You’ve probably heard about the EBT card, its reload time, whether Wawa accepts EBT, or whether Buc-ee’s has the card benefit. Okay, there really are many companies accepting it to benefit their clientele.
But, do you know about the P-EBT card benefit? If you have children in any school in NYC, you’ve probably heard about it or are receiving it. This is a federal program known as the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, which has been handed out to cover food insecurity for children who were benefiting from school lunches.
The amount currently varies depending on the number of school meals during the 2021-2022 school year and also on the date of delivery, but the amount is less than $420. The main beneficiaries are public school students who stopped attending school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who is eligible for P-EBT in NYC?
If your child is in a K-12 school that benefits from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), they will automatically receive the P-EBT only if their school reduced its face-to-face activities because of the pandemic.
In addition, children who were absent or received distance learning because of COVID-19 are eligible. This also includes students from the following New York schools:
- Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools
- Pre-kindergarten (Pre-K)
- Private schools that benefit from the National School Lunch Program
- Parochial schools
- Charter schools
To receive the benefit, once you know if your child is eligible, you need to know that the amount that will be assigned to the P-EBT card will depend on the number of days per month that the student was absent from school, according to the data provided by the institution. Here are the amounts that were deposited for the 2021-2022 school year:
| Benefits | Amount |
| Tier 1 | $21 to those who were absent or received remote education between 1 to 5 days per month. |
| Tier 2 | $78 to those who were absent or received remote education between 6 to 15 days per month. |
| Tier 3 | $128 to those who were absent or received remote education 16 or more days per month. |
Is NY getting P-EBT in 2024?
NYC will not be providing the stipend for the 2022-2024 school year. But since April of this year, many NYC children have been receiving this financial assistance for the 2021-2022 and Summer 2022 school terms only.
Did you enroll your child before June 2024? If so, your child is eligible to receive the Summer 2024 P-EBT, if they are a school-age child. It will be issued during the month of August 2024 through a few days in September. However, applications will not be accepted for the 2022-2024 period, for the reason we mentioned above.
How much will the benefit be this summer?
According to official NYS Government data, all children who are eligible for the Summer 2024 period will receive $120. For students who are under 6 years old and registered in June, they will also automatically receive the same amount and will benefit from school meals for free or at a lower cost.
What can I buy with this benefit?
You can only buy food since it is a program designed to cover food insecurity in children attending public schools that are part of the federal food program. You should know that with the P-EBT you are only allowed to buy food that can also be purchased with the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance) benefits.
You can find the list of foods that can be purchased with this benefit on the official Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) website, as well as the list of FNS-certified businesses that accept payment with both benefits. Here is a sneak peek of some foods you can buy with the card:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Proteins (red meat, fish, and poultry)
- Dairy products
- Bread and cereals
The federal program benefits children in NYC public schools, mainly with balanced meals suitable for the developmental process they are going through, but which may have been interrupted by the economic crisis aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is for this reason that the following products cannot be purchased with the P-EBT:
- Vitamins
- Alcohol
- Tobacco and cigarettes
- Medicine
- Hygiene products
Is at least $391 per child in pandemic food benefits coming to each NYC public school family?
Yes, all children who meet the above criteria will be eligible for $391 for the Summer 2022 period. It does not matter how many children the family has, they just need to be eligible.
It is important to know that if your child is under age 6 before September 1 and has been on SNAP, they will also receive $31 for each month of the 2021-2022 school year.
Your child is eligible, but has not automatically received the benefit?
If your child has not automatically received this benefit or you know of a family who would like to benefit from P-EBT for the periods listed above and their child meets the eligibility criteria, they should apply through the website by September 15.
For those who received the incorrect amount because their absence was greater than 5 days per month, they should also apply on that page.
In both cases, parents or guardians must attest that the students were absent from their schools because of COVID-19 and according to the number of days required to enjoy the P-EBT. This will only apply to students in K-12 schools benefiting from the federal NSPL program.
In the case of a child who attends an NSPL Pre-K and meets all other requirements, but has not received the benefit, the parent, or guardian must complete the P-EBT Pre-K form and upload it to the NYS P-EBT page, along with the application.
All of this information will be processed on or before September 29th of this year. It is important to know that immigration status is not relevant and that you will need to complete an application for each of your children if you have several. And if you are uncertain if your child is eligible, call the P-EBT Helpline at 1-833-452-0096.
References
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“Food Benefits.” Web, https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/menus/food-benefits
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“P-EBT.” Welcome to NYC.Gov | City of New York, https://www.nyc.gov/site/foodpolicy/programs/p-ebt.page
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“P-EBT Cards — Institute for Collaborative Education.” Institute for Collaborative Education, http://www.iceschoolnyc.org/p-ebt-card-info#:~:text=Every%20family%20with%20children%20in,it%20called%20the%20P-EBT
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“—.” Institute for Collaborative Education, http://www.iceschoolnyc.org/p-ebt-card-info#
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“P-EBT for Pre-K Children 2021-22 School Year.” Otda NY Gov, https://otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/Frequently-Asked-Questions-Pandemic-EBT/PEBT-Pre-K-Form-2021-22.pdf
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Shen-Berro, Julian. “At Least $391 in Food Benefits Coming to All NYC Public School Families – Chalkbeat New York.” Chalkbeat New York, Chalkbeat New York, https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/10/23718613/nyc-food-benefit-ebt-insecurity-school-meal-lunch-pandemic
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“What Can SNAP Buy? | Food and Nutrition Service.” USDA Food and Nutrition Service | Food and Nutrition Service, https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items#:~:text=Fruits%20and%20vegetables%3B%20Meat%2C%20poultry%2C%20and%20fish%3B%20Dairy,which%20produce%20food%20for%20the%20household%20to%20eat