Still waiting for P-EBT benefits in 2025 after kid enrolled all year - anyone else?

same boat here! my daughter is in 3rd grade, definitely qualifies, and nothing yet. friend's kid got it already in march. makes no sense

There have been significant delays with P-EBT distribution in 2025. The current phase of distributions is happening by county and then by school district. Some counties are just now beginning their distributions. Make sure that: 1. Your child is properly coded in the school system as receiving free/reduced meals 2. Your mailing address is updated with both the school AND in the BenefitsCal system if you receive CalFresh 3. Your child has been enrolled consistently (gaps in enrollment can cause delays) If all those are correct, unfortunately it's just a waiting game. Some districts won't see benefits until June 2025 according to the latest CDSS announcement.

did u check ur mail carefully? sometimes the card comes in a plain white envelope that looks like junk mail. I almost threw mine away last year lol

The 2025 P-EBT benefits are being distributed differently than previous years. Here's what's happening: 1. Some counties are receiving benefits in phases between March and July 2025 2. School districts within each county are on different schedules 3. For children already receiving CalFresh, benefits may load onto your existing EBT card instead of a separate P-EBT card 4. Some schools are having data transfer issues with CDSS You should contact your county CalFresh office directly rather than the general P-EBT line. They can see if your child is in the upcoming distribution list and give you a more specific timeframe.

I had this EXACT problem last month! Kept calling that useless P-EBT number but the automated system just talks in circles. Finally got through to an actual human at my county CalFresh office who told me my son's school had coded him incorrectly in their system (even though he definitely gets free lunch). If you're tired of waiting on hold for hours, try using Claimyr to connect with the county office. It saved me so much time - their service calls and waits on hold for you, then calls you when a real person answers. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8) and it was super easy to use. Within a day after speaking to someone, my issue was fixed and we got the card two weeks later.

this whole p-ebt thing is a mess every single year!!!! why cant they just make it work right the first time???? my kids school says one thing, the county says another thing, and that stupid hotline just hangs up on me

Your child might be in the June distribution group. My friend works for DPSS and she said San Bernardino County is actually scheduled for the June 2025 distribution for most schools. A few schools there got theirs early as part of a pilot program, which is probably why your neighbor received theirs. What school district is your son in? Some districts in SB County had a data transfer error that they're still fixing. Also, did you recently move or change addresses in the past year?

After I got my issue solved, the worker told me a lot of families are experiencing this same problem. She mentioned that they're receiving thousands of calls about missing P-EBT benefits, so the system is completely overwhelmed. When I used Claimyr to get through, I spoke to an actual eligibility worker who looked up my son's information directly instead of just reading from a script. Definitely worth trying if you're still stuck.

Quick update on P-EBT distribution for San Bernardino County: According to the latest CDSS update from April 30, 2025, Chaffey Joint district is scheduled for the June 10-24 distribution window. There were data transfer issues with several schools but those have reportedly been resolved. Benefits should be automatically issued during that window as long as your child is properly coded in the system. If you don't receive benefits by June 25, that would be the appropriate time to escalate. In the meantime, document that your child receives free school meals as this may be needed if you need to file for missing benefits later.