P-EBT reloads for my 3 kids showed up - anyone know if this is the last payment for 2025?

I got mine too finally!!! But only for 2 of my 3 kids which is weird. Been on hold with the p-ebt number for like an hour and nobody picks up. this is so frustrating, why would they only load 2 cards? The system makes no sense

That's strange! Do all your kids go to the same school? I wonder if that's related. Have you tried checking the P-EBT website to see if there's any status info for the third card?

Yes, this should be the final P-EBT payment for the 2024-2025 school year. The benefits don't expire immediately - you have 274 days (about 9 months) from the date they were issued to use them before they expire. So for this latest reload, you'd have until early 2026 to use those benefits.\n\nAlso, just to clarify since there's often confusion: P-EBT is separate from regular CalFresh. P-EBT is specifically for school-age children to replace school meals during certain periods, while CalFresh is the ongoing food assistance program for eligible households.

Thank you so much for the clear explanation! That's a relief about the 9-month expiration - gives us plenty of time to use the benefits wisely. I appreciate the clarification about P-EBT vs CalFresh too. We actually have regular CalFresh as well, but the P-EBT really helps supplement our food budget with three growing kids.

wait so is everyone getting this?? my kids didnt get anything on their cards and now im worried. they qualify for free lunch at school so shouldnt they get p-ebt too? how do i check if were supposed to get it?

Not everyone gets P-EBT automatically. Your children need to be enrolled in free or reduced-price school meals AND their school needs to participate in the National School Lunch Program. You can check your eligibility status by calling the P-EBT hotline at 877-328-9677, but be prepared for long wait times.\n\nIf your kids qualify for free lunch, they should likely qualify for P-EBT, but there might be issues with how your school reported eligibility or with your mailing address on file. Sometimes cards can be sent to old addresses if the school has outdated information.

To directly answer your question: Yes, this April 2025 payment is scheduled to be the final P-EBT disbursement for the 2024-2025 school year according to the CDSS website. The department has been rolling out payments county by county, which explains why some people received benefits earlier than others.\n\nIf you're struggling to get through on the P-EBT hotline (which is notoriously understaffed), you might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com). They can help you skip the phone queue and connect with a representative much faster. I used their service when I had issues with my daughter's missing card and got through in minutes instead of hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

omg thank u for this!! i just tried calling again and got the \

It's actually quite reasonable considering how much time it saves. Rather than spending hours on hold or calling back multiple times, you can get through quickly. The service specializes in connecting people with government benefit offices like P-EBT and CalFresh. Given how difficult it is to reach someone at the P-EBT hotline right now due to the recent reload, it might be worth it to get your issue resolved quickly.

not to go off topic but does anyone know if theyre gonna do summer p-ebt this year?? last year was a mess and we didnt get the summer benefits until like october lol

The state hasn't announced summer P-EBT 2025 plans yet, but based on previous years, they'll likely continue the program. And YES, last year was ridiculous! We got our

My kids got different amounts??? Two got $465 and one got $325. Makes no sense since they're all at the same school. Anyone else have this happen?

The different amounts are usually because of attendance records. P-EBT benefits can be prorated based on how many days your child was present for in-person learning versus remote learning or absences during the benefit period. So if one child had more absences or remote learning days, they might receive a different amount than siblings at the same school.

Update: I found a flyer from my kids' school that confirms this is indeed the final P-EBT payment for the current school year. It also mentioned that there might be a separate summer P-EBT program, but details haven't been announced yet. Just wanted to share in case anyone else was wondering!

thanks for sharing! our school never sends us any p-ebt info. wish they communicated better

These P-EBT rollouts are ALWAYS a mess! My sister's kids got their benefits two weeks ago but her neighbor's kids (same school, same eligibility) got nothing. The whole system is so disorganized. And good luck getting through on the phone - I spent THREE DAYS trying to reach someone last reload period. The state needs to hire more people or fix their stupid system!!!

omg YES!! I'm still waiting on hold right now. This is ridiculous. I don't understand why they can't just process everyone at the same time or at least give us SOME information about what's happening.