When will P-EBT cards be reloaded in California for 2025? No funds yet
Does anyone know when California is planning to reload the P-EBT cards for 2025? My kids' school said they qualified again this year, but we haven't received any funds yet. Last year, they loaded benefits in March, but it's already April and nothing so far. I called the P-EBT customer service number but kept getting disconnected after waiting 45+ minutes! I'm really counting on this extra food assistance since my work hours got cut last month. Has anyone received their P-EBT reload yet or heard any official announcements about the schedule?
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Eloise Kendrick
i heard from my neighbor that they're delayed til may this year. something about system updates causing everything to be pushed back.
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JaylinCharles
•Thanks for the info! Did your neighbor hear this from an official source or just through the grapevine? May feels so far away when the grocery budget is tight right now.
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Lucas Schmidt
The P-EBT program is separate from CalFresh, but they're both administered through CDSS. According to the official website, the 2025 P-EBT issuance has been delayed due to verification processes. They're processing school district eligibility data in batches, and benefits will be issued from April through June depending on your district. If you need food assistance immediately, I'd recommend checking if you qualify for regular CalFresh benefits, which are issued monthly. The income limits increased for 2025, so more families qualify now than before.
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JaylinCharles
•Thanks for clarifying! I do get regular CalFresh but it's never enough for my growing teenagers. I'll check which batch our district might be in. Is there anywhere online where they list the distribution schedule by district?
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Lucas Schmidt
•You can check the CDSS P-EBT portal at ca.p-ebt.org and enter your child's information to see your specific issuance date once it's scheduled. If you're already receiving CalFresh, you might also want to make sure your household size and income are correctly reported, especially since you mentioned reduced work hours. A change report could potentially increase your regular benefits.
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Freya Collins
This is so frustrating!!!! My kids school said THE EXACT SAME THING and we've been waiting for MONTHS now. The whole system is designed to make us give up. I called that number 6 times last week and either got disconnected or was on hold until the office closed. How are we supposed to feed our kids when they keep promising benefits but don't deliver??? And they wonder why people get desperate.
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LongPeri
•I completely understand your frustration with the P-EBT system. It's incredibly difficult when you're planning your budget around benefits that don't arrive when expected. If you're having trouble reaching someone through the regular customer service line, you might want to try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). It helped me finally get through to a real person after weeks of trying. They have a service that holds your place in line and calls you back when a representative is available. Saved me hours of waiting on hold. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Oscar O'Neil
My cousin works for the school district and she told me that they actually just submitted all the eligibility files to the state last week. Apparently there was some big delay because they changed the eligibility requirements for 2025 and schools had to reverify every student. So even though kids were approved at the beginning of the school year, they had to go through everything again. She said to expect P-EBT funds around mid-May for most districts.
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Sara Hellquiem
•mid-May????? that's like a whole other month away! do they realize that kids need to eat EVERY day not just when it's convenient for their paperwork??
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Charlee Coleman
P-EBT isnt the same as calfresh tho. maybe try asking in a p-ebt forum instead? not trying to be rude just saying this is mostly about calfresh ebt not the pandemic school stuff
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Lucas Schmidt
•You're technically correct that they're different programs, but both P-EBT and CalFresh are nutrition assistance programs administered by the same department (CDSS). Many families utilize both programs, and the customer service issues often overlap. The information about verification processes and delays would be helpful for anyone trying to navigate either system.
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JaylinCharles
Update! I finally got through to someone today and got some answers. They said our school district is in the second batch of P-EBT issuances scheduled for May 10-15. The representative explained that they had to implement new federal guidelines this year which caused verification delays. For anyone still waiting, they recommended checking the portal at ca.p-ebt.org for your specific date once it's confirmed. She also mentioned that all eligible households will receive a notification letter about 7-10 days before funds are loaded.
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Freya Collins
•THANK YOU for sharing this!!! I'm going to check the portal right now. At least now we have some actual dates to plan around instead of just waiting with no information.
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