P-EBT cards arriving on different days for siblings with same initial - normal or issue?

Thanks for letting me know! Was starting to worry something was wrong with their benefits or something.

That makes so much sense! I thought they'd all come at once since they're in the same household. I'll activate each one as they arrive. Do you know if the benefit amounts should be the same for all three kids since they're in the same school?

The mail service here is terrible! I'm still waiting for my son's P-EBT card from last month. How long did you wait before requesting a replacement card? I'm wondering if I should just go ahead and call now or keep waiting...

I had the same issue with the P-EBT customer service line constantly hanging up. I was finally able to reach someone by using Claimyr.com - it kept calling for me and got me through to a real person who helped resolve my missing card issue. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Saved me hours of frustration and my replacement card arrived within 10 days.

Yes, P-EBT is different from CalFresh, though they both provide food benefits. P-EBT (Pandemic EBT) was initially created during COVID school closures, but has been extended and modified for 2025. It provides food benefits to children who would normally receive free or reduced-price school meals. You don't need to apply for P-EBT - if your children are eligible (either through participating in free/reduced lunch programs or attending a Community Eligibility Provision school), they should automatically receive cards. Eligibility is determined by the school district sharing information with CDSS. If your children qualify for free/reduced meals at school but you haven't received P-EBT cards in several months, you might want to contact your school to confirm they've submitted your children's information correctly.

The benefit amounts on P-EBT cards can actually vary between children even in the same household for several reasons: 1. Children in different grade levels might receive different benefit amounts 2. If your children attend different schools, the schools might have different meal programs 3. If any of your children were absent during certain periods, this could affect benefit amounts 4. Some schools have different number of eligible days in their reporting periods If the amount differences are small (like $25-75), it's probably normal. If there are major differences (like one card has $400 and another has $50), you might want to contact the P-EBT hotline to verify all benefits were calculated correctly.

Glad all the cards arrived safely! Regarding the different benefit amounts, if your oldest is in a different grade level, that could explain the variance. Also, if she had perfect attendance while your younger children had some absences, that could affect the benefit calculation. P-EBT benefits are based on school attendance records and meal eligibility days. Unless the difference is extremely large, I wouldn't worry about questioning it. The benefit calculations are done automatically based on data from the schools, and small to moderate variations are normal even among siblings at the same school. If you want to understand exactly how it was calculated, you can check the P-EBT information letter that came with each card, as it sometimes explains the benefit period and calculation method.

The original P-EBT was for COVID, but they've continued it under a modified program. Not all schools participate now though. Your kids' school might not be part of the program anymore, or maybe they don't qualify for free/reduced lunch? Might be worth asking at the school office.

Yes, they're still issuing them in 2025! My kids' school is part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program where all students get free meals regardless of income. Maybe check if your school participates in that program? The cards really help with our grocery budget.