Kern County Sunbucks confusion - Letter G missing but July online?

got my letter g last thursday but im in bakersfield. the distribution is supposed to go by last name i think??? what letter does ur last name start with?

Same boat here!! No letter but BenefitsCal says July. Frustrating!

The Sunbucks summer benefit program in Kern County is being distributed in batches throughout July, not strictly alphabetically. The Letter G you're referring to is the notification letter, not related to your last name's initial. According to the Kern County CalFresh office, distribution started July 3rd and will continue through July 25th. The online system showing 'July' just means you're in the July distribution cycle, not a specific date. If your neighbor received hers, you should receive yours within the next week. The benefits are loaded directly onto your EBT card once processed, and the letter is sent separately as notification.

I work with a local food assistance program, and there's definitely confusion about the Sunbucks summer benefit program this year. The Letter G is indeed the notification code (not related to last names). Distribution in Kern County is happening in waves throughout July, and your benefits will be automatically loaded to your EBT card if you qualify - no separate application needed if you already have CalFresh with children in the household. If you urgently need to speak with someone at the county office about your specific situation, I'd recommend using Claimyr to get through to a real person. It's a service that helps you bypass the phone wait times - you can see how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 or just go to claimyr.com. I've had several clients use it to resolve these exact issues with summer benefits, especially when they needed clarification on distribution timing.

I got my letter last week but the benefits didn't show up on my EBT until yesterday! Sometimes the letter comes first, sometimes the money comes first. The system is SO RANDOM it drives me crazy!!! 🤦‍♀️

This happened to me last summer too with the summer benefits. The county office is ALWAYS behind on everything. They claim they're "processing in batches" but what they really mean is "we're understaffed and can't keep up." I waited almost 3 weeks after my neighbor got hers last year. The worst part is you can't budget properly when you have no idea when the money will actually appear. And don't get me started on trying to reach someone by phone - I spent 4 HOURS on hold last month for a simple verification question, got disconnected, and had to start all over again the next day. The system is broken and nobody cares because we're just poor people trying to feed our kids. Sorry for the rant but this stuff makes my blood boil.

Just to clarify for everyone in this thread: Sunbucks is the informal name for the Summer EBT program in California. It provides extra food benefits for families with school-age children during summer months. For 2025, eligible households receive approximately $120 per child for the summer period. All households with children who receive CalFresh, CalWORKs, or who are certified for free/reduced school meals should receive these benefits automatically. The Letter G is just the administrative code for this particular benefit type. If you don't receive your benefits by July 25th, that's when you should contact the county office as there might be an issue with your case. Remember that your regular CalFresh recertification and SAR7 deadlines still apply - missing those could affect both your regular benefits and these supplemental summer benefits.

just fyi ive been on calfresh for 6 yrs and sometimes the letter comes a week AFTER the money hits your ebt... makes no sense but thats how they do it lol

Glad to hear you got your benefits Jessica! This whole thread has been super helpful. I'm new to CalFresh and had no idea about these summer benefits. My kids just finished their first year at a new school and I wasn't sure if we'd qualify since we moved to Kern County in February. Should I be expecting Sunbucks too if we're already getting regular CalFresh? And does it matter that my youngest is only 4 and in pre-K? Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so much better getting info from real people who actually go through this stuff!