What exactly is P-EBT for kids and who qualifies in 2025?

P-EBT (Pandemic EBT) was originally created during COVID to help families with children who would normally get free/reduced school meals when schools were closed. In 2025, they've continued a modified version of the program but with different eligibility requirements. It IS actual money but it's specifically for food - loaded onto an EBT card just like CalFresh. The funds can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets, etc. to buy food items (no hot prepared foods, alcohol, etc). Not every child gets it automatically. To qualify in 2025, your child must be: - Enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program - Eligible for free or reduced-price school meals If you already receive CalFresh, your children likely qualify, but they're separate programs. You should call your county office to check your status.

my kids got p-ebt last month its seprate from calfresh. the card looks different than regular ebt came in mail with my kids names on it. i didnt apply they just sent it bcuz my kids get free lunch at there school. its for grocerys only

P-EBT is super confusing because the rules keep changing every year. The 2025 version is NOT the same as the pandemic one. Now it's much more limited. The current P-EBT is only for kids in schools where at least 40% of students qualify for free/reduced meals, AND the child themselves must be approved for free/reduced lunch. If your school has universal free lunch (CEP schools), your kids MIGHT automatically qualify but it depends on how your district determines eligibility. Some districts still require household income verification even with universal programs. The amount varies by county and school district attendance records. It's usually between $120-$150 per eligible child per month when school is in session.

DONT GET EXCITED its not that much $$$!! my kids got p-ebt and its like $5.40 per day they actually attended school. so if your kid was absent a lot you barely get anything. and you have to spend it within like 9 months or it disappears!!

My sister and I both have kids in the same school district. Her kids got P-EBT but mine didn't. When I called, they said it's because I didn't fill out the school lunch application form at the beginning of the year. Even though the school advertises "free lunch for all students," they still required that paperwork to determine P-EBT eligibility. So annoying! Now I have to wait until next school year to apply again.

To clarify some confusion in this thread: P-EBT and CalFresh are separate programs but both administered through CDSS. P-EBT was made permanent in the 2022 federal budget, so it's no longer just a pandemic program, although it's more limited now. For the 2024-2025 school year: 1. If your child attends a CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) school where all students get free meals, they SHOULD qualify automatically without an application 2. If not attending a CEP school, you need to have completed the school meal application 3. P-EBT comes on a separate white card with the child's name (not the parent's) The current benefit is $8.79 per eligible school day in California for 2025. So a month with 20 school days would be about $175 per eligible child. If you think your kids should qualify but haven't received cards, contact your school district's nutrition services department first (not the county CalFresh office).

btw u have to activate the card when it comes. theres a pin number u have to set up. instructions come with it but my friend didnt read them n thought the card just didnt work lol

One important thing no one mentioned - if you DO get P-EBT, it doesn't affect your eligibility for other benefits like CalFresh or CalWORKs. It's not counted as income for those programs. And you can have both CalFresh and P-EBT at the same time.

Has anyone gotten summer P-EBT for 2025 yet? My kids qualified during the school year but I haven't heard anything about summer benefits.

Just wanted to add for anyone still confused - you can also check if your kids are eligible by logging into your school district's parent portal if they have one. A lot of districts show meal benefit status there. Also, if you're still waiting for cards and it's been more than 6 weeks since you think you should have received them, definitely call that P-EBT helpline. I had to call 3 times before I got someone who could actually help, but they were able to expedite replacement cards for my kids when the original ones got lost in the mail. One more tip - if you have multiple kids, each child gets their own separate P-EBT card with their name on it. Don't expect one family card like with regular CalFresh.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who just went through this process! We received our P-EBT cards about 3 weeks ago for our two kids. The amount was different for each child based on their actual school attendance - my older son who rarely misses school got about $160, while my younger daughter who had some sick days got around $140. The cards do need to be activated right away - there's a phone number on the back and you set up a PIN. I made the mistake of putting them in a drawer thinking they'd work automatically and then panicked when they didn't work at the store! One thing that helped us was calling the school directly rather than the county office. The school secretary was able to confirm that both kids were marked as eligible and that the cards should have been mailed to our address on file. Turned out our cards were actually mailed to our old address initially, so we had to update our info and request new ones. Also FYI - you can use the P-EBT cards at most grocery stores and even some farmers markets, but NOT at places like 7-Eleven or gas stations for food purchases. Learned that the hard way!

I just want to thank everyone for all the detailed explanations! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I was so confused when I first got that mail about P-EBT, but now I understand it's separate from CalFresh and tied to the school lunch program. Based on what everyone shared, it sounds like I need to: 1. Check if our school filled out that meal application (or if it's a CEP school) 2. Verify our address is correct with the school 3. Wait a bit longer since some counties are still processing 2025 cards 4. Call the P-EBT helpline if nothing comes in the next few weeks It's frustrating that the program isn't more straightforward, but at least now I know what to expect. Really appreciate this community for breaking it all down in terms that actually make sense!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that P-EBT benefits can also be used for online grocery pickup/delivery at participating stores like Walmart, Amazon Fresh, and some Safeways. This was really helpful for us since we don't always have time to go grocery shopping in person with work schedules. Also, if you're having trouble getting through to the P-EBT helpline, try calling right when they open (usually 8am) or during lunch hours when call volume might be lower. I've had better luck getting through around 12:30pm than in the mornings or late afternoons. And just to echo what others said - definitely save all the paperwork that comes with the cards! There's usually a pamphlet with store locations and online retailers that accept P-EBT, plus information about what you can and can't buy. Super useful to keep in your wallet or purse for reference.