CalFresh EBT cards for multiple children - each get separate card or combined benefits?

CalFresh benefits are issued to the household as a whole, not to individual children. You should have one EBT card for your entire household (or possibly 2 cards max if you requested a second card for another adult in your home). That $1790 is your total household benefit amount, so it covers both of your children plus any adults in the household who are eligible. Your children would not get separate cards or separate benefit amounts.

thats a lot of benefits wow. we only get like $700 for our family of 4

That sounds really strange actually. I've been on CalFresh for 3 years now and the EBT card always comes with the head of household's name (the person who applied). Never heard of them putting a child's name on the card - children aren't supposed to be using EBT cards themselves. Definitely call and ask about this. Also $1790 seems like a really high amount for a household with 2 kids unless you have no income at all. The max benefit for a household of 3 in 2025 should be around $750-800/month.

This definitely sounds like there might be a mix-up. CalFresh benefits are issued per household, not per individual child. The card should have the name of the head of household or authorized representative (which would be you). The amount also sounds unusually high unless there are more people in your household or this represents multiple months of benefits. When you call tomorrow, be prepared for a long wait. I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach a real person faster. They have a system that calls the county office and holds your place in line, then calls you back when a worker is available. Saved me hours of waiting last month when I had a similar issue with my benefits. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

THE SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN!!! i once got an EBT card with my DECEASED GRANDMOTHER'S name on it even though she hadn't lived with us in 5 YEARS and had PASSED AWAY before I even applied!!! Call them ASAP because they DO make mistakes and then THEY will blame YOU when they try to collect overpayments later!!! DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!

To answer your question about why your son's name is on the card - there are a few possibilities: 1. There was a clerical error and they put the wrong name 2. If your son is listed as the head of household on your application for some reason 3. If your son was previously in a different household (like split custody) and had benefits there 4. If you recently added him to your case and something got mixed up in the system As for the amount, $1790 could potentially represent: - Multiple months of benefits loaded at once - Back benefits if your case was recently approved after delay - An emergency allotment for a specific situation - A system error in calculation Definitely do not spend this money until you confirm with the county office that it's correct.

did u just apply recently? sometimes they give u benefits retroactively from when u first applied if it took a while to process. happened to my sister and she got like 3 months worth all at once

I had a similar situation happen last year when I applied - it took almost 4 months to get approved, and they gave me all the back benefits at once. The amount sounds about right if you're getting 2-3 months of benefits for a household with low income. Regarding the name on the card - that's definitely unusual. When you call, make sure to ask them to issue a new card with the correct name (yours). They can transfer the benefits to the new card when they send it. Also keep in mind that your regular monthly benefit amount will likely be much lower than this lump sum payment. Don't get used to spending that much each month!

make sure u call early in the morning when they open! thats the only time u can get thru without waiting for hours

Just wanted to add that you can also check your benefit details online through your BenefitsCal account or the ebtEDGE app. It should show your monthly benefit amount and any back payments separately, which might help you understand the $1790 before you call tomorrow. Also, even though the card has your son's name on it, you as the parent/guardian can still use it legally to purchase food for your household. But definitely get it corrected for future reference!