Sacramento P-EBT card distribution schedule for kids with J names - anyone received theirs?
Has anyone in Sacramento County received their P-EBT cards for school-aged kids with names starting with J yet? My son Jason was supposed to get his by now according to the issuance schedule (it said late April-early May 2025 for J-L last names), but nothing's shown up. My daughter (last name starts with R) got hers already two weeks ago. I called the P-EBT hotline but after waiting 2 hours, got disconnected! I'm worried because we're counting on those extra food benefits with summer coming up. Should I report a lost card or is it just delayed for the J names? Anyone else waiting on Sacramento County P-EBT for J names?
19 comments
Join the conversation
Paolo Longo
My kid's name starts with K and we just got the card yesterday actually! We're in Sacramento too, North Highlands area. They seem to be coming really late this time around. My neighbors kid (starts with L) got hers last week. Maybe give it a few more days?
0 coins
Keisha Taylor
•Thanks for letting me know! Good to hear they're actually being delivered in our area. I'll wait another week before panicking lol. Did you have to activate it differently than regular EBT cards?
0 coins
Amina Bah
The P-EBT distribution schedule for Sacramento County has been running behind by about 2-3 weeks according to what I've heard from clients. The J-L group was officially scheduled for April 25-May 10, but many cards are just starting to arrive now in mid-May. If you don't receive it by May 25th, that's when you should report it as missing. Just to clarify - P-EBT is separate from regular CalFresh benefits, so even though they both help with food, they're issued differently. P-EBT goes directly to eligible children based on school data, while CalFresh is based on household applications.
0 coins
Keisha Taylor
•Thank you for the clear explanation! I'll wait until the 25th before reporting anything. And yes, I know P-EBT is different from our regular CalFresh - we rely on both especially during summer when school meals aren't available. Really appreciate the info about the delays.
0 coins
Oliver Becker
ok but did anyone get there CALFRESH benefits yet this month?????? mine were suppos to be on the 10th and stillhavent gotten them its the 14th now!!!! is this related to the PEBT stuff or seprate issue????
0 coins
Amina Bah
•That's a separate issue from P-EBT. If your regular CalFresh benefits haven't loaded, you should contact your county office right away. Benefits should load on your regular issuance date based on your case number. The P-EBT cards are different and don't affect your regular CalFresh issuance schedule.
0 coins
CosmicCowboy
If you're having trouble getting through on the P-EBT hotline, I'd recommend trying Claimyr to reach a live person faster. I used it last month when I was trying to resolve an issue with my son's missing P-EBT card. It got me through to a live agent in about 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours. You can check it out at claimyr.com and there's a video demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration after I kept getting disconnected from the regular line.
0 coins
Keisha Taylor
•Never heard of that before. Does it work specifically for P-EBT issues or just regular CalFresh? I'm willing to try anything at this point. Getting disconnected after 2 hours on hold was soul-crushing.
0 coins
CosmicCowboy
•It works for P-EBT customer service too! That's exactly what I used it for. They basically call and wait on hold for you, then connect you once they get a live person. Definitely worth it if you need to talk to someone urgently about the missing card.
0 coins
Natasha Orlova
The whole P-EBT system is RIDICULOUS!! They don't communicate ANYTHING properly! My kids with H and J last names were supposed to get cards MONTHS ago according to the original schedule released in January, then they silently updated the website with new dates. No email, no text, NOTHING! And when you call that stupid hotline, it's just recordings with no actual information specific to YOUR case. I'm so sick of this system that seems DESIGNED to make it hard for families to access benefits we QUALIFY for!!! Schools have been out for summer for TWO WEEKS already and still no cards!!!
0 coins
Paolo Longo
•i feel your pain!!! went thru same thing last year. the cards came a MONTH after school ended. what exactly is the point of summer food benefits when they come at the END of summer???
0 coins
Javier Cruz
Actually just got my son's yesterday (his name is Javier) and we're in South Sac. I was confused though because the amount is different than I expected? My neighbor's kid got $465 but my son's card only has $382. Is it based on how many school days they missed or something? My son had that strep throat going around in January and missed like 2 weeks of school. Would that affect his P-EBT amount?
0 coins
Amina Bah
•P-EBT amounts can vary based on several factors, including attendance, but generally not for illness-related absences if they were excused. The difference you're seeing more likely relates to whether your children's schools are classified differently (CEP vs. non-CEP schools) or possibly if one child is in elementary vs. high school, as the meal rates differ. If you're concerned about the amount, you can ask for clarification when you call to activate the card.
0 coins
Emma Thompson
my sons card came yesterday hes James so J name like ur asking about. we live in antelope part of sacramento. the mail came really late like 6pm so maybe check again tmrw? also make sure u know what the envelope looks like its white with california dept education logo not the same as regular ebt mailings
0 coins
Keisha Taylor
•Thank you! That's really helpful to know. I'll watch for the mail even in the evening and make sure to look carefully at all the envelopes. Fingers crossed it comes this week.
0 coins
Oliver Becker
wait is p-ebt the same as pandemic ebt? i thought that ended years ago when covid benefits stopped??? are we still getting those????
0 coins
Amina Bah
•Good question. The program was originally called Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), but it's now been extended as a permanent Summer EBT program in California and some other states. It provides food benefits to families with children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals during summer breaks and sometimes during school closures. So while the name is similar, the current program is not specifically tied to the pandemic anymore but continues to provide nutritional support when school meals aren't available.
0 coins
Paolo Longo
You know what I just remembered - my sister (she lives in Folsom but still Sacramento County) had this issue last year with her kid Jackson. The card never showed up and she had to report it missing. Turned out they had his school registration address which was our old address from when they stayed with us. Maybe double check that the school has your correct address on file?
0 coins
Keisha Taylor
•That's a really good point! We did move in October, and while I updated it with the school directly, I wonder if it all transferred correctly to whatever system they use for the P-EBT cards. I'll call the school tomorrow to confirm. Thanks for the suggestion!
0 coins