Anyone with last name starting with D received their CalFresh P-EBT card yet?
Hey everyone, I'm getting really worried. My coworker (last name starts with C) got her P-EBT card for her kids last week, but my family hasn't received anything yet. Our last name starts with D and I was told benefits would be distributed alphabetically. Has anyone with last names starting with D received their cards yet? We're really counting on this extra food assistance for the summer while the kids are home from school. The county office keeps putting me on hold for hours or disconnecting me when I try to call.
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Keisha Williams
My last name is Diaz and we got ours yesterday!! Check ur mail carefully - the envelope looks like junk mail, almost threw mine away!!!
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PixelPioneer
•Really? That's concerning because we get a lot of junk mail and I might have missed it. What kind of envelope was it? Any specific markings I should look for?
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Paolo Rizzo
I work as an eligibility worker, and the P-EBT card distribution for summer 2025 is happening in phases. Last names A-C were sent out two weeks ago, D-F are being processed this week, and G-L should go out next week. The rest will follow in subsequent weeks. Keep in mind these cards are not processed by the regular CalFresh office - they're handled by a separate state department, so calling your county CalFresh office won't always help. If you don't receive your card by next Friday, you should call the dedicated P-EBT helpline at 877-328-9677. Just be aware that line is often overwhelmed with calls.
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Amina Sy
•this is why the system is so broken!!! one dept doesnt know what the other is doing. i called calfresh 5 times about my pebt and they kept giving me wrong info. nobody knows anything!!!!
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Oliver Fischer
I'm also a 'D' last name and haven't gotten anything yet. I called that P-EBT number like 20 times yesterday and couldn't get through at all. Just automated messages then it hangs up on you after 30 minutes on hold. So frustrating when my kids need food NOW, not whenever they decide to send these cards!
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Natasha Ivanova
•Have you tried using Claimyr? I was in the same situation trying to reach someone about my CalFresh benefits and the P-EBT cards. I kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. Someone on this forum recommended claimyr.com and it actually worked! They call and wait on hold for you, then call you when a real person picks up. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Honestly saved me hours of frustration with that P-EBT hotline.
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NebulaNomad
I'd like to clarify some information about the P-EBT distribution. The cards are indeed being mailed in alphabetical batches, but there can be delays based on your county and eligibility verification status. If your children qualified for free/reduced school meals, you should receive the P-EBT automatically. Here's what you need to know: 1. The current round of P-EBT is for Summer 2025 benefits 2. Cards are being mailed through August 15th 3. If you already have a P-EBT card from previous distributions, funds will be loaded onto that card 4. New recipients will receive a new card 5. Benefits can be used like regular CalFresh/EBT for food purchases If you don't receive your card within the expected timeframe (which for D surnames should be by next week), you can file an inquiry through the BenefitsCal portal under the "Contact Us" section.
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PixelPioneer
•Thank you for this detailed information! I didn't realize they would use the existing P-EBT card. We should still have ours from the 2024 distribution. I'll check the BenefitsCal portal to see if there's any status update there.
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Javier Garcia
My neighbors didnt get there p-ebt either and there name starts with D too. I think they skipped all the Ds lol. But srsly my kids got there cards last year and the amount was way less than they promised. Only got like $375 per kid instead of $650
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Paolo Rizzo
•The benefit amount varies based on how many days of summer break your school district has. Schools with shorter summer breaks receive less P-EBT funding per child. The standard rate for Summer 2025 is $8.28 per day of summer break per eligible child. So a typical 75-day summer break would be about $621 per child, but districts with shorter breaks would receive proportionally less.
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Oliver Fischer
Can anyone explain the difference between P-EBT and regular CalFresh? I get so confused because we get both, but on different cards, and they seem to have different rules. Like can I buy hot prepared food with the P-EBT or is that only with regular CalFresh if you're approved for the restaurant meals program?
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NebulaNomad
•Great question! P-EBT and CalFresh are different programs: - P-EBT is a temporary program specifically for families with children who would receive free/reduced meals at school. It provides food benefits when school is not in session (like summer) - Regular CalFresh is the ongoing nutrition assistance program based on your household income Both use EBT cards but they're separate programs with separate cards. Neither normally allows purchase of hot prepared foods, UNLESS you're approved for the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). If you're approved for RMP with your regular CalFresh, that doesn't automatically apply to your P-EBT card. They're completely separate benefit systems, though the funds can be used similarly for most food purchases at grocery stores.
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PixelPioneer
I just checked our mail from the last week and we didn't get anything that looks like it could be the P-EBT card. I'm going to try calling again tomorrow. So frustrating that they announce these benefits but make it so hard to actually get information about them!
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Natasha Ivanova
•Try calling exactly at 8:00am when they open - that's how I finally got through. And definitely save your old P-EBT card if you had one last year! They'll reuse it if you previously received benefits.
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Amina Sy
my sister has a D last name (Dawson) and she got hers on tuesday but i have a G last name and i got mine LAST week?? makes no sense. the whole system is just random i think
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Paolo Rizzo
•It's not entirely alphabetical - it also depends on which school district your children attend and when that district submitted their eligibility data to the state. Some districts are more prompt than others, which can cause these seemingly random distribution patterns.
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Keisha Williams
did u try calling the spanish line?? sometimes thats faster even if u dont speak spanish just press random numbers til u get a person lol
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PixelPioneer
•I hadn't thought of that! I'll try anything at this point. Thanks for the tip!
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Marcus Patterson
I'm in the same boat - last name starts with D and still waiting! My neighbor got hers yesterday (also D name - Davidson) so they're definitely going out now. I called the P-EBT line this morning right at 8am like someone suggested and actually got through after about 25 minutes on hold. The rep told me that cards are still being processed for D names through the end of this week, and if we don't get them by Monday to call back. She also mentioned that some people's cards got delayed because their address in the system didn't match what the school had on file. Might be worth double-checking that your address is current in your kids' school records just in case!
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Liam Fitzgerald
•That's really helpful about the address mismatch issue! I just realized we moved in January and I'm not sure if I updated our address with the school district. I updated it with CalFresh but completely forgot about the school records. I'm going to call the school office tomorrow to make sure they have our current address. Thanks for sharing what the rep told you - gives me hope that our cards might still be coming this week!
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Anastasia Ivanova
I'm also waiting for my D last name card! Reading through all these comments has been really helpful - I didn't know about the address matching issue or that some districts submit data faster than others. I'm going to check with my kids' school tomorrow to make sure our address is current, and I'll try calling right at 8am like Marcus suggested. It's so stressful when you're counting on these benefits and the system seems so disorganized. At least it sounds like D names are still being processed this week, so hopefully we'll all get our cards soon!
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Margot Quinn
•Hey Anastasia! I'm in the exact same situation - D last name and still waiting. It's so frustrating but at least we're not alone in this! I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy too. Has anyone else noticed if certain counties seem to be faster than others? I'm in Riverside County and wondering if that might be affecting timing. Really hoping we all get our cards by the end of this week like the rep told Marcus!
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