Are P-EBT benefits still being issued in California for 2025?

Your neighbor is probably confused about what benefit she received. The pandemic P-EBT program officially ended and the last major issuance was back in 2022/early 2023. California is NOT currently issuing P-EBT benefits in 2025. What your neighbor might have received is: 1. Regular CalFresh benefits 2. A retroactive payment from an old case review 3. The School Meals Program supplement (which is different from P-EBT) The School Meals Program provides food benefits during school breaks for eligible kids, but it works differently than P-EBT did. If your children are already on CalFresh, you're already getting the maximum food assistance you qualify for based on your household income and size.

my kids got somethin last month but it wasnt pebt it was that summer ebt thing they started. check ur mail maybe u missed the letter? not same as the old covid one tho

The regular P-EBT COVID program is definitely over, but they DID create a permanent Summer EBT program starting in 2024. It provides about $120 per eligible child for summer months to help with food costs when school is out. It's not automatically added to your EBT card though - you have to get approved and might receive a separate card. Each state administers it differently. Call your county CalFresh office to check if your kids are eligible and if you missed any notifications. I've been trying to reach someone at my county office for THREE DAYS with no luck - just endless holds and disconnections.

ppl keep confusin all these programs lol. p-ebt was the covid thing. summer ebt is new. school meals is diffrent. calfresh is the main food stamps. if ur kids get free school lunch u might get the summer one automatically but CALL TO CHECK!!!!

There's a lot of confusion in this thread, so let me clarify the current programs in California for 2025: 1. P-EBT (Pandemic EBT): This was a temporary COVID relief program that has officially ended. 2. Summer EBT: This is a NEW permanent program that provides food benefits to eligible children during summer break. It's about $120 per child for the summer months. 3. CalFresh: The ongoing food assistance program (California's SNAP/food stamps). 4. School Meals Program: Provides free/reduced meals during school year. If your children receive free/reduced school meals or you're on CalFresh, your children likely qualify for Summer EBT. But you need to ensure your address is current with the county, as they may have sent a separate card or notification. The timing of Summer EBT distribution varies by county. Some counties started sending benefits in May to prepare for summer, which might explain what your neighbor received.

Does anyone know if we'll get notified automatically about Summer EBT if we qualify? I've been on CalFresh for years and never heard anything about this program. My kids get free lunch at school too. Do I need to submit a separate application or will it just show up like P-EBT did during COVID?

Update: I called my county office (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned - saved me SO much time!) and it turns out we ARE eligible for Summer EBT! But they had my old address on file, so they're resending the cards. The worker explained it's $120 per child for the summer and is totally separate from our regular CalFresh benefits. Thank you everyone for your help! For anyone else confused about this - it's NOT P-EBT, it's a new permanent program called Summer EBT that started in 2024.

So glad you got this sorted out! This whole thread has been super educational for me too. I had no idea about the Summer EBT program - I'm also on CalFresh with two kids who get free lunch and I never received anything. Sounds like I need to check my address on file too. Quick question for anyone who knows - is there a deadline to claim Summer EBT benefits once they're issued? Like do the cards expire if you don't use them right away? Don't want to miss out if there's a time limit!

This whole thread has been a lifesaver! I'm a new CalFresh recipient (just started getting benefits in March) with twin 7-year-olds who get free breakfast and lunch at school. I had no clue about Summer EBT either - honestly thought all the extra pandemic food help was long gone. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like I definitely need to call and make sure they have my correct info. Quick question though - for those who received the Summer EBT cards, did they come all at once or separately? With twins, I want to make sure I'm watching for two cards if that's how they send them out. Also really appreciate the tip about that Claimyr service - I've been dreading having to sit on hold for hours but sounds like that might actually save me some time and frustration!

Wow, this entire thread has been such a valuable resource! I'm a single parent with one child who gets free lunch at school, and I've been on CalFresh since last fall. Like everyone else here, I had no clue about Summer EBT - I genuinely thought all pandemic food assistance was completely over. Reading through all these experiences, I'm pretty sure I missed my notification too. I updated my address with CalFresh when I moved in December, but based on what people are saying here, it sounds like I might need to update it separately for Summer EBT? That's so confusing that they don't automatically sync! I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through to my county office - sitting on hold for hours with a toddler is basically impossible. The detail about the cards coming in plain envelopes is SO helpful - I definitely would have tossed those thinking they were spam mail. One quick question for anyone who's gotten their Summer EBT cards - can you use them at the same places as regular EBT? Like grocery stores, farmers markets, etc.? Just want to make sure I understand how they work if I'm able to get enrolled. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and making this so much clearer! This community really is more helpful than any government website I've tried to navigate.