P-EBT cards for K-12 approved - When and how CalFresh families will receive benefits

Thank you so much! That's a huge relief. We moved in December so I'll call tomorrow to verify they have our updated address. Do you know roughly how much the benefits will be per child this time around?

Good question. Homeschooled children generally don't qualify for P-EBT unless they're enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program. However, rules change each year, so your sister should check with her county office once the detailed guidance is released next month.

I had the EXACT same experience trying to reach someone about missing P-EBT cards! After wasting hours on hold, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person at my county office. They actually have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. The service got me a callback from a worker who could actually help with the P-EBT issue. Way better than getting disconnected over and over again.

Never heard of that before. Does it actually work?? At this point I'll try anything because my kids definitely qualify and we could really use the extra food assistance.

Yeah it really worked for me! They connect you with your specific county worker much faster than waiting on hold. For P-EBT specifically, you need to talk to someone who can check your eligibility status and address in the system, which the regular hotline operators often can't access.

$125 per month would be amazing! That would really help with our grocery bills. I hope that's the correct amount.

As long as your children are certified for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program, they should qualify for P-EBT regardless of your CalFresh status. The school meal program eligibility is separate from CalFresh, though many families qualify for both. Make sure your current mailing address is on file with your children's school since that's likely where they'll send the cards if you're not already in the CalFresh system.

This is incorrect. The USDA officially approved California's 2024-2025 P-EBT plan last week. The information is available on the state's official website. They are indeed processing some backlogged cases from the previous period, but this announcement refers to the new approval for the current school year. Please verify information before claiming others are spreading misinformation.

Well my cousin definitely knows more than some random internet person. But whatever believe what you want i guess

I literally saw this on the local news yesterday... it's definitely a new approval. Check the CDSS website if you don't believe it.

Thanks for the reminder! I updated our address with the school but definitely need to call the county office tomorrow. Do you remember how long the activation period is?

I think it's 90 days to activate, but don't quote me on that. Better to do it as soon as you receive them. Also, create separate PINs for each card so you don't get confused later!

P-EBT cards can be used anywhere that accepts EBT, including Instacart and Amazon for grocery delivery (with participating retailers). They follow the same purchase rules as regular CalFresh benefits - can buy food items but not prepared hot foods, alcohol, non-food items, etc.