I'd recommend calling them back. The regular P-EBT line is useless but I found a way to actually reach a human who can check your specific case. Try Claimyr - they connect you directly to a CalFresh worker without waiting on hold. I used it last week when I had questions about my P-EBT status: claimyr.com - there's even a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Emma Taylor
•did u have to pay for that service tho? seems sketchy tbh
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Javier Garcia
•Yeah there's a fee but after spending 3 hrs getting disconnected repeatedly I decided it was worth it. Not sketchy at all - they just dial for you and call when someone answers. Saved me a day of frustration
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Malik Robinson
nothing here in madera yet. my sister in merced got hers tho. i think theyre going county by county
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NebulaNomad
•Thanks for the update. So frustrating how they're rolling it out without any clear timeline. Do you know which counties are supposed to be first?
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Isabella Silva
Hi everyone, I work with a community resource center in Fresno and wanted to clarify some P-EBT 3.0 distribution information. The Central Valley distribution is happening in phases throughout February-March 2025. Here's the approximate schedule: - Stanislaus County: Feb 10-15 - Merced County: Feb 14-20 - Madera County: Feb 17-23 - Fresno County: Feb 20-28 - Kings County: Feb 25-Mar 5 If your children were eligible for free or reduced-price meals during the qualifying period, you should receive benefits during your county's timeframe. The amounts range from $455 to $1,230 per child depending on their school's virtual/hybrid status during the qualifying period. If you've moved since last school year or changed addresses, that could delay your issuance. If you don't receive benefits within 5 days after your county's end date, I recommend contacting the P-EBT 3.0 processing center directly at 877-328-9677 (best time to call is right when they open at 8am).
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Ravi Choudhury
•Thank u for this info! I'm in Fresno and was getting worried. Question - what if my kids changed schools in the middle of the qualifying period? Will that affect how much we get?
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Isabella Silva
•Great question! If your children changed schools during the qualifying period, your P-EBT benefit amount will be calculated based on both schools' statuses. The system will prorate the benefit amounts according to how many days they attended each school. This might result in a slightly different amount than other families, but the system accounts for these changes.
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CosmosCaptain
I received my P-EBT 3.0 benefits for my three children in Modesto last week (Feb 12th). Total amount was about $3,760. However, I initially thought I didn't receive it because I was checking the wrong cards. Important reminder: P-EBT benefits are loaded onto the special WHITE P-EBT cards, not your regular CalFresh EBT card. If your children received P-EBT 1.0 or 2.0, check those same white cards. If you never received a P-EBT card previously, you should be getting a new card in the mail around the same time your benefits are loaded. In my experience with the previous rounds, sometimes the benefits arrive before the card does. Also worth noting that the P-EBT 3.0 benefits do NOT affect your regular CalFresh eligibility or benefit amounts. They are completely separate programs.
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Freya Johansen
•OMG THANK YOU!!!!! I just checked our white cards from last year and the money is there!!!! Ive been checking our regular EBT cards this whole time lol. Can't believe I forgot about the separate cards. You just saved me hours of stress!!!
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CosmosCaptain
•So glad I could help! It's an easy mistake to make since they're separate systems. The P-EBT cards can be used exactly like regular EBT for food purchases, but they do have different PINs and websites for checking balances.
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Emma Taylor
anybody know if theyr basing this on 2023 or 2024 school year???? my kids wernt on free lunch till this year
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Isabella Silva
•P-EBT 3.0 is based on the 2021-2022 school year eligibility for free or reduced-price meals, not the current school year. This is because it's specifically designed to cover the period when schools were still affected by COVID-related closures or reduced in-person attendance. If your children weren't eligible for free/reduced meals during that time period, unfortunately they wouldn't qualify for this round of P-EBT.
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Emma Taylor
•thats such bs!!! my kids were doing distance learning too but we made like $100 over the cutoff that year. now we qualify but dont get the help 🙄
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Ravi Choudhury
I got mine for my 4 kids in Fresno yesterday!!!! FINALLY! But one of my kids only got $455 while the other three got $1,230 each. They're all at the same school so I don't understand why there's a difference. Has anyone else had this issue with different amounts for kids at the same school? Should I call and ask about it or just be happy with what we got?
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Isabella Silva
•This might be due to enrollment dates or attendance records. If one child wasn't enrolled for the full qualifying period (perhaps started school later or had extended absences), they might receive a prorated amount. Also, if one child was doing in-person learning while others were virtual, that could explain the difference. It's worth calling to confirm the reason, but these are common explanations for varying amounts.
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Ravi Choudhury
•Ahhh that makes sense! My youngest started kindergarten in October not August. That must be why his is lower. Mystery solved! Thanks!!
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NebulaNomad
Update: After checking our white P-EBT cards from last year (I completely forgot they were separate from our regular EBT), I found that our benefits were loaded yesterday! $1,230 each for my two kids. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and information.
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Javier Garcia
•Great news! Glad it worked out for you. The separate cards definitely confuse a lot of people.
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