Duplicate P-EBT Summer Meal cards for my kids - will I get in trouble for double benefits?

Don't panic! This happens more than you'd think with the P-EBT program. Since the Summer Meal cards are administered separately from regular CalFresh, you should definitely report the duplicate cards. Call the P-EBT hotline again and explain the situation - they'll tell you which set to use and what to do with the extras. Usually they'll deactivate one set. Make sure to document the call (get the worker's ID number and case notes if possible). Don't just let them expire because the system might flag both sets as being issued to you regardless.

OMG this EXACT thing happened to me last year!!! I got double cards for my daughter and when I called they were super rude and accused me of trying to commit fraud!! They made me mail back the extra cards and I had to write a whole statement explaining I didn't try to get extra benefits on purpose. It was a NIGHTMARE and took like 3 months to resolve. They even put a flag on my regular EBT account for "potential fraud" which was BS because THEY sent me the extra cards!!!

This is a common issue with the P-EBT Summer Meal program, especially when children have different addresses listed in different systems (school vs. home). Here's what you should do: 1. Call the P-EBT hotline at 877-328-9677 and explain the situation 2. Ask them to document in your case notes that you reported the duplicate issuance 3. Request instructions on what to do with the duplicate cards 4. Get the representative's name and ID number 5. Follow up with a written statement to the P-EBT office This will NOT affect your regular CalFresh benefits as long as you report it promptly. The P-EBT program is federally funded and administered separately from regular CalFresh, even though they both provide food assistance.

just use one set and destroy the others lol the government wastes billions anyway, they sent em to u might as well use em

I work for a community organization that helps families with benefit issues. This is actually a known glitch in the 2025 Summer P-EBT rollout. The system didn't properly cross-reference school district addresses with home addresses. You should absolutely call the P-EBT hotline, but unfortunately they've been swamped with these exact cases and wait times are 2-3 hours. You might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they'll hold your place in line and call you back when a rep is available. It saved me hours when helping clients with similar issues. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Make sure to document everything. The P-EBT office should tell you which cards to keep (usually the ones sent to your home address) and they'll deactivate the others.

my cousin got double cards for her kids too but she just used both and nothing happened to her. but i guess maybe she got lucky? idk if i would risk it personally. does anyone know if they actually track this stuff?

I had a similar issue when we moved mid-year and I was so worried! Called the P-EBT hotline three times before finally getting through (took forever). They told me to use only one set of cards (the ones with our current address) and they deactivated the others remotely. I didn't have to mail anything back. They put a note in my file that I had reported it proactively. Two months later I got a letter confirming everything was resolved properly. It didn't affect our regular CalFresh at all since P-EBT is actually run by a different division than regular CalFresh, even though both go on EBT cards. Just make sure you DOCUMENT EVERYTHING - get names, ID numbers, case notes, etc. when you call.

wait what are summer P-EBT cards? my kids get regular calfresh on my EBT card but i never heard of special summer cards. are we supposed to get those too??

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! Got duplicate P-EBT cards for my 7-year-old last week. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like the key is to call and report it ASAP. I'm going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned because I can't afford to sit on hold for hours either. One thing I'm wondering - for those who've been through this, did you get any kind of confirmation letter or email after they resolved it? I want to make sure I have proof that I reported it properly in case any questions come up later. Thanks for sharing your experience @Giovanni, it's really helpful to know we're not alone in dealing with this!

I'm going through something similar right now! My 9-year-old got duplicate P-EBT Summer cards too - one to our home address and another to my mom's house where she stays after school. I was panicking thinking I'd somehow accidentally applied twice, but reading all these responses is such a relief. It sounds like this is a widespread system glitch with the 2025 Summer P-EBT rollout. I'm definitely going to call the hotline tomorrow and report it proactively like everyone suggests. The advice about documenting everything and getting the rep's ID number is really helpful. It's scary how something that's completely their mistake could potentially mess with our regular benefits if not handled properly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to know what to expect when I call!