P-EBT 4.0 eligibility confusion - my toddler got benefits but my school-age child didn't?
I'm completely confused about how P-EBT 4.0 is being distributed. I thought it was only for kids enrolled in school during the last school year, but my 1-year-old (name starts with B) just got a card in the mail. My 5-year-old (name starts with L) also received one. Meanwhile, my daughter who actually attended school last year (name starts with Y) hasn't received anything at all. This makes no sense! Aren't the school-age kids supposed to be the ones qualifying? Has anyone else experienced this weird distribution pattern? Is it possible they're sending them out alphabetically or something? I'm worried my daughter's card got lost in the mail or maybe she was somehow left off the list.
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Carmen Flores
my kids got theirs last week but i heard they're sending them out in batches. maybe ur Y kid is in the next round? The state said they're doing it in phases to avoid overwhelming the mail system.
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Yuki Sato
•Thanks for responding! Did you hear anything about how the batches are organized? By school district, age, or alphabetical order? I just think it's weird my toddler who's never been in school got one first.
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Andre Dubois
P-EBT 4.0 eligibility is actually based on several factors - not just school enrollment. For the 2024-2025 distribution, children under 6 who were in households receiving CalFresh during the qualifying months (typically Summer 2024) are eligible even if they never attended school. This is why your 1-year-old received benefits. Children who attended school need to have been at a school participating in the National School Lunch Program and either received free/reduced lunch or attended a CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) school. Double check if your Y-named child's school participates in these programs. Also, as mentioned, they're distributing cards in phases - some by last name, others by school district.
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Yuki Sato
•Oh wow, I had no idea about the under 6 rule! That explains why my toddler got one. My daughter's school definitely has the free lunch program for all students. I'll wait another week or two before panicking. Thanks for explaining!
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CyberSamurai
they messed mine up 2!!! my highschooler got 1 but my middle schooler didnt and they both at same district??? make NO SENSE. i think the whole system is broken cuz when i called the p-ebt number it just says 'high call volume' and hangs up!!!!
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•This happened to me too! I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through on that P-EBT line and kept getting disconnected. Finally I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a real person at the county in about 20 minutes. They explained that my son's card was issued but sent to our old address even though we updated it with CalFresh months ago. Apparently P-EBT uses a different database! They helped me request a replacement. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Jamal Carter
There's a lot of misinformation about P-EBT 4.0. As someone who works with these cases regularly, here are the facts: 1. Children under 6 in CalFresh households during qualifying months (Summer 2024) can receive P-EBT regardless of school enrollment 2. School-age children must be enrolled in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program 3. Cards are being mailed in batches through January 2025 4. Distribution is primarily by last name, not first name 5. Some districts have reporting delays that affect timing If your school-age child doesn't receive a card by the end of November, then I'd recommend contacting your school nutrition office first to verify they submitted the child's information correctly. The P-EBT hotline is overwhelmed right now.
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Mei Liu
•So if my 3yr old gets SNAP they should get the PEBT? cuz they never sent us one and the headstart program she goes to said they dont know nothing about it???
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Jamal Carter
•Yes, if your 3-year-old was on CalFresh (SNAP) during the summer months of 2024, they should qualify for P-EBT 4.0. Head Start programs aren't typically involved in the P-EBT distribution process - this comes directly from the state based on CalFresh enrollment data for children under 6. I'd recommend waiting until mid-November before taking any action, as many cards are still being processed.
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Liam O'Donnell
Something similar happened to me last P-EBT round. Turned out one of my kids' information had a slight spelling error in the school database that didn't match our CalFresh records. When I finally got through to someone, they told me this creates issues with the automated matching system they use. I had to request a P-EBT case review. I'd suggest double-checking how your daughter's name and information appears in both the school records and your CalFresh case to make sure everything matches exactly.
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Yuki Sato
•That's a really good point! Her legal name is Yesenia but she goes by Yesi at school, and I wonder if that's causing a problem in their system. I'll check with the school office to see how her name is listed in their records. How long did the case review take for you?
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Liam O'Donnell
•It took about 3 weeks for them to complete the review, and then another 2 weeks for the card to arrive. But this was during the last round when they were less overwhelmed. Definitely check on the name discrepancy - that could definitely be causing the issue! Good luck!
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Mei Liu
my nefews got there P-EBT cards last week but my kids still waiting... i think they doing it by countys or something cuz my sister lives in different county
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Amara Nwosu
The whole P-EBT system is SO BROKEN! My neighbor's kids all got cards with $750 each and they make over $100k a year (private school with scholarship)! Meanwhile my kids who ACTUALLY NEED THE HELP are still waiting! I've called that stupid hotline 27 TIMES and either get disconnected or told they "can't look up individual cases" - WHAT IS THE POINT OF A HOTLINE THEN?!?!
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Carmen Flores
•omg right?? i got hung up on 3 times yesterday!! so frustrating
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Jamal Carter
•Private schools can participate in the National School Lunch Program too, which would make students eligible regardless of household income if they're receiving free or reduced-price meals through a scholarship program. P-EBT eligibility is tied to the meal program participation, not family income directly. But I understand your frustration with the hotline - they're severely understaffed for the volume of calls they're receiving.
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Marilyn Dixon
I'm going through the exact same thing! My youngest (2 years old) got her P-EBT card last Friday, but my 7-year-old who's in 2nd grade still hasn't received anything. It's so confusing because I assumed it would be the opposite. After reading through these comments, it sounds like the under-6 rule explains why the little ones are getting cards first. I'm also wondering if there might be some issue with the school data matching - my son's school uses a different spelling of his middle name than what's on our CalFresh case. Definitely going to check on that tomorrow. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know we're not alone in this chaos!
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