Haven't received P-EBT/Sun Bucks card for my child in California - anyone else with last name W?

my kid got her card last week and our last name starts with Y so i dont think its alphabetical. they might be sending them out based on school district? what area r u in?

The Summer EBT/Sun Bucks cards are being distributed in phases throughout June and July 2025, not alphabetically but based on your school district's data submission timing. Each county processes them differently, and some schools submitted their eligibility data later than others. If your neighbors' children attend the same school as your son, you should have received yours around the same time. However, if they attend different schools, even within the same district, the timing can vary. The official guidance is to wait until the end of July before reporting a missing card. If you don't receive it by then, you'll need to contact the P-EBT helpline at 877-328-9677 (not the regular CalFresh office, as they're separate programs).

We also haven't gotten our card yet and last name starts with M! So frustrating because my daughter qualifies for free lunch and I know we should be getting these summer food benefits. Called that P-EBT number like 20 times and it just disconnects me!!!! Why do they make this so difficult???? The school says they submitted everything on time.

This is actually pretty common with the Summer EBT/Sun Bucks program. The cards are issued based on when your child's eligibility data was processed, not by last name. A few things to know: 1) The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) processes these cards separately from regular CalFresh benefits 2) Each school district submits their eligible student lists on different schedules 3) Some districts had data submission errors that delayed processing 4) The P-EBT helpline (877-328-9677) is notoriously difficult to reach during distribution months If you're concerned about the delay, you can request verification from your child's school that they submitted your child's information correctly. Sometimes there are data matching issues that prevent cards from being issued. One important note: If your address has changed since the school year started, that could be causing the delay as well.

I had the EXACT same problem trying to reach someone about my daughter's missing Sun Bucks card. Called the P-EBT number over and over, always got disconnected or stuck on hold forever. Finally tried this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that a friend recommended - they got me through to an actual person at the P-EBT office in like 15 minutes! They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Turns out there was a name mismatch between what the school submitted and what was in their system. They fixed it and said my daughter's card should arrive within 10 business days. Might be worth trying if you're still having trouble getting through.

Everybody here is confused between P-EBT and Summer EBT/Sun Bucks which are TOTALLY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS!!! P-EBT was the pandemic benefit that ended years ago. Sun Bucks is the new permanent summer food program that started this year 2025. The eligibility requirements are different too! For Sun Bucks your kid has to qualify for free OR reduced lunch, but for P-EBT it was just if schools were closed during COVID. No wonder everyone's confused when they keep changing the names and rules!!!

have u checked ur mail carefully??? my sisters sun bucks card came in a plain white envelope that looked like junk mail and she almost threw it away!!! the envelope doesnt say anything about benefits on it for privacy reasons

If it's P-EBT why are we even discussing this in a CalFresh forum?????? Totally different programs!!! Moderators should move this thread.

did u get the letter from the school saying ur kid was eligible? we got a letter first in april then the card came in june. if u didnt get the letter u might wanna check with the school office

Just to update with the latest information: According to the CDSS website, the final batch of Summer EBT/Sun Bucks cards should be mailed by July 31, 2025. If you received an eligibility letter but don't have your card by August 5th, then you should definitely follow up with the P-EBT helpline or your school district's nutrition services department. Also, once you do receive your card, remember you need to activate it within 274 days, and the summer benefits will be available through September 30, 2025.

I'm in a similar situation - haven't received our Sun Bucks card yet and getting anxious about it. My daughter qualifies for free lunch and we got the eligibility letter in May, but still no card. Last name starts with B so it's definitely not alphabetical order like I originally thought. One thing I learned from calling around is that some school districts are still catching up on data submissions from schools that had staff changes or technical issues this spring. Apparently there were quite a few districts that had to resubmit their eligible student lists because of formatting problems or missing information. I'm going to wait until the end of July like everyone's suggesting, but it's frustrating when you're counting on those benefits for summer groceries. At least now I know to check all our mail more carefully - almost missed important documents before by assuming plain envelopes were junk mail!