When will CalFresh Summer EBT 'Sun Bucks' benefits be loaded for school kids?
Has anyone received the Summer EBT benefits (my kids call them 'sun bucks' lol) for 2025 yet? I got a notice back in April saying my 3 school-aged children qualify for the summer food program since they get free lunch during the school year, but nothing's been loaded to our EBT card yet. The kids are already out of school for 2 weeks and I'm spending so much more on groceries! Last year I think we got the extra $120 per kid in June, but my county worker isn't answering calls. Anyone know when they're supposed to distribute this year?
20 comments
Join the conversation
Emma Wilson
The Summer EBT program (officially called 'Summer Food Benefits' now) is scheduled to be issued between June 15-30 for most counties this year. It's $138 per eligible child for summer 2025, up from last year's amount. The benefits should be automatically loaded onto your existing EBT card if your children already receive free/reduced school meals or if you receive CalFresh. No separate application is needed if you're already in the system.
0 coins
Javier Torres
•Thank you! That's a relief. So I should see it in the next couple weeks hopefully. The $138 per child will help so much with how expensive groceries are getting.
0 coins
QuantumLeap
we didnt get ours yet either... my neighbor said she got hers last week but im not sure i believe her cuz she always says stuff like that. my kids r driving me crazy being home all day and eating EVERYTHING in sight lol
0 coins
Malik Johnson
•Same! My kids are like locusts during summer break 😂 My pantry is EMPTY after just one week!
0 coins
Isabella Santos
The Summer EBT program has been rolling out in phases across different counties. If your neighbor lives in a different county, she might have received hers already. The state doesn't distribute all benefits on the same day to prevent system overloads. Your best bet is to call your county office to confirm your specific date, but expect long wait times this time of year with everyone calling about the same thing. Just make sure your address is current in the system - I've seen cases where the notification letter was sent but the actual benefit was delayed because of address verification issues.
0 coins
Javier Torres
•That's a good point about different counties having different timelines. We moved in March and I updated our address for CalFresh, but maybe that's causing a delay? I'll try calling again tomorrow.
0 coins
Ravi Sharma
i got mine last friday but they only gave me for 2 kids when i have 3!!! typical system mess up, now i have to call and wait on hold forever to fix it. does anyone know if they can add the missing kid's benefit retroactively or am i just out of luck??
0 coins
Emma Wilson
•Yes, they can add the missing child's benefit retroactively! This happens fairly often with Summer EBT when children are in different schools or if one child wasn't properly linked in their system. When you call, ask specifically for a "benefit adjustment for missing household member" on your Summer EBT. They should be able to issue the missing $138 within 10 business days once verified.
0 coins
Freya Larsen
I've been trying to reach someone at the county office about this exact issue for DAYS. Keep getting disconnected or waiting 2+ hours only to have the call drop. Finally used a service called Claimyr that got me through to a live person in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 County worker confirmed Summer EBT is being issued June 20th for my county. Apparently each county has a specific distribution date, so all the confusing different reports of "my friend got it but I didn't" makes sense now. Worth checking their website at claimyr.com if you're stuck in call center hell trying to figure out when yours is coming.
0 coins
QuantumLeap
•omg thank u i might try this cuz ive been calling for 3 days straight and keep getting the 'call volume too high' message 🙄
0 coins
Omar Hassan
Wait - is this different from P-EBT? We got something called P-EBT during COVID but I thought that ended years ago. Is Summer EBT a new permanent program? Do I need to apply separately from my regular CalFresh? My county never explains ANYTHING properly!
0 coins
Isabella Santos
•Great question! Summer EBT is the permanent replacement for what was temporarily called P-EBT during the pandemic. The difference is that P-EBT was an emergency program, while Summer EBT is now a permanent nationwide program that provides food benefits during summer break to families with children who receive free or reduced-price school meals. If you're already receiving CalFresh OR your children are enrolled in free/reduced school meal programs, you're automatically enrolled - no separate application needed. The benefit is $138 per eligible child for Summer 2025, and it's loaded onto your existing EBT card (or a separate card if you don't have CalFresh).
0 coins
Malik Johnson
My sister said they don't give it if your income is over the limit. We make just a little too much for regular CalFresh but my kids still get free school lunch. Will we still get the summer benefit?
0 coins
Emma Wilson
•Yes! That's a common misconception. As long as your children receive free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program, they qualify for Summer EBT regardless of your current household income. So even if you don't qualify for regular CalFresh benefits, your children should still receive the Summer EBT benefit of $138 each if they get free/reduced lunch at school.
0 coins
Javier Torres
UPDATE: Just checked our EBT balance and the Summer EBT was loaded today (June 18th)! $414 total for my three kids ($138 each). So happy! Looks like they're starting to distribute them now. Hope everyone else gets theirs soon!
0 coins
Ravi Sharma
•just checked mine and nothing yet 😡 which county r u in? i'm in sacramento and still waiting
0 coins
Javier Torres
•I'm in Alameda County. Maybe they're doing different counties on different days? Hopefully yours comes through soon!
0 coins
Mei Chen
Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble getting through to your county office, you can also check the California Department of Social Services website or your county's DPSS website for updates on Summer EBT distribution dates. Some counties post their specific distribution schedules online. Also, the benefits are good for a full year from when they're issued, so don't panic if you don't get them right away - you won't lose them! My kids are also eating me out of house and home this summer break, so I totally feel everyone's pain here 😅
0 coins
Mohamed Anderson
•Thanks for sharing that info about checking the county websites! I didn't know the benefits were good for a whole year - that's actually really helpful to know. And yes, the summer eating situation is REAL! 😂 My kids act like they've never seen food before when they're home all day. At least we're all in this together!
0 coins
Isabella Silva
Thanks everyone for all this helpful info! I'm new to CalFresh and this is my first summer with kids in the program. I was getting worried because I hadn't heard anything yet, but it sounds like they're still rolling out by county. My kids just finished their first week of summer break and I'm already seeing the grocery budget take a hit! 😅 Does anyone know if there's a way to track when your specific county will distribute? I'm in Riverside County if that helps. Really appreciate this community sharing their experiences - makes navigating all this so much easier for us newcomers!
0 coins