my sister in fresno still waitin too so ur not alone. they doing them in groups i think

Update: Just saw on the CDSS website that they're sending out a batch of P-EBT cards specifically for Alameda County this week (October 14-18). So you should hopefully receive yours within the next 7-10 business days from mailing date. If you don't get it by the end of the month, then I would definitely follow up with both your school district and the P-EBT hotline.

Just to provide the latest update on P-EBT eligibility as of mid-2025: - Children under 6 who receive CalFresh: Eligible for P-EBT 2.0 - School-age children (K-12): May be eligible for Summer P-EBT if they receive free/reduced meals during the school year - All ages: May be eligible for emergency P-EBT if their school closed for 5+ consecutive days due to emergencies The distribution schedule varies by county and is often staggered over several months. This is why some families receive benefits while others are still waiting. The official CDSS website has an eligibility checker tool now, which is more reliable than calling or asking caseworkers who may not have the most current information.

The P-EBT eligibility checker is on the dedicated P-EBT portal (not the main CalFresh site). Go to ca.p-ebt.org and select "Check Eligibility" from the menu. You'll need your child's student ID or date of birth and the school information. Also, for the original poster: if your children are 4 and 6, they would fall into different eligibility categories. The 4-year-old would be evaluated under the under-6 criteria (if enrolled in CalFresh), while the 6-year-old would be evaluated under the school-age criteria (if receiving free/reduced meals). This might explain some of the confusion from your caseworker.

my sister told me food 4 less takes the veggie dollars but when i went there they said no so dont go there for that lol

You might be thinking of the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), which is different from Market Match. It's easy to confuse these programs since there are several different food assistance initiatives.

Important update on this issue: As of April 2025, California implemented enhanced EBT security features, but cardholders need to request the new cards with chip technology. The old magnetic stripe cards are extremely vulnerable to skimming. When you contact your county office about the theft, specifically request a replacement card with the new chip security feature. This won't help with your current situation, but it will provide better protection going forward. Also, for anyone experiencing this: document every call attempt you make. Note the time, date, and how long you waited. This information can be used if you need to file a formal complaint about inaccessible services, which can sometimes expedite your case.

thats crazy they can just take the food part! when u get a new card make sure u change the pin right away at the office dont wait. also dont ever use those atms outside convenience stores those r getting skimmed like crazy rn. my sister had her benefits stolen TWICE before she figured out it was from using the atm by the gas station near her house!!

This reminds me of when my grandfather used to talk about cost of living adjustments for his pension. He'd always say "they give with one hand and take with the other" because prices always seemed to go up more than the adjustments. Same thing with CalFresh - we get a 5% increase but have you seen grocery prices lately? Everything at the store is up like 15% from last year! My ground beef went from $4.99/lb to $7.29!! How is an extra $20-30 in benefits supposed to cover that?

Just to clarify for everyone in this thread - there are three different things being confused here: 1. Annual COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment): This happens every October 1st for all CalFresh recipients. It's an increase to your regular monthly benefits (about 5.6% for 2025). 2. Emergency Allotments: These were extra payments during COVID that gave households the maximum benefit for their household size. These ended completely in March 2023 and are NOT coming back. 3. Disaster CalFresh (D-CalFresh): These are special benefits for people in federally declared disaster areas (like the recent northern California wildfires). These are NOT available statewide - only in specific counties with disaster declarations. So for most people, the only "extra" in October is the annual COLA increase to your regular benefits.