Unexpected extra $120 on P-EBT card today - normal or error?

It's actually part of the new Summer EBT program that was just implemented in California for 2025. All school-age kids who qualify for free/reduced lunch get an extra $120 per child during summer months (June-August) to help with food costs when school meals aren't available. It's not a mistake! The program was announced back in March but they didn't send separate notices about it.

i got the same thing on my daughtrrs card!!! was about to call them 2morro cuz i thought it was a mistake lol

That's definitely the Summer EBT program, and it's perfectly fine to use. Note that it's different from regular CalFresh - P-EBT is administered through CDSS but it's a separate federal program targeting children specifically. The $120 supplement should appear for June, July, and August, but you might want to take screenshots of your balance history just in case there are any questions later. And make sure your address is up to date with the school district since they sometimes send P-EBT notices through them rather than directly.

I HATE how they never tell us ANYTHING about these changes!!! I just spent 4 hours trying to get through to someone on the stupid P-EBT hotline because I thought it was an error!! WHY can't they just send a text or something??? Every time there's a change I waste a whole day trying to figure out what's happening. So frustrating!!!!!

When I had a similar issue trying to reach someone about my P-EBT card last month, I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they actually got me through to a real person at the county office in about 10 minutes. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me so much frustration. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Definitely worth it when you need answers right away about these weird benefit changes.

@profile5 To answer your follow-up question - yes, you'll get the $120 extra per child for June, July, and August. And it doesn't affect your regular CalFresh benefits at all - they're completely separate programs. The Summer EBT is specifically to replace school meals during summer months. And just to be clear, P-EBT and Summer EBT funds can only be used for food items, not for non-food items like regular CalFresh.

@profile7 Each eligible child should have their own P-EBT card with their name on it. So if you have two children, you should have two separate cards, each getting the extra $120 Summer EBT funds. If you only have one card for multiple children, you might want to contact the P-EBT hotline as they may have combined benefits incorrectly.

My cousin got the same extra $120 but then got a letter saying it was for "supply chain disruptions" or something? Anyone else see that explanation? I'm confused if it's the summer program or something else entirely.

This is such a relief to read! I just discovered the extra $120 on my daughter's card this morning and was panicking that it was some kind of system error. I've been burned before by benefit overpayments that had to be paid back, so I'm always nervous about unexpected money showing up. It's great to know this is legitimate and part of the Summer EBT program. Really wish they'd communicate these changes better though - would save so many of us from the stress and confusion!