Pandemic Food Benefits Extended for Eligible Children

ALBANY, NY (May 13, 2023) — Families who received Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) cards for their children last year as part of COVID relief may see an increase in the balance on their cards, as the state has extended the program through September.

P-EBT cards provide funds to buy food for children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals or who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The program was created to help families cover the cost of meals that children missed due to school closures or remote learning during the pandemic.

According to the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, P-EBT food benefits are automatically being issued to:

– K-12 children for both the 2021-2022 school year payment and the $391 Summer 2022 P-EBT food benefit.

– Children under 6 who receive SNAP for both their $31 monthly benefit for September 2021 through June 2022, and a $391 Summer 2022 P-EBT food benefit.

The amount of the school year payment varies depending on the number of days that a child was eligible for free or reduced-price meals and did not receive them at school. The payment is based on a daily rate of $6.82 per eligible child.

The state also announced that last year’s summer P-EBT food benefits will be issued automatically to all eligible children who were not eligible for automatic 2021-22 school year payments. Those benefits will be issued this spring and all payments will be complete by September 29. Families do not need to apply for the Summer 2022 P-EBT food benefit.

Families can use their P-EBT cards to buy food at any store that accepts SNAP or online at Amazon, Walmart, ShopRite and The Fresh Grocer. They can also use their cards to purchase food from participating farmers’ markets.

P-EBT benefits do not affect eligibility for any other public assistance programs and are not considered income for tax purposes.

For more information about P-EBT, visit https://otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/Frequently-Asked-Questions-Pandemic-EBT.asp or call the P-EBT Helpline at 1-833-452-0096.