Update: I called my county office this morning and finally got through! The representative confirmed that my daughter IS eligible for P-EBT since we're already on CalFresh. They're sending cards for our county starting next week, and we should receive it within 10-15 business days. Thanks everyone for your help clearing up my confusion!

Just to give everyone the most current information: The 2025 P-EBT benefit amount in California is $138 per eligible child per month. This is slightly higher than last year due to inflation adjustments. The benefits are typically loaded retroactively, so when you receive your card, you may get several months' worth of benefits at once. The distribution schedule by county is available on the CDSS website, though they don't provide exact mailing dates. If your card doesn't arrive within the expected timeframe for your county, you can request a replacement through the P-EBT helpline at 877-328-9677, but be prepared for long wait times.

Just curious - did you end up getting through to anyone at the county? Did they offer any help?

UPDATE: I finally got through to the county Housing Support Program! Called right when they opened using that Claimyr service someone mentioned (which actually worked!). The case worker said I qualify for their deposit assistance program even though I'm not on CalWORKs! They can cover my full security deposit but I need to come up with first month's rent. My sister is going to loan me $1000 and I'm putting the rest on my credit card. It's not ideal but at least I won't lose the apartment! THANK YOU everyone for all the advice!!!

my kids r in riverside and we got ours last week names start with T if that helps

Update: I asked my sister who works for the school district, and she said the real issue is that they had a problem with the student database for certain schools in Riverside County. They had to manually verify some of the eligibility data, which affected certain last name ranges including R and N. She said all cards should be out by August 10th at the latest, and they're processing about 5,000 cards per day now to catch up.

UPDATE: Just checked my EBT card again and the extra supplement just posted! It was $90 for my household (me + 2 kids). So looks like they ARE sending them out separately just like everyone said. Thanks for all the helpful info!

To answer the question about whether this is recurring: No, this January 2025 supplement is a one-time payment. It's part of the emergency food assistance measure passed in the last budget session to address rising food costs. It's separate from your regular CalFresh benefits and won't continue in future months unless there's new legislation. Also, for those who are confused about seeing their deposit history, you can request an EBT transaction history either through the BenefitsCal portal or by calling the EBT customer service line and requesting a mailed statement. This will show exactly when deposits were made and in what amounts.

Just got an update from a friend who works at DPSS - apparently the system issue affected people with case numbers ending in 3, 7, and 9 the most. They're processing those accounts manually now, so benefits should appear within 48 hours. Might be worth checking your case number to see if you fall in that group.

UPDATE: My benefits just hit my account about an hour ago! For anyone else waiting, looks like they're working through the backlog. Check your balance if you haven't already today.