Still on letter J for P-EBT cards? CalFresh households confused about distribution

My sons last name starts with K and we just got his p-ebt card yesterday so I think there still working thru the alphabet. its not loaded onto regular calfresh cards its a seperate card with purple design, ours came in white envelope that look like junk mail so check ur mail careful

The P-EBT distribution for 2025 is happening in alphabetical order by last name, and they are currently around the K-L range according to the latest update. They're moving at approximately one letter every 10-14 days. P-EBT is always issued on separate cards from your regular CalFresh EBT card, even if your household already receives CalFresh benefits. If your last name starts with M, you should receive your card within the next 2-3 weeks. Make sure your mailing address is current with both your school district and your CalFresh county office, as the cards are mailed based on the address they have on file.

They're LYING about the distribution schedule. My kids have A last name and STILL no cards!!!! Meanwhile my sister's kids (last name Wilson) already got theirs two weeks ago!!! The whole alphabetical order thing is BS. They just send them out randomly whenever they feel like it and use the "alphabet order" as an excuse when people complain. I've called the P-EBT hotline 8 times and they just put you on hold forever and then disconnect. The whole system is broken.

I work for a community resource center that helps families navigate benefits, and I can confirm they're currently distributing P-EBT cards for last names in the J-L range. However, there are some important exceptions to be aware of: 1. Different counties may be at slightly different points in the alphabet 2. If your school district submitted eligibility data late, your cards may be delayed regardless of last name 3. Some school districts are processed in batches that don't strictly follow alphabetical order If you're concerned, you can check your status at the P-EBT portal: https://ca.p-ebt.org/ (you'll need your child's student ID and date of birth). And yes, P-EBT is always issued on separate cards, not added to regular CalFresh benefits, even for households already receiving CalFresh.

my kids got theirs last week and our last name is Martinez so they might have skipped to M already?? idk the whole thing is confusing. but watch out because the cards look different this year - they're more purple than before and the envelope doesn't say much on it. my husband almost threw it away thinking it was junk mail lol

Has anyone had any luck actually reaching someone on the P-EBT hotline? I've been trying for days and I just get stuck in the automated system. I need to report that we never received our cards from the last distribution and request replacements, but I can't get through to a real person!

anyone else notice that the benefits on the p-ebt cards were less this year?? last year my kids got like $650 each now its only $525??? prices going up but benefits going down smh

Thanks everyone for the helpful info. I logged into the portal that someone shared and it shows cards for my kids were actually mailed last Friday! So they should arrive this week. The system is working its way through the alphabet like you all mentioned. I'll be on the lookout for the purple card in a plain envelope. Really appreciate all the responses!

That's great news Noah! I'm glad you were able to check the portal and confirm your cards are on the way. Just wanted to add for anyone else reading - when you get your P-EBT card, you can use it at any store that accepts EBT, including grocery stores, farmers markets, and some online retailers like Amazon and Walmart. The benefits don't expire for a while, but it's good to use them within a reasonable time frame. Hope your cards arrive quickly!

I'm in a similar situation with my kids - last name starts with L and still waiting! It's really helpful to see everyone's experiences here. I didn't realize the cards looked so different this year or that they come in plain envelopes. I'll definitely be checking our mail more carefully and won't throw away anything that looks like junk mail. Thanks for sharing the portal link too - I'm going to check that tonight to see if there's any status update for our family. It's reassuring to know they're actually following the alphabetical order mostly, even if there are some exceptions based on school districts and counties.

I'm also waiting for my P-EBT cards and this thread has been so helpful! My kids' last name starts with N so I'm hoping we'll get ours in the next week or two based on what everyone is saying. I had no idea about the purple design or that the envelopes look like junk mail - I'll definitely be checking everything carefully. Does anyone know if the cards come with instructions on how to activate them or do you have to call a number? Also wondering if there's a way to check the balance once you get the card activated. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!