How do split parents get P-EBT benefits in divided custody situations? CalWORKs confusion

P-EBT is supposed to go to whoever is the designated head of household for school meal benefits, not necessarily who gets CalWORKs. For divided custody situations, the schools usually have one primary parent listed for things like free/reduced lunch programs, and that's probably why the cards went to your ex. In my experience, you should contact the P-EBT helpline directly at 877-328-9677 to explain your situation. The system isn't set up well for 50/50 custody and they can't split the cards, but if you can show that you're providing half the meals, they might be able to help. When this happened to me, I ended up having to work it out with my ex directly - we agreed to split the money since we split custody.

the same thing happnd to me last year!!! my ex got all the p-ebt even tho i have the kids most weekends and wednsdays. he refused to share ANY of it and the county said they couldnt do anything bc the school had him listed as primary parent for some reason. its so unfair how they do this!!

When I had this exact problem trying to reach someone about my P-EBT situation (ex got the card, wouldn't share), I used Claimyr to get through to an actual person at the helpline. I was getting disconnected after waiting forever too, but with Claimyr (claimyr.com) they called and waited on hold for me, then connected me when a real person picked up. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Once I finally got through, the rep explained that P-EBT goes to whoever the school district had listed as the primary household for free/reduced lunch. In my case, that was my ex even though I have primary custody. They suggested I update the school records for any future benefits. Worth a try if you can't get your ex to split the money fairly.

this is why i HATE the system!!! they always make things so complicated for split families. when me and my baby daddy split the county worker told us only ONE of us could get benefits for our daughter even tho we do 50/50!! make it make sense?? 🤬 and dont even get me started on the customer service phone lines its like they WANT us to give up

To clarify some confusion in this thread: P-EBT is administered by CDSS but is based on school meal program eligibility, not CalWORKs eligibility directly. Here's how it typically works for divided custody: 1. P-EBT cards are issued to the household address where the child is registered for free/reduced-price school meals 2. If both households receive certain benefits (CalFresh, CalWORKs, etc.), the school district determines which address is used 3. For 50/50 custody, only one household can receive the P-EBT card - the system cannot split payments Your best options are: 1. Contact the P-EBT helpline (877-328-9677) to explain your situation 2. Speak with your school district to ensure they have your information correct for future issuances 3. Work directly with your co-parent to fairly divide the benefits For future benefit issuances, make sure your address is updated with your child's school as the primary contact.

my sister had this same problem last year and she took her ex to court over it!! judge made him split the money with her. might be extreme but if he wont share and you have official 50/50 you could mention small claims court? sometimes just saying that makes them cooperate lol

Did you check if your child's school has you or your ex listed as the primary contact? That's what determines where P-EBT goes, not CalWORKs status. When my kids' school had outdated contact info, I had to provide proof of my custody agreement and current address. For next time, update your info with the school ASAP so future P-EBT cards come to you. Also - just so you know, P-EBT is supposed to be for the KIDS' food, so technically your ex should be using it only for them regardless. Maybe remind him that misusing the funds could cause problems if reported.

I'm going through something similar right now! My ex and I have joint custody and he got the P-EBT cards even though I handle most of the school stuff. What I learned is that sometimes the P-EBT system pulls from old data - like if your ex ever filled out a school lunch application or if he was listed as the contact when they first enrolled. Have you tried asking your school's main office to print out exactly what they submitted to the state for the P-EBT program? Sometimes the school submits different info than what's in their regular contact system. Also, if you haven't already, document everything - take screenshots of you being listed as primary contact, save any texts about him refusing to share, etc. Even if you don't go to court, having documentation helps if you need to escalate this with the county or include it in any future custody modifications. The whole system really needs to be updated to handle modern custody arrangements better. It's ridiculous that parents have to fight over benefits that are meant for the kids.

I went through this exact situation last year and it took months to resolve! What finally worked for me was getting both the school district AND the county involved at the same time. Here's what I did: 1. Called my county CalWORKs office and filed a formal complaint about the P-EBT distribution - they have a process for this even though most workers don't mention it upfront 2. Got a letter from my family court showing our 50/50 custody arrangement 3. Brought both documents to my kids' school and had them update their records to specifically note shared custody 4. The county worker then contacted the P-EBT department directly on my behalf It took about 6 weeks but they ended up issuing a second card for the remaining balance and flagged my kids' records so future P-EBT would alternate between households. Not all counties do this but it's worth pushing for! Also - if your ex continues refusing to share, you can report misuse of P-EBT benefits. The money is legally meant for the children's nutrition, not just whoever gets the card. I didn't have to go that route but having that option helped motivate cooperation. The system is definitely broken for co-parenting families but don't give up - there are ways to make it work!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and it's so frustrating! My kids spend equal time with both me and their dad, but only his household got the P-EBT cards even though I'm the one who handles most of their school paperwork and doctor visits. What I've learned from talking to other parents in our situation is that the P-EBT system is really outdated when it comes to shared custody. It sounds like you've gotten some great advice here about contacting the school district's nutrition department specifically and filing a formal complaint with your county office. One thing that helped me was documenting how much I spend on groceries for the kids during my custody time. I tracked receipts for a few weeks to show that I'm providing half their meals, which made it easier to argue why the benefits should be shared. Even if the system can't split the cards automatically, having that documentation helps when you're trying to work things out with your co-parent or if you need to escalate to the county. The whole situation is unfair to families like ours, but don't give up! There are ways to make it work even if it takes some persistence.