Who qualifies for P-EBT in 2025? Riverside County card delivery delays
I just heard some families are getting those P-EBT cards again in 2025 but I'm confused about who actually qualifies. My kids (8 and 10) are on free lunch at their school in Riverside County, but I haven't received anything yet. Does anyone know what the current requirements are? And has anybody in Riverside actually received their P-EBT cards yet? My neighbor said she got hers last week but I'm still waiting and starting to worry we got missed somehow. The extra food money would really help right now with grocery prices being so crazy high.
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Sean O'Donnell
Im in riverside (corona area) and havent got nothing yet. my sister in san bernardino got hers last week for her 3 kids!! makes no sense why some countys get it before others. from what i understand any kid who gets free or reduced lunch at school qualifies. but they said there rolling them out in phases so maybe were just in a later group?? so frustrating!!!
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Zara Ahmed
•Actually, P-EBT 2025 has slightly different requirements than previous years. From what I understand, children must be enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program AND qualified for free/reduced meals. There are also summer P-EBT benefits for eligible children. Distribution is happening in waves by county, with some counties prioritized based on need metrics. If your children qualified, you'll get a notice in the mail before the card arrives. Riverside is scheduled for the second wave of distribution according to the CDSS website.
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Luca Esposito
My daughter got her card last week (we're in San Bernardino county). The qualifications are different this time around - not just free lunch status. The school has to be part of the National School Lunch Program AND your kid has to qualify for free/reduced meals through an application or direct certification. Some schools do "community eligibility" where all kids get free lunch regardless of income - those kids still qualify too. But yeah, Riverside is definitely behind on the distribution schedule.
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StarSeeker
•Thanks for explaining! Our school does have all kids on free lunch through that community thing. So we should still qualify? Just gotta wait I guess... Did they send you any kind of notice before the card came?
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Nia Thompson
they ALWAYS do riverside last for everything i swear!! still waiting for my kids cards too and the school office has no idea when they coming. somebody told me you can check status online but i cant find where??
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Luca Esposito
•There's no online status check for P-EBT unfortunately (not like regular CalFresh where you can check on BenefitsCal). You just have to wait for the notice in the mail. If you received P-EBT before and still have the old card, they might load the new benefits on that same card. Worth checking the balance if you still have it.
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Mateo Rodriguez
The new P-EBT program (2025) has several eligibility requirements: 1. Children must attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program 2. Children must qualify for free/reduced meals either through application, direct certification, or attend a Community Eligibility Provision school 3. For summer benefits, children must have been eligible during the previous school year Riverside County is in Phase 2 of the distribution schedule, with cards expected to be mailed between March-April 2025. You should receive a notification letter approximately 1-2 weeks before your card arrives. If you need to check on your specific eligibility, calling your county CalFresh office directly is the best option, but be prepared for long wait times. Many people have success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a live representative faster - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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StarSeeker
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! Our school definitely does the Community Eligibility thing where all kids get free lunch. I guess we just need to be patient for a few more weeks. But if I don't see anything by mid-April I'll try calling using that service you mentioned.
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GalaxyGuardian
Just to add some clarity about P-EBT 2025 in California - there are specific benefit amounts this year too: - School-year benefits: about $128 per eligible month per child - Summer benefits: around $250 per eligible child for the summer period The timeline for Riverside County is definitely March-April distribution. They're sending benefits on new P-EBT cards unless you received one previously (then they may reload the old card). If you have any address changes since last time, you should contact the P-EBT hotline at 877-328-9677, but be aware the wait times can be over 2 hours sometimes.
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Sean O'Donnell
•wow thats actually more than i expected!! do u know how many months theyre giving benefits for? and if we already got calfresh do we still get the full p-ebt amount or is it reduced??
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GalaxyGuardian
•Good questions! P-EBT 2025 covers eligible months when schools were operating with reduced capacity or COVID protocols - typically 3-4 months this year depending on your school district. And yes, P-EBT is completely separate from CalFresh - you get the full amount even if you already receive CalFresh benefits. They're actually different programs with different funding sources, even though they both use EBT cards.
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Aisha Abdullah
Has anyone had issues with incorrect amounts on their P-EBT cards? My sister in Riverside actually did get hers last week (despite what others are saying about the county schedule), but she only got benefits for 2 of her 3 kids even though they all qualify. She's been trying to call that P-EBT hotline for three days and keeps getting disconnected.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•That's definitely an issue that needs to be addressed with a representative. The P-EBT hotline is notoriously difficult to get through on. Your sister might have better luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with a live person - I helped my brother use it last month for a similar issue and he got through in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Luca Esposito
One more thing about P-EBT that's confusing people - if your kid changed schools during the eligibility period, benefits might be split or delayed. My neighbor's kids switched from one Riverside school to another in January, and she had to call to get it straightened out. Just something to keep in mind if anyone is in that situation.
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StarSeeker
•That's good to know! My younger one did change schools after winter break when we moved to a different part of town. I'll definitely keep an eye out for any issues. Thanks for the heads up!
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Nia Thompson
just checked my mail today and got the NOTICE saying cards coming in 5-10 business days!!! im in riverside/moreno valley area so there definitely sending them out now!!
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Zara Ahmed
•That's great news! It does sound like Riverside County distribution is now underway. For everyone else waiting, this is a good sign that you should be receiving your notices soon. Remember to activate the card as soon as you receive it, and create a PIN you'll remember easily.
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