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Did you receive a P-EBT card in your child's name? Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) is a program that provides food assistance to children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals but were missing meals due to school closures or reduced hours caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With P-EBT, benefits are loaded onto an EBT card with your child's name on it, and it can be used to purchase food at authorized retailers. Florida has taken it a step further and issued Summer benefits for children who may go without food during the summer months.
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What is Summer P-EBT all about?
In Florida, the amount of P-EBT benefits a child will receive is $120 per student.
To be eligible for P-EBT, a child must:
Be enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP)
Be eligible for free school meals, TANF, Medicaid, or
Have attended a school that participated in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
If you don't have SNAP benefits, your child will receive a card in the mail. However, if you already receive SNAP benefits, the P-EBT benefits will be loaded onto the same EBT cards, so you may notice an increase in your eligible spend for the month.
Why is Summer P-EBT being issued to children?
As stated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a staggering one in four children in the country experiences food insecurity, a term that encompasses the lack of access to adequate food for a healthy and active lifestyle. Summer P-EBT food benefits are helpful for children because they can help to prevent hunger and malnutrition during the summer months when children are not receiving meals at school. Hunger can have a negative impact on children's physical and mental health, their ability to learn, and their behavior.
Here are some additional things to know about P-EBT:
Benefits can be used to purchase food at authorized retailers, such as grocery stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores.
Benefits cannot be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco, or hot prepared foods.
Benefits cannot be transferred to another person.
The child must not be currently enrolled in an approved summer feeding program.
If you have any questions about P-EBT, you can submit an inquiry to the Florida Department of Children and Families.