Applied for CalFresh on 3rd with two toddlers - will they qualify for P-EBT benefits?

P-EBT is specifically for school-aged children who would normally receive free or reduced-price meals at school. Since your toddlers aren't in K-12 school yet, they wouldn't qualify for P-EBT. However, your CalFresh benefits will include them in the household calculation, so you'll receive more benefits to cover their food needs. The benefit amount depends on your income and household expenses.

Oh I see, thank you for explaining! So they're included in my regular CalFresh amount but no separate P-EBT. That makes sense. Do you know how long it usually takes for applications to be processed? My interview is scheduled for next week.

i think ppl are confused about P-EBT in 2025. its not the same as during covid. now its only for kids who miss school for covid reasons not just any kid who gets free lunch. my sister got it for her son in january when his school had a covid outbreak but its not automatic anymore

This is wrong information. P-EBT in 2025 isn't even for COVID absences anymore. The program has been completely restructured and is now only available during summer months for school-aged children who receive free or reduced lunches during the regular school year. Toddlers don't qualify unless they're in Head Start programs that participate in the federal meal program.

Thanks for the clarifications everyone. So it sounds like my toddlers won't get P-EBT since they're not in school yet. I guess I was confused because I saw something about young children qualifying during the pandemic. One more question - do I need to bring anything special to my CalFresh interview to verify my kids? I have their birth certificates and social security cards ready.

You're on the right track with the documentation! For your interview, having birth certificates and social security cards for your children is perfect. Also bring proof of any income, your rent/mortgage payment, and utility bills. The county worker will need to see these to calculate your benefit amount. Since your children are under 6, you might also qualify for WIC if you're not already enrolled - it provides additional food benefits specifically for young children and pregnant/nursing mothers.

Thank you! I'll make sure to have all those documents ready. I am on WIC already, but the benefits barely last half the month with two growing toddlers. Do CalFresh and WIC work together well or will one reduce the other?

DONT GET EXCITED ABOUT CALFRESH AMOUNTS!! When I applied for me and my 2 kids last year they gave us WAY LESS than I expected. They said my part time job was

I had similar issues with the phone system, but I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual CalFresh worker without the crazy wait times. You might want to check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. It was super helpful when I needed to get through about my income verification. Saved me from taking a day off work just to make a phone call!

never heard of that before... does it actually work? im suspicious of anything that claims to fix government problems lol but im desperate enough to try ANYTHING at this point

my toddler gets calfresh but not pebt. they count in ur household size tho so u get more. also ask about the fruit & veggie dollars program during ur interview!! its extra $$ on ur ebt card just for produce, my kids eat so many more vegetables now

Thank you! I hadn't heard about the fruit and veggie program - that would be amazing. My 3-year-old actually loves vegetables but they're so expensive these days. I'll definitely ask about that during my interview.

Make sure you're prepared for your interview! I've been a CalFresh recipient for years, and the interview process has changed in 2025. They're now more focused on verifying identity due to the fraud concerns last year. Have at least 2 forms of ID for yourself and documentation proving your relationship to your children. They've been extra strict about this lately. Also, the P-EBT program is completely different now - only for summer food benefits for school-aged children, not for toddlers or preschoolers.

Thanks for the heads-up about the stricter verification! I'll bring my driver's license, passport, and the kids' documentation. Do they need to see our medical cards too? We're on Medi-Cal already if that makes any difference to the CalFresh application.

To answer your follow-up questions: WIC and CalFresh work together perfectly - one doesn't reduce the other. They're completely separate programs. And yes, if you're already on Medi-Cal, bring those cards to your interview. It can help speed up the verification process since you've already been verified for another program. The fruit and vegetable program mentioned is likely the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot, which gives qualifying households $67 per eligible person per month for fruits and vegetables. Definitely ask if your county is participating!

wait $67 per person?? thats way more than i got last month for produce. is this a new thing for 2025? my county only gave like $27 per person

The fruit and vegetable benefit amounts vary by county and implementation phase. The full program rollout with $67/person isn't complete statewide yet. Some counties are still in phase one with lower amounts. The amount also depends on whether you're in the control or test group for the pilot program. It's supposed to be fully implemented by July 2025.

This is all so helpful - thank you everyone! I feel much more prepared for my interview now. I'll let you know how it goes and what fruit/veggie benefits we qualify for in my county. Hoping everything goes smoothly!