P-EBT cards arriving in Monterey County - don't throw away the letter!

From what I understand, they're rolling out the P-EBT cards county by county. Monterey is one of the first in this batch. Sacramento should be coming in the next 2-3 weeks according to the CalFresh website. The distribution schedule is posted on the CDSS website, but it's buried in their announcements section. Each county has a different timeline based on how many cards they need to process.

P-EBT and CalFresh are completely separate programs, so yes, you can and should use both! P-EBT is specifically to replace school meals when kids aren't in school (like during breaks or if school was canceled). CalFresh is your regular food assistance benefit. They'll both work at grocery stores, farmers markets, etc., but they're funded differently and have different rules. Just keep them both active and use them as needed.

Thank you sooo much! I was literally about to call the county office but they never answer anyway. So the P-EBT is just extra food money for my kids? That's awesome because summers are always tight with them home all day eating everything in sight!

if ur trying to reach the county office and cant get through, try this service called claimyr - claimyr.com - they got me through to a real person at monterey county when i needed to fix my calfresh account. there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. saved me hours of holding and getting disconnected

same in santa clara!!! been waiting FOREVER and nothing!!!! 😡😡 i swear they make this impossible on purpose!!

what?? $645 PER KID? that's amazing! i have 3 kids so that would be almost $2000 for us! how long is that supposed to last?

The P-EBT customer service line has been overwhelmed with the new card distribution. To activate a P-EBT card, you need to call 877-328-9677 and follow the prompts. You'll need the card number, the zip code of the address where the card was mailed, and the date of birth of the child. If the system keeps disconnecting, try calling very early in the morning (right when they open at 6am) or late in the evening before they close at 8pm. Those tend to be less busy times.

P-EBT cards work exactly like regular EBT cards when it comes to where you can use them. They can be used at: - Grocery stores - Supermarkets - Farmers markets - Some online retailers (including Walmart, Amazon, and Target) - Convenience stores that accept EBT The same restrictions apply too - you can only buy food items, not household goods, alcohol, cigarettes, hot prepared foods, etc. Many farmers markets offer Market Match programs where they'll double your EBT/P-EBT spending up to a certain amount (usually $10-20 per visit), which is a great way to stretch those benefits.

They're definitely sending them in batches, even within the county. My elementary schooler got his on Tuesday, but my high schooler didn't get hers until yesterday. I think they're processing them by school district maybe? What district are your kids in?

Hey, I had the same problem trying to get through to someone about my kids' P-EBT cards. I finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at the county office. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. They basically call for you and then connect you when they reach a real person. Saved me from pulling my hair out after trying for days.

No, P-EBT benefits are not counted as income for CalFresh eligibility. You don't need to report them on your SAR7 form. They're considered non-cash benefits similar to school meals themselves. The only benefit programs you need to report on your SAR7 are actual cash assistance programs like CalWORKs, General Assistance, Social Security, Unemployment, Disability, or Child Support.