How long is the wait time for EBT customer service for P-EBT issues?

omg the ebt customer service wait times are INSANE lately!!! i called about my regular calfresh last friday and was on hold for 1hr 45mins before someone picked up. and that was at like 8:30am right when they opened! good luck

Just so you know, P-EBT is completely different from regular CalFresh EBT, even though they might use the same card sometimes. For P-EBT questions, you actually need to call the specific P-EBT customer service line at 877-328-9677, not the regular EBT number on the back of your card. The wait times for the P-EBT line have been around 30-45 minutes in my experience (called twice last month). Also, the P-EBT benefit amounts depend on your school's status and how many days your child was in remote learning during the qualifying period. So your neighbor's kids might have different amounts if they're in different schools or had different learning situations.

I've found that calling mid-week (Tuesday-Thursday) between 10:30-11:30am or 2:00-3:00pm tends to have shorter wait times for most benefit-related services. Those are typically when call volumes dip a bit. Avoid Mondays and Fridays altogether if possible, and definitely avoid calling right when they open or right before they close. For the difference in P-EBT amounts between your kids and your neighbor's, there could be a few factors: 1. If your children weren't enrolled in school for the entire qualifying period 2. If your school had hybrid schedules where some kids were remote on different days 3. If there was an error in how your school reported attendance 4. If your neighbor's children qualify for different benefit tiers When you do reach someone, make sure to ask for a detailed explanation of how your benefit was calculated.

I had such a nightmare with the ebt customer service too!!! waited over 2 hours and then got disconnected TWICE last month. I finally got through using claimyr.com - it's this service that waits on hold for you and then calls you when a real person is on the line. saved me soooo much time. they have a demo video here if you want to see how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 i was skeptical but it actually worked for my p-ebt issue and i got through in about 35 minutes without having to actually stay on hold myself.

Just to clarify some misinformation I'm seeing here - the 2025 P-EBT benefits are being distributed based on a completely different formula than previous years. It's not just about remote learning days anymore since most schools are back in-person. The current P-EBT is based on: 1. Whether your child qualified for free/reduced meals during the covered months 2. Whether your school participates in the Community Eligibility Provision 3. If there were any school closures or absences due to COVID So your neighbor's kids could have a different amount for several legitimate reasons. When you call the P-EBT line (which yes, is different from the regular EBT customer service), make sure you have your P-EBT card number, your child's student ID if possible, and the name of their school. The wait times have been averaging 50-70 minutes in my experience working with families applying for benefits.

u can also try the live chat on benefitscal.com sometimes they can answer PEBT questions and theres less wait there

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to the P-EBT customer service? Did they explain the difference in benefit amounts?

I'm so glad you were able to get this resolved! This is exactly why I always tell people to double-check their P-EBT amounts if something seems off. The system errors have been really common with this latest round of benefits. For anyone else dealing with similar issues, it's also worth noting that you can request a case review if the first representative you speak with can't help or seems unsure about your situation. Don't be afraid to ask for a supervisor if the amounts still don't make sense after the initial explanation. The P-EBT program has been through so many changes that even some customer service reps aren't fully up to speed on all the current guidelines.