CalFresh 'sun bucks' confusion - has anyone with 'W' last name received their summer EBT yet?

They're not called "sun bucks" - that's just a nickname some people use. The official program is Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer), which provides extra food benefits for eligible school-age children during summer break. For 2025, I believe they're releasing benefits in batches throughout May-June, but it's not strictly alphabetical. It depends on when your application was processed and your county's distribution schedule. If your children receive free or reduced-price school meals, you should be eligible, but you might need to complete a separate application depending on your county.

my last name starts w/ V and i got mine last week. it just showed up on my regular ebt card, no separate card. check ur balance on the app, maybe its already there?? didnt get any notice it was coming, just an extra $120 per kid. think they do it by county too not just alphabet

The Summer EBT program for 2025 has specific eligibility requirements that go beyond just receiving reduced-price school meals. Your household needs to either be currently receiving CalFresh benefits, or your children must be certified for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. The distribution isn't strictly alphabetical - that's a common misconception. Benefits are typically issued based on case processing dates and county distribution schedules. For most counties, Summer EBT benefits for 2025 are being issued between May 10th and June 20th. If you're already receiving CalFresh, the summer benefits should be automatically loaded to your existing EBT card. You don't need a separate application in most cases. However, it's always best to confirm with your specific county office.

When I tried calling my county office about Summer EBT last year, I had the EXACT same experience - on hold forever, then had to hang up. So frustrating! I ended up using this service called Claimyr that helped me actually get through to a real person at the CalFresh office. It was such a relief! You just go to claimyr.com and they call the county for you and get you connected without the endless hold times. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Worth it when you need answers before your kids are home for summer and hungry!

My sister got hers and her last name is Williams, but she's in Alameda County. I think different counties are doing different rollouts. Have you checked the BenefitsCal website? Sometimes there are notifications there that don't come in the mail.

THEY ALWAYS DO THIS!!! Every single year it's the same confusion with summer benefits. No clear information, no consistent rollout, and the county workers themselves don't even know what's happening half the time. I've been on CalFresh for 6 years and EVERY SUMMER it's a mess. Last year they didn't deposit my kids' summer benefits until JULY 18th - summer was half over already!!! And then they expect us to be grateful. The whole system is designed to be confusing so fewer people claim benefits.

my name starts with W too (Watson) and I got mine yesterday! im in LA county though. call them again maybe? the lady told me they finished the W surnames this week. good luck!!

ok so i just asked my cousin who works for the county and she said they ARE doing alphabetical but within each county's schedule. so all the A-M names get processed first batch, then N-Z in second batch. but each county starts their batches on different dates. so if your county just started this week, and ur a W, you might be in the second batch which could be another week or two

hey just wondering did u ever get ur sun bucks? my cousins in san bernardino still waiting too

Hey @Skylar! So glad to hear you finally got your Summer EBT benefits! I'm actually in a similar situation - my last name starts with Y and I'm also in San Bernardino County. Still haven't received mine yet but after reading this whole thread I feel way more informed about how the system works. It's my first time dealing with Summer EBT too and I was totally confused about the timing. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - especially the info about the R-Z batch processing. I'll keep checking my balance over the next few days!