P-EBT amount for 2025 shockingly low in LA County - only $230 per child?
Just received our P-EBT cards yesterday for my three kids in Compton Unified (LA County). After waiting MONTHS for these benefits, I nearly fell over when I saw they only loaded $230 per child! With grocery prices through the roof right now, that barely covers two weeks of lunch and breakfast. My oldest is 16 and eats more than most adults. I'm already on CalFresh (get about $580/month for our household of 4), working 50+ hours between two jobs, but still struggling to keep food on the table with these insane 2025 prices. $230 per kid for what's supposed to be months of meal coverage? Did anyone else get their P-EBT recently? Are the amounts this low everywhere or just in LA County? I appreciate any help, but seriously California needs to wake up about what it actually costs to feed children these days.
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Zoe Walker
got mine 2 days ago for my kids in long beach. same amount, like $230 something. ridiculous honestly. grocery bill for just my 2 teenagers is almost $300 a WEEK now
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Ryan Kim
•It's insane! My weekly grocery bill is easily $250-$300 too, and that's with me being super careful and using coupons. How are we supposed to stretch $230 across months??
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Elijah Brown
The P-EBT benefit amount for 2025 is actually based on a federal formula that takes into account how many school days were missed during the qualifying period. The $230 per child indicates this was for a partial period, not the full semester. What's important to understand is that P-EBT is separate from regular CalFresh. If your income situation has changed at all, you might qualify for increased regular CalFresh benefits. The current income limit for a household of 4 is $3,750 gross monthly, and benefits can go up to $980 per month for that household size. Have you submitted your SAR7 recently? Sometimes people miss reporting deductions like childcare costs or certain housing expenses that could increase your benefit amount.
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Ryan Kim
•I did submit my SAR7 in January, but maybe I didn't claim everything I could? I pay $1,450 for childcare between my jobs (afterschool program plus weekend care). Do medical expenses count too? My middle child has asthma and those inhaler copays are killing me.
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Maria Gonzalez
anyone know when the next p-ebt is supposed to come? can we apply for more or is this it for the year? i got same amount for my kids
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Elijah Brown
•There are currently no additional P-EBT issuances scheduled for 2025 after this one. The program is authorized on a limited basis now, unlike during the pandemic when it was more regular. However, this could change if there's new legislation. For families struggling with food costs, I'd recommend applying for the California FRPM (Free and Reduced-Price Meals) program at your children's schools if you haven't already, as this can provide free meals during school days.
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Natalie Chen
It's absolutely criminal how little they give families while everything costs SO MUCH MORE now!! I got $230 for each of my 4 kids too. Barely covers a week of groceries in Los Angeles right now. Meanwhile the governor's driving around in fancy cars while we're choosing between buying milk or paying the electric bill. TOTALLY RIDICULOUS!!!! 😡😡😡
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Ryan Kim
•Exactly!! Feels like they're completely out of touch with reality. I spent $85 just on MILK last month for my three kids. Don't even get me started on the price of eggs and chicken. It's like they calculated these benefit amounts based on 2019 prices.
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Santiago Martinez
When I was having CalFresh issues last month, I couldn't get through to LA County on the phone for literally DAYS. Kept getting disconnected after waiting 2+ hours each time. I finally used this service called Claimyr where they wait on hold with the county for you and then call you when a real person is on the line. Cost me a bit but worth it because I got my benefits sorted out in one day instead of wasting more time. Their site is claimyr.com and there's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Might be worth a try if you need to call about your CalFresh amounts like the other commenter suggested. I was honestly shocked when I finally talked to a worker and found out I qualified for $200 more per month because of some deductions I wasn't claiming.
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Maria Gonzalez
•does this actually work? i've literally spent HOURS on hold with LA county only to get disconnected right when someone answers
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Santiago Martinez
•Yes, it actually worked for me! They called me back when someone from the county was actually on the line. Saved me from having to sit by my phone for hours. The worker I talked to ended up updating my CalFresh amount immediately.
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Samantha Johnson
Based on what you shared about childcare expenses ($1,450) and medical costs for your child with asthma, you should definitely call your county office to have your CalFresh benefit recalculated. Both of those expenses can be deducted when determining your benefit amount. With a household of 4 and those significant expenses, you might qualify for a higher monthly CalFresh benefit than the $580 you're currently receiving. Medical expenses over $35/month for household members who are elderly or have disabilities can be deducted (your child's asthma might qualify), and childcare costs are deductible when they're necessary for work or education. The maximum benefit for a household of 4 in 2025 is $980, so there's potentially room for an increase in your case. The recalculation won't affect your P-EBT amount, but it could help with your regular monthly food budget.
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Ryan Kim
•Wow, that's really helpful! I had no idea my son's asthma expenses might qualify as a deduction. $980 would make such a huge difference compared to what I'm getting now. I'm definitely going to call the county office tomorrow to ask about this. Thank you so much for the information!
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Nick Kravitz
I'm actually a bit confused about the difference between P-EBT and regular EBT/CalFresh? My kids got those P-EBT cards too but I thought it was just an extension of our regular benefits? Can someone explain the difference? We're in LA County too and got about the same amount.
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Elijah Brown
•They're completely separate programs: 1. CalFresh (regular EBT) is ongoing food assistance based on your household income and expenses. You receive benefits monthly on your EBT card as long as you remain eligible and complete your required reporting (SAR7) and recertification. 2. P-EBT (Pandemic EBT) was originally created during COVID but has been extended in some forms. It specifically provides food benefits to children who would normally receive free or reduced-price school meals. The amount is based on school days missed/virtual learning days, and it comes on a separate P-EBT card, not your regular EBT card. You can receive both simultaneously if you qualify for both programs. Your P-EBT benefits don't affect your CalFresh eligibility or benefit amount.
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Zoe Walker
anyone know if the pbt is a one time payment or do they reload the card again next month??
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Ryan Kim
•From what I understand after reading everything here, this seems to be a one-time payment for now. That's why it's so frustrating that it's such a small amount! Barely covers a week or two of food costs for growing kids.
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Elijah Brown
Just to clarify about the P-EBT amount that several people have mentioned - the $230 per child is specifically for the fall semester period. It's calculated based on a daily rate multiplied by the number of eligible school days. If you're struggling with food costs beyond what P-EBT and CalFresh provide, here are some additional resources in LA County: 1. WIC (if you have children under 5) 2. Food banks - LA Regional Food Bank has distribution sites throughout the county 3. School-based pantries - many LAUSD and other district schools now have food pantries for families 4. Summer meal programs will be starting soon where kids can get free meals during summer break Also, if your income has decreased recently or your expenses have increased significantly, you can report these changes to potentially increase your regular CalFresh benefits, even if it's not your regular reporting month.
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Natalie Chen
•The food banks are ALWAYS out of food by the time working parents can get there!!! I've tried 3 different locations and they're all picked clean by noon. Some of us WORK during distribution hours and can't just take off whenever we want!!!
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