P-EBT 4.0 cards arriving by initial in San Bernardino County - what's the distribution schedule?
Just got notification that my daughter's P-EBT 4.0 card is coming tomorrow (spotted in USPS informed delivery email). Her first name starts with L and we're in San Bernardino County. I've noticed they seem to be sending them in batches by first initial because I already received cards for my other kids whose names start with A, G, and M over the past two weeks. Anyone else tracking the distribution pattern? Wondering if there's an official schedule somewhere or if others are seeing the same alphabetical rollout. Also curious if the benefits are all loaded at once or if they come in monthly deposits like regular CalFresh?
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Debra Bai
my kids got theirs last week but didnt come in any alphabet order...one starts with T got it monday and one starts with B got it wednesday. im in SB county too. the letter says its one payment for whole school year, not monthly like calfresh
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KaiEsmeralda
•That's interesting! Maybe I just happened to get mine in that order by coincidence. Thanks for confirming it's one lump sum payment - that helps a lot with planning.
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Gabriel Freeman
There's no official alphabet schedule, but they do send them out in batches. P-EBT 4.0 benefits cover the 2023-2024 school year and are issued as a single lump sum payment ($227 for most eligible school-age children). The cards are being distributed through June 2025 for all counties in California, with San Bernardino County starting distributions in early May. If you haven't received a P-EBT card for an eligible child by July, you should contact the P-EBT Helpline at 877-328-9677. Just be aware they're experiencing extremely high call volumes right now with the new distribution.
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KaiEsmeralda
•Thank you! That $227 amount matches what was loaded on the first three cards. Good to know about the helpline - I'll wait until July before trying to call if we have issues with any missing cards.
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Laura Lopez
Ugh been waiting foreverrrrr for my kids cards!! One has J and other has K and NOTHING yet. My neighbor's kid (D name) got it two weeks ago. This whole alphabetical thing seems random AF
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Victoria Brown
•same here!! still waiting for my son (C name) while my daughter (P name) got hers last week?? makes NO sense
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Samuel Robinson
•If you're still waiting for P-EBT cards by late June, I'd recommend using Claimyr to reach the P-EBT Helpline. I was waiting for my son's card for months during the last round. Kept calling the regular line and couldn't get through. Used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to a live person in about 20 minutes instead of the usual 3+ hour wait. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Basically, they call and wait on hold for you, then call you when a rep is on the line.
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Camila Castillo
Does anyone know if I can use the P-EBT card immediately when it arrives? Last time I got one for my nephew it said I needed to activate it by creating a PIN but the website kept giving me errors. Just wondering if I need to do anything special with these new 4.0 cards before they'll work.
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Gabriel Freeman
•Yes, you need to activate the P-EBT 4.0 card by setting a PIN before you can use it. Call the number on the back of the card (877-328-9677) and follow the automated prompts to set your PIN. You'll need the card number, the child's date of birth, and the mailing address ZIP code. If the online system gives you trouble, the phone activation usually works more reliably.
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Camila Castillo
•Thanks! I'll try the phone method this time instead of the website.
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Brianna Muhammad
I've been tracking this closely since February and created a spreadsheet of when families in my Facebook group received cards. There IS a pattern but it's by SCHOOL DISTRICT first, then loosely alphabetical within districts. San Bernardino City USD started early May, then Rialto USD mid-May, etc. Each district takes about 2-3 weeks to complete. They're NOT sending all the kids in one family at once either - my triplets got their cards a week apart even with same last name!
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KaiEsmeralda
•Wow, that's super helpful! That would explain why mine seemed to come in alphabetical order but others are seeing different patterns. My kids are all in the same district but different schools. Thank you for sharing your research!
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Victoria Brown
wait I thought P-EBT was only for pandemic? why r they giving out new cards now?
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Gabriel Freeman
•P-EBT was initially created during the pandemic, but Congress extended the program. P-EBT 4.0 provides food benefits to children who were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals under the National School Lunch Program during the 2023-2024 school year. It's now operating as an ongoing program to address food insecurity among eligible children, not specifically tied to pandemic conditions.
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Victoria Brown
•oh cool didnt know that thx for explaining
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KaiEsmeralda
Update: Got my daughter's card today! It was loaded with $227 just like the others. The activation process was super simple - just called the number on the back and entered her birthday and our zip code. Now just waiting on my son's card (his name starts with R) which I'm guessing will come next week based on the pattern I'm seeing.
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Laura Lopez
•lucky!!! still waiting on my kids cards 😡
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Angel Campbell
Just wanted to share my experience - I'm also in San Bernardino County and got my first P-EBT 4.0 card last week for my youngest (name starts with E). Still waiting on cards for my other two kids whose names start with H and S. The distribution definitely seems random within our county, but good to hear from everyone that it's one lump sum payment. Has anyone had issues with stores not accepting the cards? Want to make sure I can use it at our usual grocery store when the other cards arrive.
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