What is P-EBT?
Pandemic EBT (or P-EBT) is a federal program that gives eligible families food benefits in addition to free or reduced-price meals at child care or school. There have been several rounds of benefits ranging from P-EBT 1.0 to P-EBT 4.0. California is currently issuing P-EBT 4.0 benefits and reissuing P-EBT 2.0 benefits to eligible families.
*This webpage is current as of 9/1/2023
P-EBT 4.0 (School Year 2022-2023)
4.0 Issuance: All P-EBT benefits will be delivered via P-EBT 4.0 cards by September 30, 2023.
4.0 Eligibility:
Young children are eligible for P-EBT 4.0 if from August 2022 through May 2023 they were:
• Under 6 years old as of August 1, 2022; and
• Part of a household getting CalFresh Food benefits.
School-aged children are eligible for P-EBT 4.0 if they were:
• Enrolled at a school for school year 2022–23 that participated in the federal School Breakfast Program or National School Lunch Program during the 2022–2023 school year;
• AND were eligible to get free or reduced-price meals for school year 2022–23;
• AND attended school via Independent Study, during school years 2021-22 AND 2022-23 (California's version of virtual learning) or had at least five excused absences in a month.*
4.0 Support: If you believe your child is eligible and you have not received a card, or you have questions about 4.0 benefits, you can visit https://capandemic-ebt.org/ and use the live chat, or call the state helpline at: (877) 328-9677 (M-F, 6am to 8pm).
P-EBT 2.0 *Reissuance* (School Year 2020-2021)
2.0 Reissuance: Cards will be delivered via P-EBT 2.0 cards through October 2023.
2.0 Eligibility: Eligibility window is closed. Families eligible for reissuance were required to request a new card through the helpline before August 18, 2023 deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I activate my P-EBT card?
After the P-EBT debit card arrives in the mail, you will need to activate the card before using it. Follow the instructions to create a personal PIN number. Call the P-EBT Helpline at (877) 328-9677. Don’t throw your card away! New benefits may get added to your card at scheduled intervals.
How long do I have to use my P-EBT card?
Families need to use their benefits at least once every 365 days to keep the card active. The card will expire if it is not used at least once within 365 days of receiving the card.
Where can I use my P-EBT card?
The same places that take CalFresh will take P-EBT. This includes: most grocery stores, farmers markets, and online retailers such as Amazon or Walmart, though delivery fees may apply. Just like with CalFresh, foods that are served hot or already prepared are NOT covered.
Using P-EBT Food Benefits will not risk your immigration status.
Getting P-EBT benefits does not make you a public charge and the program does NOT report your information to immigration services.
Other Benefits Are Not Affected.
P-EBT does not count as income, and it doesn’t affect your eligibility to receive free or reduced-price school meals. You can use P-EBT without worrying that it’s going to cause problems for any other benefits including, but not limited to, CalFresh and WIC.
QUESTIONS? CONTACT:
INFO@SDHUNGER.ORG | (619) 501-7917
You can also visit https://capandemic-ebt.org/ and use the live chat,
or call the state helpline at: (877) 328-9677 (M-F, 6am to 8pm).
