P-EBT benefit reload frequency - monthly or one-time payment for 2025?
Hi everyone, I recently got approved for P-EBT benefits for my two elementary school kids. The card arrived last week with a decent amount loaded (about $1,240 total), but I'm confused about how often this is supposed to reload. The letter was super vague about it. Is this a one-time benefit for the entire school year or will it reload monthly like regular CalFresh? My neighbor said her P-EBT from last year was monthly, but when I called the P-EBT hotline they just put me on hold forever and I never got through. Any parents here know how the 2025 P-EBT works?
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Avery Saint
P-EBT isnt monthly like regular calfresh. its retroactive payments for the months your kids qualified for free/reduced school meals but didnt get them (like during school breaks or when they were sick). The amount depends on how many qualifying days they had. So that $1240 is probably for a specific time period that should be mentioned in your approval letter
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Ryan Vasquez
•Thanks, I'll check the letter again. I might have missed that detail. So if they continue to qualify, will I get more payments for future months or do I need to reapply?
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Taylor Chen
The 2025 P-EBT program is a bit different from previous years. It's NOT a monthly benefit like regular CalFresh. Instead, it's typically issued in lump sums covering specific benefit periods. The $1,240 you received is likely covering multiple months retroactively. For the 2025-2026 school year, there are typically 2-3 issuances throughout the year. The next issuance would likely come around spring 2026, assuming your children still qualify. You don't need to reapply if your children continue receiving free or reduced-price school meals - the system automatically determines eligibility based on school data.
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Keith Davidson
•I heard some counties are doing it different tho. My sister in Alameda got smaller amounts but more frequently?
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Taylor Chen
•The implementation schedule can vary slightly by county, but the overall program structure is consistent statewide. What might appear as more frequent payments could actually be separate cards for different children or corrections to previous issuances. The official P-EBT schedule for 2025 calls for staggered lump-sum payments, not monthly benefits.
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Ezra Bates
my kids got p-ebt last year and we got 3 separate payments throughout the school year. not monthly. the big payments were nice tho!! better than small monthly ones imho
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Ana Erdoğan
I spent TWO HOURS on hold with the P-EBT hotline last month trying to figure this out!!! The system is completely broken and nobody answers!!! I have FOUR children who all qualify but only received cards for two of them. The school says it's the state's problem, the state never picks up. How are we supposed to feed our kids when we can't even get basic answers??!! And yes, it's NOT monthly. It's supposed to be 2-3 big payments per school year. But good luck finding anyone who can tell you when they'll arrive!
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Sophia Carson
•I had the same awful experience trying to reach someone at the P-EBT hotline. After multiple failed attempts, I tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - it actually worked! The service calls the P-EBT line for you and calls you back when a real person answers. Saved me from the endless hold music. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 The rep confirmed that for 2025, P-EBT is issued in lump sums 2-3 times per year, not monthly. And they helped me sort out why one of my kids' cards was missing.
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Ana Erdoğan
•OMG thank you!! I'm going to try this today. I'm desperate to get this sorted before summer break starts.
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Elijah Knight
To clarify some confusion about the 2025 P-EBT program: 1. P-EBT is NOT a monthly benefit like regular CalFresh 2. Benefits are typically issued 2-3 times per school year in larger lump sums 3. The amount is calculated based on eligible school days missed (school breaks, excused absences, remote learning days, etc.) 4. Children automatically qualify if they receive free or reduced-price school meals 5. You don't need to reapply as long as your children maintain eligibility for school meal programs The next issuance will likely be in early summer 2026 for the spring semester. If your benefit amount seems incorrect or if you're missing cards for eligible children, document everything and keep trying the P-EBT hotline. You can also check your balance and transaction history at www.ebt.ca.gov.
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Ryan Vasquez
•This is super helpful, thank you! The part I was confused about was whether I should expect any additional benefits before the end of this school year or if that $1,240 is supposed to last until next year. Sounds like I should budget it to last a while!
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Elijah Knight
•Correct - that $1,240 is likely your benefit for a significant portion of the current school year. The benefit amounts are calculated at approximately $8.18 per eligible day per child in 2025, so with two children, that amount suggests coverage for roughly 75-80 eligible school days. I'd recommend budgeting accordingly, as the next issuance might not be until summer.
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Keith Davidson
my kids got p-ebt last year too and the whole thing was so confusing!! I thought it was monthly at first cuz regular calfresh is but then nothing came the next month and I freaked out lol. Then like 4 months later suddenly got another payment. So yeah def not monthly!!!
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Ezra Bates
anyone know if the benefit expires? i still have some left from the last payment and I worry itll disappear?
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Taylor Chen
•P-EBT benefits don't expire for 274 days (about 9 months) from the date they were issued to your card. After that, any unused benefits will be removed from the card. This is different from regular CalFresh EBT benefits which expire after 365 days. Make sure to check the issuance date and plan accordingly.
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Serene Snow
Just wanted to add my experience for anyone still confused about this! I got my P-EBT card in February with about $900 for my one child. Like others said, it's definitely NOT monthly - I made that mistake too at first and kept checking my balance expecting more money lol. The approval letter actually did have the dates covered if you look closely (mine was buried in the small print). It covered from August through December 2024 for days my daughter was out sick or during winter break when she couldn't get her free lunch at school. One tip: keep track of your child's absences and school closure days because that helps you understand what future P-EBT payments might cover. And definitely use that Claimyr service someone mentioned if you need to call - the regular hotline is impossible to get through to!
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