P-EBT card activation rejected my birth date - any other ways to activate?

Same thing happened to me last month! So frustrating. I discovered that for some reason, they had my oldest child's DOB in their system instead of mine (even though I'm the parent/guardian). Try entering your CHILD'S date of birth instead of yours - that worked for me. Apparently for P-EBT sometimes they use the student's info not the parent's, even though the parent is supposed to be the cardholder.

i had this problem 2. try ur childs birthday or maybe ur using wrong format? system wants MM/DD/YYYY but maybe ur doing DD/MM/YYYY? just a thought

UPDATE: I tried my son's birthday and it STILL didn't work! I'm so frustrated I could scream. We have about $950 in benefits on this card that we can't access. Has anyone had to get a PIN reset or something similar?

I had a similar issue with my P-EBT card and the birth date not working. For me, the problem was that they had the wrong year in their system. Definitely call the P-EBT hotline as suggested above. Also, sometimes they use the oldest child's birth date if you have multiple children receiving benefits. Have you tried all your children's birthdates?

If you're having trouble reaching someone at the P-EBT hotline (which is totally normal, they're ALWAYS busy), I'd recommend using Claimyr. It saved me hours of waiting when I had a similar issue with my daughter's P-EBT card. They get you through to a real person much faster. I found their service at claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Seriously, I was connected to a representative in about 15 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. They'll need to verify your identity another way if the DOB isn't working in the system.

This is a common issue with P-EBT cards specifically (which are different from regular CalFresh EBT cards). Here's what you need to know: 1. P-EBT uses school district records, which sometimes have data entry errors 2. For the 2025 Summer P-EBT, they're using the information that was on file as of March 2025 3. The system might have the birth date in a different format than you're entering 4. Sometimes they use the STUDENT'S date of birth, not the parent's Call the dedicated P-EBT hotline at 1-877-328-9677. Explain that you've tried multiple birth dates and formats. They can verify your identity another way and either tell you the correct date to use or manually activate your card. Be prepared with your case number, card number, and other identifying information. P-EBT is administered differently than regular CalFresh, so the county office may not be able to help much with this specific issue.

When i had this EXACT problem it turned out they were using my MAIDEN name not my married name on file for some reason!!! Try any varations of names too not just birthdays. The whole P-EBT system is so messed up and its ridiculous we have to jump through hoops for benefits our kids deserve!!!

FINAL UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! For anyone facing the same issue in the future - turns out there was a typo in my child's birth year in the school district database (they had 2016 instead of 2015). The P-EBT hotline was able to verify my identity through other means and activated the card for me. They're also sending a letter with the correct info for future reference. Thanks everyone for your help!

Wow, this thread is super helpful! I'm dealing with a similar issue right now - my P-EBT card won't activate and I've been trying for days. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like data mismatches between school records and the P-EBT system are really common. I'm going to try calling that dedicated hotline number (1-877-328-9677) with all my kids' birthdates ready, plus any name variations I can think of. It's so frustrating that we have to play detective just to access benefits our children are entitled to! Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions - this gives me hope that I can get it sorted out too.

This whole thread is a perfect example of why the P-EBT system needs serious reform! I went through something similar last year and it took me three weeks to get it resolved. What worked for me was keeping a detailed log of every attempt - the date/time I called, what birthdate I tried, what error message I got, etc. When I finally got through to a human representative, having all that documentation helped them troubleshoot much faster. Also, pro tip: if you're calling the P-EBT hotline, try calling right when they open at 8 AM - you're more likely to get through quickly. The system is clearly broken when parents have to become data forensics experts just to feed their kids during summer break!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a new member here and currently dealing with my own P-EBT activation nightmare. My card has been sitting unused for over a week because the system keeps rejecting my birthdate. After reading through everyone's experiences, I realize I need to be way more systematic about this. I'm going to try all my children's birthdates, different date formats, and even check if there might be name discrepancies between my school records and what I'm using. It's honestly shocking how many different ways the system can have incorrect data - typos in birth years, using maiden names, mixing up parent vs child info, wrong date formats... the list goes on! I really appreciate everyone sharing their specific solutions and the P-EBT hotline number. It gives me hope that there's light at the end of this bureaucratic tunnel. Will definitely call first thing at 8 AM tomorrow with all possible variations ready!

This entire thread should be pinned or turned into a FAQ! As someone who works with families navigating these systems, I see this P-EBT activation issue constantly. The solutions you all found - trying child's birthdate instead of parent's, checking for name discrepancies (especially maiden vs married names), verifying the birth year for typos, and calling the dedicated P-EBT hotline at 1-877-328-9677 - these are exactly the steps that work. What's really frustrating is that none of this troubleshooting information is provided upfront when you get the card. They just give you a number to call and expect everything to work perfectly, when clearly the data integration between school districts and the P-EBT system is full of errors. @Anastasia Popov I'm so glad you got it resolved, and thanks to everyone who shared their workarounds. This collective knowledge is invaluable for other parents who will inevitably face the same issues!

Just wanted to add another potential solution that worked for me last summer - if you're still having trouble after trying all the birthdate variations, check if your zip code might be wrong in their system too. I discovered they had my old address from when my kids first enrolled in school, even though we'd moved and updated everything with the district. The P-EBT system apparently wasn't getting the updated address info. When I called the hotline and they asked for verification, I had to give them the OLD zip code from our previous residence. It's yet another data mismatch issue to add to the list, but worth trying if nothing else works. The whole system really needs an overhaul - it shouldn't be this hard to access benefits for our children!

As a new member here, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this thread! I'm currently dealing with the exact same P-EBT activation nightmare - been trying for over a week with no success. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both validating and helpful. It's clear this isn't just a "me" problem but a systemic issue with how the P-EBT database integrates with school records. I'm going to try all the solutions mentioned here: my children's birthdates, different date formats, checking for name variations (including my maiden name), and even old zip codes since we moved recently. The dedicated P-EBT hotline number (1-877-328-9677) and the 8 AM calling strategy are game-changers - I had no idea there was a separate number from regular CalFresh! It's frustrating that we have to become data detectives just to access food benefits for our kids, but this community support makes it feel less impossible. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and creating this invaluable resource for other struggling families!

As a new member who just found this amazing thread, I wanted to share my recent P-EBT activation success story to add to the collective knowledge here! After reading through everyone's experiences, I was prepared with multiple strategies when I called the hotline. Turns out my issue was a combination of problems - they had my maiden name AND an incorrect birth year for my youngest child (2018 instead of 2019). The representative was able to verify my identity using my social security number and address, then manually activated my card on the spot. The whole call took about 20 minutes once I got through (called right at 8 AM as suggested!). What really struck me was how the representative said these data mismatches are "extremely common" with P-EBT because the information comes from so many different sources - school enrollment, free lunch applications, previous CalFresh records, etc. She actually thanked me for being so prepared with all the possible variations because it made troubleshooting much faster. This community's detective work is literally helping the customer service reps do their jobs more efficiently! Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions - this thread is truly a lifesaver for families navigating this broken system.

As a new community member, I'm amazed by how comprehensive this thread has become! I'm currently dealing with my own P-EBT activation issues and was feeling completely lost until I found this discussion. The fact that @Anastasia Popov's problem was solved and so many others have shared their specific solutions gives me real hope. I had no idea there were so many potential data mismatches - wrong birthdates, name variations, old addresses, typos in birth years - it's like the P-EBT system is a minefield of database errors! I'm definitely going to call that dedicated hotline (1-877-328-9677) first thing at 8 AM tomorrow with all possible variations ready: my kids' birthdates, my maiden name, our old zip code, and different date formats. The tip about keeping a detailed log of attempts is brilliant too. It's honestly ridiculous that accessing food benefits for our children requires becoming database detectives, but this community has turned a frustrating system failure into actionable solutions. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this thread should be required reading for every P-EBT recipient! Will definitely update once I get through to someone.

As a new community member, I just want to say this thread has been absolutely incredible to read! I'm currently facing my own P-EBT activation struggles and was feeling so frustrated and alone until I found this discussion. The systematic approach everyone has developed here is amazing - from trying different birthdates and name variations to calling at 8 AM and keeping detailed logs of attempts. What really stands out to me is how this community has essentially created the troubleshooting guide that the state should have provided from the beginning. The fact that data mismatches are "extremely common" (as the rep told @Olivia Harris) but families are left to figure this out on their own is honestly unacceptable. We shouldn't need to become database forensics experts just to feed our children! I'm definitely calling that P-EBT hotline (1-877-328-9677) tomorrow at 8 AM with all my variations ready - my kids' birthdates, my maiden name, our previous address, and different date formats. Thank you to everyone who shared their solutions, especially @Anastasia Popov for starting this thread and following up with the resolution. This is exactly the kind of community support that makes navigating these broken systems possible!