Still waiting for P-EBT cards for kids with names starting with R in LA County - distribution schedule question

my daughter ruby just got hers yesterday!! we're in LA county too, east los angeles area. maybe check your address is updated in the school system? they're sending them based on whatever address the school has on file

Thanks for letting me know! That's actually really helpful - at least I know they're being delivered in our area. Our address is definitely correct with the school, we just got some other mail from them last week. Do you know if there's a number to call if it doesn't show up soon? I'm getting worried it might have been lost.

I'm in the same boat!!! My kids are Richard and Rebecca and NOTHING has come in the mail yet. My sister got her kids' cards (names start with M) TWO WEEKS ago and we're in the same zip code. I'm freaking out because we're really counting on the extra food money. Has anyone successfully reached someone at the P-EBT hotline? I've called THREE TIMES and kept getting disconnected after waiting for like 45 minutes each time!!! This is so frustrating!!!!

The P-EBT distribution for LA County has been experiencing delays specifically for the R-T name range due to a printing issue. According to the official CDSS update from last week, they're still processing cards for that group and they should arrive by the end of this month. The official P-EBT hotline is 877-328-9677, but it's been overwhelmed lately. Your best bet is to contact your local DPSS office directly about the status of your children's cards. Make sure to have their student ID numbers ready when you call.

Thank you SO MUCH for this info!!! No one told us about any printing delays! I'll try calling DPSS directly instead of the hotline. Do you know if there's a better time of day to call them?

not really related but does anyone know if P-EBT benefits are different from regular CalFresh? my son got a P-EBT card but we already get CalFresh. can i use both or is that like double dipping or something?

Yes, P-EBT benefits are completely separate from regular CalFresh. P-EBT is specifically for school-aged children to replace school meals during certain periods, while regular CalFresh is for overall household food assistance. You can absolutely use both - it's not double dipping because they serve different purposes. The P-EBT card works just like an EBT card at the same stores, but it's a separate benefit program with its own balance and timeline.

oh cool thanks! that makes our food budget stretch a lot further then

I had the same issue with my son's P-EBT card (name Ricardo). I spent HOURS trying to get through on the state hotline with no luck. Finally used Claimyr.com to get through to LA County DPSS directly. They connected me with a live worker in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. The worker confirmed there was a delay with names R-T but my son's card had actually been mailed 3 days ago. You can check the status of your specific card with them. I recommend watching their video demo first so you know how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

Thanks for the tip! I've never heard of that service before but those hold times are killing me. I'll check it out. Did they tell you how long the cards take to arrive once they've been mailed?

i just looked up claimyr and used it this morning - it WORKED!! got through to someone in like 20 mins instead of being on hold forever. they told me some R cards went out last week but others are still being processed this week

Just to clarify some misinformation I'm seeing here - P-EBT distribution is handled at the state level, not by individual counties. LA County DPSS can look up some information, but they don't control the mailing schedule. The current round of P-EBT cards for 2024-2025 is being distributed in alphabetical batches based on the child's first name, not last name as some people think. \n\nThe official schedule had names A-E in early April, F-L mid-April, M-Q late April, and R-Z in early May. However, there was a processing delay specifically affecting some names in the R-T range. If you haven't received it by the end of May, then you should definitely follow up. The P-EBT website (www.cdss.ca.gov/pebt) will show updated timelines if there are significant delays.

Thank you for clarifying! I didn't realize it was first name based, that makes more sense. And good to know the state handles it rather than the county. I'll check that website for updates too.

dis happened to me too but then i got both my kids cards on tha same day even tho they different letters (D and R). sometimes they just come all at once for same address. check ur mail every day tho cuz the envelopes look kinda plain n u might miss it thinkin its junk mail

That's a good point about the envelopes! What color are they? I'll make sure to check everything before throwing anything out.

they jus white envelopes with the ca state logo. real plain lookin but it say important benefits info on it somewhere

Update: our son's P-EBT card finally came today! So they ARE delivering the R names now in LA County. It came in a white envelope from

That's great news! Gives me hope ours will be here soon. Thanks for the update!

I'm in a similar situation with my daughter Rachel - we're in Pasadena area and still haven't received hers either. It's reassuring to see from everyone's updates that the R names are finally starting to go out this week. I've been checking our mail obsessively! Thanks for asking this question because I was starting to think we were the only ones still waiting. Going to keep an eye out for that plain white envelope with the state logo that others mentioned.