Where to call about missing P-EBT/Summer EBT benefits for children with last names starting with C?

It's actually called Summer EBT (not sunbucks lol). I had the same issue with my daughter's card. You need to call the P-EBT helpline at 877-328-9677. But good luck getting through - I tried for 3 days straight last week and kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for 45+ minutes. So frustrating! The distribution is alphabetical but they got backed up on letters C-G according to what the school liaison told me.

they messed up big time with the summer ebt this year...my kids last name starts with M and we havent got anything yet either. we should be getting ours around end of june according to the schedule. so annoying cus they said all cards would be out by july 31 but school starts back august 15 for us so thats barely any time to use the benefits for actual SUMMER food

Summer EBT is different from P-EBT, just to be clear - Summer EBT is the new permanent program that replaced the pandemic P-EBT program. The cards look similar though. For Summer EBT 2025, children with last names A-B should have received cards by May 15, C-D by May 31, E-G by June 15, and so on. Since your children's last names start with C and it's past May 31, you should definitely follow up. The state hotline is 877-328-9677 but it's extremely backed up right now.

I worked through this exact issue last week for my client. The P-EBT/Summer EBT helpline is completely overwhelmed right now. Instead of calling the main line, try these steps: 1. Call your County CalFresh office first (they can sometimes see status in their system) 2. Check if your mailing address is correct in BOTH school records AND BenefitsCal 3. If those don't work, use Claimyr to get through to a real person at the P-EBT helpline - it's the only way I've been able to reach someone this month. Go to claimyr.com and they'll call and wait on hold for you. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Once you reach someone, ask if your cards were already issued (they might have been lost in mail) or if there's a hold on your case. They can reissue cards if needed.

the whole summer ebt program is a mess this year!!! ive been calling for 2 WEEKS straight for my kids (last name starts with B) and cant get any answers. they keep saying its "in the mail" but nothing ever shows up. then they said to wait 10 business days. its been 15!!! and our old address is still in the system even tho i updated it TWICE with the school. so annoyed with this whole thing

I had the same problem with my grandson's Summer EBT card (last name starts with D). After two weeks of trying to get through on the helpline with no luck, I finally got through using Claimyr like someone mentioned above. Found out his card was sent to his mom's old address even though school had the updated info. They're reissuing a new card that should arrive in 7-10 business days. Ask specifically if the card was already issued and where it was sent.

To clarify some confusion in this thread: 1. The correct program name is Summer EBT (Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer), which replaced the pandemic-era P-EBT program starting in 2025. 2. Summer EBT provides $120 per eligible child to purchase food during summer months. 3. The distribution schedule for California Summer EBT 2025 is alphabetical by child's last name: - A-B: May 1-15 - C-D: May 16-31 - E-G: June 1-15 - H-L: June 16-30 - M-R: July 1-15 - S-Z: July 16-31 4. Children qualify if they receive free/reduced lunch through school or attend a CEP school. 5. Official helpline: 877-328-9677 (extremely high call volume currently) For the original poster: Since your children's last names start with C and it's already past the distribution window, you should definitely follow up. I recommend trying your county CalFresh office first, as they can sometimes help with Summer EBT issues even though it's technically a separate program.

does anyone know if we can check status online anywhere? seems crazy that calling is the only option in 2025!

UPDATE: Finally got through to someone! For anyone having similar issues - I used that Claimyr service after trying the regular number for days with no luck. Turns out they sent my kids' cards but to my OLD ADDRESS from 2 years ago! Even though my current address is in BenefitsCal and school records. They're reissuing new cards that should arrive within 10 business days. The representative said they're dealing with tons of address issues because Summer EBT pulled data from multiple systems and sometimes used outdated information. Check if this happened to you too!

So glad you got this sorted out! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - my two kids (last names starting with F) should have gotten their Summer EBT cards by June 15th but nothing yet. I bet it's the same address problem you had. Going to try Claimyr tomorrow since I've been calling the regular number for over a week with no luck. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - this thread has been more helpful than any official website! 🙏

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with the same issue for my daughter (last name starts with E) - should have gotten her Summer EBT card by June 15th but nothing yet. After reading everyone's experiences, I'm pretty sure it's the address issue. I moved last year and updated everything with the school and BenefitsCal, but apparently that's not enough for Summer EBT. Going to try calling my county CalFresh office first thing Monday morning, and if that doesn't work, I'll check out Claimyr. Thanks especially to @Ben Cooper for the update - really gives me hope that this can get resolved! It's frustrating that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get benefits our kids qualify for, but at least now I know what steps to take.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My son's last name starts with C and we should have gotten his Summer EBT card by May 31st according to the schedule. It's so frustrating - I've been calling that 877-328-9677 number for days but can never get through. Reading through all these comments, it sounds like the address issue is super common this year. I'm definitely going to try my county CalFresh office first like @Rosie Harper suggested, and if that doesn't work I'll check out Claimyr. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this mess! Really hoping they fix these system issues for next year because this is ridiculous.