Anyone in NorCal received school-aged P-EBT cards for 2025 yet? Mine still pending

I'm in Sacramento County and got P-EBT cards for my two elementary schoolers last week. They came in separate envelopes about 3 days apart even though I applied for them at the same time. Check to make sure your mailing address is current in the BenefitsCal portal. Last year my neighbor's cards got returned because she moved and forgot to update her address with the school district.

nothing here in humboldt county yet... my sister in redding got hers tho. I think they're going alphabetical by county maybe?? waiting on cards for my 3 kids too

I'm in Shasta County and we've been waiting too!! So frustrating when they announce these benefits and then take FOREVER to actually get them to families who need them. My kids' school sent home a flyer in January saying to expect them in "early spring" but it's already mid-April! Called the P-EBT hotline 3 times and got disconnected EVERY SINGLE TIME after waiting 45+ minutes. This system is a JOKE. Anyone know how to actually talk to a real person about this??

i got my p-ebt cards last week but they were for my foster kids not my biological kids which is weird??? both should qualify for free lunch. im in butte county btw. anybody know if they send them in batches or something? also the amount loaded was different than last year it was $1,850 per kid this time

I work for an elementary school in Placer County, and we've been telling parents that P-EBT cards are being distributed in phases throughout April and May. The most common issue we're seeing is outdated mailing addresses. Make sure both your school district AND CalFresh/BenefitsCal have your current address. Also, P-EBT is separate from regular CalFresh - different funding streams and administration, so calling the regular CalFresh line might not help. The dedicated P-EBT hotline (833-979-3329) is your best resource, but yes, wait times are extremely long. If your children qualify for free/reduced meals through the school, they should receive P-EBT regardless of whether you get regular CalFresh benefits.

UPDATE: Just got a text message saying my third child's P-EBT card was just mailed today (April 14). So they definitely seem to be sending them out in batches, even within the same household. Check your phone for text notifications from CDSS if you provided a cell number on your CalFresh application!

wait i'm confused... is p-ebt the same as calfresh? i thought they were different things? i get regular ebt food stamps but haven't heard anything about pebt for my kids

For everyone still waiting, here's some helpful information about the 2025 P-EBT rollout: 1. No application is needed if your children already receive free or reduced-price school meals 2. Distribution for Northern California counties began March 15 and continues through May 30 3. Cards are mailed directly to the address on file with your school district 4. The 2025 benefit amount is $1,850 per eligible child 5. Cards for children in the same household may arrive on different days 6. You'll receive a separate P-EBT card for each eligible child 7. Text notifications are sent if you have a mobile number on file 8. The P-EBT hotline (833-979-3329) can verify if cards have been issued 9. Once received, you must activate the card and create a PIN 10. Benefits remain available for 274 days from issuance If you haven't received your cards by May 30, then you should follow up with both your school district and the P-EBT hotline.

Update: I finally got through to someone after using that Claimyr service the other commenter suggested. The rep confirmed my kids' cards were processed on April 10 and should arrive within 7-10 business days! She also explained that they're sending them out by school district, not by county, which is why some people in the same county are getting them at different times. Just sharing in case it helps others know what to expect!