Anyone received P-EBT for K-12 students yet in 2025? My kids' school supposed to be eligible
So I've been checking my mail everyday for like the past 3 weeks looking for P-EBT cards for my kids (got 3 in elementary/middle school). Their school qualifies for the free lunch program, and I thought P-EBT was supposed to start going out in March? Has anyone actually received their cards yet or know when they're coming? The school sent some flyer home saying eligible families would automatically get it, but I haven't seen anything. Getting worried since groceries are crazy expensive right now and this would really help us out.
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Ravi Kapoor
got mine last week for my high schooler!!! came in plain white envelope almost threw it away lol. check ur mail careful
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Isabella Oliveira
•For real?? Was it a separate card or did it load onto your CalFresh EBT? And was there any notice before it showed up?
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Freya Larsen
The P-EBT rollout is happening in phases this year. K-12 cards are being sent out based on county and school district, not all at once. If your children's school qualifies for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or has at least 40% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, you should receive cards eventually. The state website says distribution for 2025 will continue through June, so it could still be coming. You can check eligibility at cdss.ca.gov/pebt or by calling the P-EBT hotline at 877-328-9677, but be prepared for long wait times.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Thanks for the info. Definitely going to check that website. I've been keeping track of the money we spend on food and it's INSANE how much three growing kids can eat lol.
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GalacticGladiator
•good luck getting through on that phone number tho!! i called like 12 times last month and gave up. just kept getting a message saying high call volume and then it hung up on me every time 😡
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Omar Zaki
I'm still waiting too and starting to worry. My neighbor got hers last week but we're in the same district so I don't understand why I didn't get mine. My kids definitely qualify since they get free lunch at school. Does anyone know if there's a way to check your status online? So frustrated with this whole process.
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Chloe Taylor
•Had the EXACT same issue last year - neighbor got it but I didn't. Turns out they had my old address even though everything else was updated. When I finally reached someone (took FOREVER), they reissued the cards. Don't wait too long to follow up!
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Diego Flores
Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing - P-EBT is separate from regular CalFresh benefits. Even if you already have a CalFresh EBT card, the P-EBT benefits come on a completely different card. Each eligible child will receive their own P-EBT card with their name on it. The current phase of distribution (P-EBT 5.0) covers the 2024-2025 school year and is being distributed in stages. If you're having trouble reaching someone on the P-EBT hotline, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically wait on hold for you with the P-EBT hotline and call you back when a real person is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration last year when I had a problem with my kids' cards. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Isabella Oliveira
•Didn't know they were totally different cards! Thanks for explaining. I'll give that service a try if I don't hear anything by next week.
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Anastasia Ivanova
I work for a school district (not sharing which one for privacy) and can confirm that P-EBT cards are still being mailed out. The distribution schedule varies by county and is happening in waves. The state doesn't notify schools exactly when cards will arrive for their students. If your children qualify for free/reduced meals through direct certification (CalFresh, CalWORKs, etc.) or income applications, they should receive P-EBT. If they attend a CEP school where all students get free meals regardless of household income, they'll also qualify. One important note: P-EBT eligibility is based on your information from October 2024. If you moved or had other changes after that, it could affect delivery. Contact the P-EBT hotline to update your info if needed.
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Ravi Kapoor
•thx for the insider info!! my friend said they didnt get it cuz they moved in december. makes sense now
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Omar Zaki
•That's my worry - we moved in January but I updated our address with the school right away. Should I have contacted someone else about P-EBT specifically?
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Isabella Oliveira
Update: I JUST got the cards today! Three separate envelopes with my kids' names on them. They came in white envelopes that honestly looked like junk mail, so check your mail carefully! Each card has $765 for my elementary schoolers and $832 for my middle schooler. So relieved! Thanks everyone for the help.
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Chloe Taylor
•That's awesome! Perfect timing with summer coming up. Those benefit amounts are higher than last year too.
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Ravi Kapoor
•lucky!!! glad u got it tho. def helps with these crazy food prices!
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Connor Murphy
Congrats on getting yours! Still waiting here but this gives me hope. Quick question - did you have to activate the cards or anything when they arrived, or are they ready to use right away? Also wondering if anyone knows how long we have to use the benefits once we get them? Don't want to let them expire if there's a deadline.
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Omar Farouk
•The P-EBT cards are ready to use as soon as you receive them - no activation needed! Just make sure to sign the back of each card. As for expiration, P-EBT benefits typically have a pretty long shelf life compared to regular food benefits. From what I remember, they usually give you at least a year to use them, but the exact date should be printed somewhere on the card or the paperwork that comes with it. You can also check the balance and expiration date by calling the number on the back of the card. Hope yours arrive soon!
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Natasha Kuznetsova
Just wanted to add that if you're still waiting, don't panic! I got mine about 2 weeks after my sister got hers and we live in the same zip code. The distribution really is random within each phase. Also, for anyone who's cards might get lost or stolen, you can report them through the EBT customer service line and they'll send replacements. Had to do this last year when my daughter's card never showed up - turns out our mail carrier was having issues. The replacement came within about 10 days. Hang in there everyone!
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Maya Lewis
•Thanks for sharing that! It's really reassuring to know the distribution timing can vary so much even within the same area. Good to know about the replacement process too - I never thought about what happens if they get lost in the mail. These days with package theft being so common, it's probably more of an issue than people realize. Definitely going to keep checking my mail carefully for those plain white envelopes everyone's mentioning!
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Ethan Clark
Been following this thread anxiously since I'm in the same boat! Got 2 kids in elementary and we qualify for free lunch but haven't seen our cards yet. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - especially the tip about the plain white envelopes. I've probably been tossing mail thinking it was spam! Going to start checking everything more carefully now. Also good to know about Claimyr if I need to call the hotline. The waiting is so stressful when you're budgeting tight and counting on this help. Thanks for keeping us all updated!
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