When do P-EBT benefits reload each month? Just received my son's card

The P-EBT cards are different from regular CalFresh. For the 2025 school year program, they load benefits retroactively, not on a monthly schedule like regular EBT. The amount should be around $150-175 per month for each eligible kid, but they might give you several months at once (like 3 months of benefits in a single deposit). Check your balance by calling the number on the back of the card. My daughter's card got funded about a week after we received it, but I've heard others had to wait longer.

Just to clarify what the previous commenter said - P-EBT is not a monthly benefit like regular CalFresh. The P-EBT 2025 program typically provides a lump sum payment that covers multiple months of school meals that your child qualified for. The current benefit rate is $8.45 per school day, which is why you're seeing $245 - that's probably for a partial month of eligible days. You should have received an info sheet with the card that includes the PIN (usually last 4 digits of the student ID). You'll need that PIN to use the card. Benefits don't expire for one year from issuance, so you don't need to rush to spend them all at once.

i got my sons card 2 weeks ago and thought it was fake lol. glad i didnt throw it away! Just checked and theres $490 on it. I didn't even apply for this so was confused

For anyone struggling to reach someone at the P-EBT hotline, I had the same issue last month trying to figure out why my daughter's card wasn't working. After being on hold for 2+ hours multiple days, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual human in about 15 minutes. They have you visit claimyr.com, enter the P-EBT number you're calling, and they somehow get you through the phone queue. Worked perfectly and the rep was able to fix our PIN issue immediately. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

The P-EBT program is TOTALLY DIFFERENT from CalFresh!!! So many people get this wrong. P-EBT is run by Department of Education while CalFresh is run by DSS. They have DIFFERENT rules and different payment schedules. With P-EBT cards they usually load them with a LUMP SUM for multiple past months, not monthly like CalFresh. Also IMPORTANT TO KNOW - if you don't use the P-EBT card for a full year, the benefits expire and go away - so don't forget about it! I lost over $300 last year because I didn't realize this and set the card aside.

To answer your specific questions: 1. P-EBT is not a monthly reload like regular CalFresh 2. Benefits are typically issued as a lump sum for past eligible months 3. The standard benefit amount for 2025 is $8.45 per eligible school day 4. The card should already be active when you receive it 5. The PIN is typically the student's birthday in MMDD format or the last 4 digits of their student ID 6. You can use it anywhere that accepts EBT, including grocery stores, many farmers markets, and some online retailers like Amazon 7. Benefits remain available for 365 days from the date they were added to the card If you need to check your balance, call the number on the back of the card or use the BenefitsCal mobile app which now supports P-EBT balance checking as well.

does anyone know if u can use these p-ebt cards at target??? my kid loves their snack section but not sure if they take it

Just a tip - I recommend creating a separate PIN for the card than what they initially assign. Sometimes the default PINs can be easy for others to guess if they know your child's information. You can change the PIN by calling the number on the back of the card. I also put a little sticker on mine to differentiate it from my regular EBT card since they look similar!

Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble figuring out what you can buy with P-EBT, the USDA has a great app called "SNAP Retailer Locator" that not only shows you which stores accept EBT but also has a guide for eligible food items. Since P-EBT follows the same rules as regular SNAP/CalFresh, anything you can buy with regular food stamps you can buy with P-EBT. This includes fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereals, and even seeds/plants that produce food! Just remember no hot/prepared foods, alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, or non-food items. The app has been super helpful for me when I'm shopping and not sure about something.