P-EBT cards never arrived - post office refusing mail in kids' names. How to request replacement?
So frustrated about my kids' P-EBT cards! The post office keeps refusing to deliver ANY mail addressed to my children's names (all three of them). We've missed every P-EBT card since the program started. I've called the P-EBT hotline literally 20+ times and either get disconnected or sit on hold for 2-3 hours before having to hang up for work/school pickup. Has anyone successfully gotten replacement P-EBT cards? Is there a better number to call or some online form I can fill out instead? We really need this food assistance and I'm out of ideas for how to actually get the cards in our hands. Do I need to go through my CalWORKs worker or is there a special department that handles this?
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Mateo Hernandez
You need to call the P-EBT Customer Service line at 877-328-9677 to request replacement cards. But yeah, the wait times are absolutely ridiculous right now. Best time to call is right when they open at 8am. Tell them the cards were never received, and they can verify your address and reissue them. Make sure the address they have on file matches your current one. And FYI - the post office refusing mail to children is weird and shouldn't happen. P-EBT cards are official government benefits and should be delivered regardless of age. Might want to speak with your local postmaster about that issue separately.
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Nia Jackson
•Thank you! I've tried calling right at 8am twice but still ended up waiting forever. The postmaster said something about children not being authorized to receive mail at my address which makes no sense. I'll keep trying the customer service number... do you know if they're open weekends?
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CosmicCruiser
we had same issue!! post office said my kids couldnt get mail cuz there under 18 but thats not true!! i went to the actual post office and talked to supervisor and they fixed it. but we still missed the cards. i ended up getting mine by bringing copy of kids birth certificates to county office and they helped me but took like 3 months to actually get them reissued
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Nia Jackson
•Omg thank you! I'll try going to the post office with their birth certificates. Did you have to make an appointment at the county office or just walk in? I'm worried about waiting another 3 months though... my kids qualify for almost $1200 in benefits we haven't been able to use.
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Aisha Khan
I had a similar issue with P-EBT cards. I called and called for WEEKS and couldn't get a human. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they have a service where they wait on hold for you and call when someone picks up. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE showing how it works. Once I finally got through, they reissued the cards to me within 10 days.
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Ethan Taylor
•Just a heads up - while services that hold your place in line can help, for P-EBT specifically, you might want to try the email option too. You can email PEBTsupport@dss.ca.gov with your children's names, dates of birth, school, mailing address and explain that you need replacement cards. Sometimes this is faster than calling. Include your phone number in the email so they can reach you if needed.
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Yuki Ito
The P-EBT program is such a DISASTER!!!! I've been trying for MONTHS to get my kids' cards. The hotline is a JOKE - no one EVER answers and when they do they just transfer you around in circles!!! And now the new benefits are coming out and we STILL don't have the original cards! The whole system is designed to make it IMPOSSIBLE to actually get the benefits our kids qualify for!
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Carmen Lopez
•right?? its so frustrating. i waited 4hrs on hold last week and then the call dropped. what worked 4 me was emailing my kids school district office - they have P-EBT liaisons who can sometimes help faster than the state line
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Andre Dupont
Make sure you don't have a forwarding order or any mail holds that might be affecting delivery. P-EBT cards won't forward or deliver if there's any type of mail restriction. And they won't tell you this when you call! Also, something important to know - P-EBT is different from CalWORKs. Your CalWORKs worker probably can't help directly with P-EBT issues since it's administered separately, but they might be able to connect you with the right department. Did your kids get free/reduced lunch at school? That's usually the qualifying factor for P-EBT.
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Nia Jackson
•Yes, they qualify for free lunch. No mail forwarding or holds (I checked with USPS already). It's specifically because the cards are addressed to the kids, not to me. The post office told me kids can't receive mail unless they're listed as authorized recipients at my address, which seems ridiculous for government benefits!
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Mateo Hernandez
Just wanted to update that my coworker had the same issue and she finally resolved it. What worked for her was requesting that the P-EBT cards be reissued with "care of" in the address. So instead of being addressed to "Child Name" they were addressed to "Child Name c/o Parent Name" which the post office then delivered without issue. When you finally get through on the P-EBT hotline, specifically ask for this. Also explain that the post office is refusing delivery to minors so they understand the situation. They might need supervisor approval but they can adjust the mailing format.
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Nia Jackson
•That's so helpful! I never thought about the c/o option. I'll definitely request that specifically when I get through. Thank you!!
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CosmicCruiser
if u still cant get thru try the ebt card customer service number 877-328-9677 and hit option 4, sometimes that gets u a real person faster. also i heard they opening new round of p-ebt this summer so dont wait 2 long 2 get it fixed
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QuantumQuasar
•this worked for me! option 4 got me to someone in only like 20 min instead of hours. just fyi they will ask for your kids info and the school they go to
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