Frequently Asked Questions for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Food Benefits

Answers to many commonly asked questions about the P-EBT food benefits for New York State residents for the 2021-22 school year, Summer 2022, and Summer 2023.

Eligibility

NYS P-EBT Food Benefit Application for the 2021-22 School Year

Using Your P-EBT Food Benefits

General Information

Eligibility

What are P-EBT food benefits?

The Continuing Appropriations Act of 2021 and Other Extensions Act reauthorized the payment of P-EBT food benefits to households with children who would have received free school meals under the National School Lunch Act, if not for a reduction in in-person learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These temporary food benefits are being provided to help cover the cost of meals children would have otherwise received at school during the 2021-22 school year, and for the Summer 2022 and Summer 2023 periods.

While P-EBT food benefits are not SNAP benefits, they can only be used to purchase the same food items that can be purchased with SNAP benefits. A detailed list of food items that may be purchased with food benefits can be found at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items/.

Is my child eligible for P-EBT food benefits?

Children who receive free school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are eligible for P-EBT food benefits if their school has been operating with reduced in-person attendance, or the child was absent or remote due to COVID-19 during the 2021-22 school year. This includes children who attend Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools and any private, Pre-kindergarten (Pre-K), parochial and charter schools that participate in the NSLP. Eligible children enrolled in school for the month of June 2022 will receive a P-EBT food benefit for Summer 2022. Eligible children enrolled in school for the month of June 2023 will receive a P-EBT food benefit for Summer 2023. Please contact your child's school or school district with questions concerning their participation in the NSLP.

How will I receive P-EBT food benefits for my qualified child?

2021-22 School Year P-EBT Food Benefits
For each month of the 2021-22 school year (September 2021 through June 2022), children who meet the P-EBT eligibility criteria are eligible to receive P-EBT food benefits based on the number of school days they were absent or attending school remotely for a COVID-19 related reason. The amount of monthly 2021-22 school year P-EBT food benefits is broken down into 3 tiers based on attendance:

• Tier 1: $21 for children absent or remote for 1-5 school days in the month.
• Tier 2: $78 for children absent or remote for 6-15 school days in the month.
• Tier 3: $128 for children absent or remote 16 or more school days in the month.

New York State will not be issuing P-EBT food benefits for the 2022-23 school year.

Children Under Age 6 Receiving SNAP
Eligible children under 6 years old as of September 1, 2021, will receive $31 in P-EBT food benefits for each month that the child received SNAP benefits between September 2021 and June 2022.

In addition, eligible children under 6 years old as of September 1, 2022, will receive $29 in P-EBT food benefits for each month that the child received SNAP benefits between September 2022 and April 2023. Eligible children will also be issued a $14 benefit for the month of May 2023.

Summer 2022 P-EBT Food Benefits
The following children will automatically receive $391 Summer 2022 P-EBT food benefits:

• Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) students enrolled in an NSLP-participating school in June 2022, AND eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals.
• Children under 6 years old as of September 1, 2021, who received SNAP benefits in June, July or August 2022.

Summer 2023 P-EBT Food Benefits
The $120 Summer 2023 P-EBT food benefit will automatically be issued to eligible Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) students enrolled in June 2023 in an NSLP-participating school, AND eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals.

When will my eligible child receive P-EBT food benefits?

P-EBT food benefits will be issued automatically in April 2023 and May 2023 to:

• K-12 children will receive both the 2021-2022 school year payment and the $391 Summer 2022 P-EBT food benefit
• Children under 6 receiving SNAP will be issued both their $31 monthly benefit for September 2021 through June 2022, and a $391 Summer 2022 P-EBT food benefit.

Summer 2022 P-EBT food benefits will be issued automatically to all eligible children who were not eligible for automatic 2021-22 school year payments beginning in Spring 2023 through December 2023. Families do not need to apply for the Summer 2022 P-EBT food benefit.

P-EBT food benefits for children whose parents/guardians submit a 2021-22 school year NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application, and who are determined eligible, will be issued on a rolling basis beginning May 15, 2023, through December 2023.

P-EBT food benefits for 2022-23 (which includes children under 6 on SNAP, and a Summer 2023 benefit for eligible school age children) will be automatically issued beginning in August 2023 and will continue through December 2023. Families do not need to apply for any of the 2022-23 P-EBT food benefits.

How will my eligible child receive P-EBT food benefits?

P-EBT food benefits will be issued to eligible children in the following ways:

• Children currently receiving SNAP or Temporary Assistance (cash) will have their P- EBT food benefits issued to their household's EBT card.
• Children who successfully accessed their food benefits for the 2019-20 and/or 2020-21 school years on a P-EBT Food Benefit card will receive their food benefits on the same P-EBT Food Benefit card.

All other eligible children will be mailed a P-EBT Food Benefit card with instructions explaining how to activate the card and access the food benefits.

IMPORTANT: Please be sure to hold on to your P-EBT Food Benefit card in the event that additional P-EBT food benefits are issued to your child in the future.

Will P-EBT food benefits be issued automatically?

Yes, most families will receive their eligible children's P-EBT food benefits automatically. P-EBT food benefits will be issued automatically in the following instances:

All Summer 2022 P-EBT food benefits of $391 will be issued automatically to:

• K-12 students enrolled in an NSLP-participating school in June 2022, AND eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals; and,
• children under 6 years old as of September 1, 2021, who received SNAP on a NYS SNAP case for June, July or August 2022.

All eligible Children Under Age 6 Receiving SNAP will receive their P-EBT food benefits automatically.

Most school-age children (in grades K-12) will receive their 2021-22 school year P-EBT food benefits automatically, specifically those:

• Enrolled in a NSLP-participating school during the 2021-22 school year that was closed or operated with reduced attendance or hours for 5 consecutive days in any month, AND
• Eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals, AND
• Absent from school and/or attended school remotely for at least 5 days in a row.

If your child was absent and/or attended school remotely for at least 5 days in a row in a month, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) can automatically count those days as COVID-19 related absences and will issue P-EBT food benefits automatically for that month.

Please note, the P-EBT Food Benefit amount that eligible children receive is based on the availability of daily school attendance and enrollment information provided by schools and school districts. As was our policy for the 2020-21 school year, OTDA is unable to issue benefits to children who attended a NYS NSLP-participating school that did not submit enrollment or attendance information for the 2021-22 school year.

All Summer 2023 P-EBT food benefits of $120 per eligible child will automatically be issued to Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) students enrolled in June 2023 in an NSLP-participating school, AND eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals.

If you know what days my child was absent from school in the 2021-22 school year, or was attending school remotely, why can't you issue their benefits automatically?

P-EBT food benefits are calculated based on how many days a child was absent or attending school remotely due to COVID-19. OTDA did not receive attendance information indicating why a child was absent. However, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allowed New York to count absences of 5 days in a row in any month, to be COVID-19 related. In order to count an absence that did not fall within a period of absence for 5 days in a row to be COVID-19 related and eligible to be considered in the P-EBT monthly calculation, parents/guardians must attest that the absence was due to COVID-19. OTDA has created a P-EBT Food Benefit application which allows parents/guardians to certify that their child's absence in any month was due to COVID-19.

What should I do if I think my child is eligible for P-EBT food benefits for the 2021-22 school year but did not receive an automatic payment?

Only children whose schools reported they were absent or attending school remotely for 5 days in a row were paid automatically. That is because OTDA is allowed to count those absences as COVID-19 related. Parents or guardians whose child was absent from school due to a COVID-19 related reason, but who did not automatically receive P-EBT food benefits because they were not absent or attending remotely 5 days in a row, may need to complete a NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application. Parents will be required to report the number of days their child was absent and certify that the absences were due to COVID-19. A link to the application will be noted here once it is available.

If you have further questions regarding your child's eligibility, please contact the P-EBT Helpline at 1-833-452-0096 or visit: P-EBT Information Form to submit your question in writing.

Will I be notified that P-EBT food benefits have been issued for my eligible child?

OTDA will continue to provide the most up to date information about P-EBT food benefit issuances on its website. In addition, some households may receive text messages notifying them when P-EBT food benefits have been issued.

NYS P-EBT Food Benefit Application for the 2021-22 School Year

Who should submit a NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application?

Parents or guardians of Pre-K and K-12 children who were absent due to COVID-19 but who did not automatically receive a 2021-22 school year payment, and children who received an automatic payment but were absent for any number of days other than 5 days in a row in a month may be eligible for additional P-EBT food benefits. Parents/guardians must complete an application and attest to the total number of days per month that their child was absent or remote due to COVID-19.

Eligible children who attended a NSLP-participating Pre-K in the 2021-22 must complete an application and submit a completed P-EBT Pre-K form in order to be considered for P-EBT food benefits.

What should I know about submitting a NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application?

View the NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application

Here is some important information about completing a NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application:

• The P-EBT Food Benefit application is for the 2021-22 school year (September 2021 through June 2022).
• Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2023.
• OTDA will process your application on or before December 30, 2023.
• You must log in to your NY.gov account or create a NY.gov ID in order to complete an application.
• You may submit separate applications for each of your eligible children under the same NY.gov account.
• The application requires that you enter the total number of days your child was absent or remote due to COVID-19 for each month. If you enter “0”, that means the child did not have any eligible absences for that month and will not receive any additional benefits.
• You must attest that the absences/remote learning days were due to COVID-19.
• We will compare the information you provide to the attendance data that your child's school submitted. If there is a difference between the information you provide and the data your child's school reported, payments will be issued based on the data submitted by the school. OTDA cannot issue P-EBT food benefits to children who attended a school that did not submit enrollment or attendance data for the 2021-22 school year.
• Further instructions are available in the NYS P-EBT Food Benefit Application, under “PEBT Application Information” at the top of the homepage.

My child received P-EBT automatically, do I still need to complete a NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application?

If your child has received a benefit for the 2021-22 school year, but they were absent for more than 5 days in any of the months they were paid automatically, you may complete a NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application to receive P-EBT payments for the additional days. By doing so, you are attesting that your child was absent or remote for those days due to COVID-19. If eligible, OTDA will pay the difference between the benefits that have already been issued automatically for the 2021-22 school year (for 5 or more days in a row that your child was absent or remote per month) and the reported days per month by the parent or guardian.

If your child has not received P-EBT food benefit for 5 consecutive days absent or remote schooling, your child may be eligible for P-EBT food benefits for days they missed school if they were due to COVID-19. If you are unsure if you should have received this benefit already, please call the P-EBT Helpline at 1-833-452-0096. P-EBT food benefits payments may only be issued if your child's school submitted complete attendance data, and that data validates the number of absences in the NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application for that month.

How will I know the status of my child's NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application after I submit it?

After you have applied online at pebtbenefits.ny.gov, you will receive an email with a confirmation code. Then OTDA will contact you by email, letting you know:

• when your application has been processed, and
• if your child is eligible for a payment, or
• denied due to your child being ineligible for a P-EBT food benefit, ineligible to receive additional P-EBT food benefits, or for other reasons, such as your child not being included on the list of children submitted by your child's school.

IMPORTANT: The NYS P-EBT Food Benefit application is ONLY for the 2021-22 school year. Any child eligible for benefits for Summer 2023 will be paid automatically. There will not be P-EBT food benefits issued for the 2022-23 school year.

Using Your P-EBT Food Benefits

How do I access P-EBT Food benefits if they are on a P-EBT Food Benefit card?

To access your P-EBT food benefits using a P-EBT Food Benefit card, you must have a Personal Identification Number (PIN). It is important that you follow the directions for selecting a PIN to be able to access your food benefits.

• You can select one over the phone by calling 1-888-328-6399. Please be prepared to provide security information, including your zip code and the month and day of the cardholder's birthday (MM/DD), to complete this process.
• For detailed instructions on how to select a PIN for your P-EBT Food Benefit card view the Activating a P-EBT Food Benefit Card video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvWV-FvyA5Y&feature=youtu.be.
• For written instructions on how to select a PIN for your P-EBT Food Benefit card visit: https://otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/P-EBT-Card-PIN-Instructions.asp.

IMPORTANT: Please be sure to hold on to your P-EBT Food Benefit card in the event that additional P-EBT food benefits are issued to your child in the future.

Protect your benefits by changing your PIN often, and never give your EBT card number or PIN to anyone. To learn more about protecting your benefits from theft, visit the EBT Scam Alert webpage and view the Act Fast EBT Skimming Video.

How do I order a replacement P-EBT Food Benefit card?

Replacement P-EBT Food Benefit cards should only be requested when the previously issued card has been lost, stolen or damaged. Food benefits will be issued between April 2023 and December 2023. Ordering a replacement card will not result in receiving your child's P-EBT food benefits faster and, in some cases, may delay access to your child's benefits.

• You can order a replacement P-EBT Food Benefit card by calling 1-888-328-6399. Please be prepared to provide security information, including the 19-digit card number that was printed on the front of the P-EBT Food Benefit card you are replacing.
  • If you do not have that number, you will be asked for the cardholder's Social Security number; however, when ordering a replacement P-EBT Food Benefit card (and only when ordering a P-EBT Food Benefit card), you must enter 999-99 and then the 2-digit month and 2-digit day (MM/DD) of the cardholder's birthday.
    For example, if your child's date of birth is July 4, you would enter 999-99-0704 when asked for the child's Social Security number.
• You will then be asked to verify the cardholder's 8-digit birthday (MM/DD/YYYY) and to enter the 4-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) you selected for the P-EBT Food Benefit card that you are replacing. If you did not previously create a PIN, you will still be able to order a replacement card by following the prompts.

Do P-EBT food benefits expire?

P-EBT food benefits will remain available and accessible on your EBT or P-EBT Food Benefit card for 274 days from the date they were issued. You can check your family's P-EBT food benefit balance by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399.

How do I use a P-EBT Food Benefit card (or EBT card)?

A P-EBT Food Benefit card (or EBT card) looks and is used like a bank debit card to buy food at authorized retail food stores. For more information on how to use an EBT card visit: https://otda.ny.gov/workingfamilies/ebt/.

To find authorized retail food stores near you, the SNAP Retailer Locator can be found at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator.

Protect your benefits by changing your PIN often, and never give your EBT card number or PIN to anyone. To learn more about protecting your benefits from theft, visit the EBT Scam Alert webpage and view the Act Fast EBT Skimming Video.

What can I purchase with my child's P-EBT food benefits?

While P-EBT food benefits are not SNAP benefits, they can only be used to purchase the same food items that can be purchased with SNAP benefits at authorized retail food stores. A detailed list of food items that may be purchased with food benefits can be found at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items/.

General Information

Should I contact my local department of social services if I have questions about P-EBT food benefits?

No. P-EBT food benefits are being issued by OTDA. They are not SNAP benefits, and your local department of social services has no information about your eligibility for these benefits.

What if my child received P-EBT food benefits but we don't need them?

USDA has advised that P-EBT food benefits are not transferable and cannot be donated. P-EBT food benefits are intended for you to use to buy food for you and your child. USDA advises that if you and your family have received a P-EBT Food Benefit card and do not want to use the benefits to buy food, you should dispose of the card by cutting through the magnetic stripe on the card or shredding the card and discarding it in a secure manner.

In most communities, there are a number of nonprofit organizations that accept donations—including donations of non-perishable food items and/or donations of money they can use to buy food—to help those in your community who do not have enough food. For more information please visit www.feedingnys.org/need-food or https://map.thefoodpantries.org/ to locate food pantries in your area.

Are there other food benefits or programs that can help my family?

Yes. If your family does not already receive SNAP, you can see if you may be eligible and apply online at myBenefits.ny.gov.

Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals and children under age 5 receiving SNAP may automatically qualify for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Visit health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/wic/ and click on the Wanda icon to learn more and connect with a WIC agency near you.

Coupons to purchase more fruits and vegetables with your SNAP benefits are available throughout the state. Learn more and see if your local farmers market or food store participate by visiting FreshConnect, Double Up Food Bucks and NYC Health Bucks.

If you need more help with food, visit www.feedingnys.org/need-food or https://map.thefoodpantries.org/ to locate food pantries in your area.

To find a location where you can pick up free meals for your child:

• Visit the USDA Meals for Kids Site Finder at www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids.
• Call the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (Spanish)
• Call 211 for New York State Residents
• Call 311 if you live in New York City

For other resources in addition to food support, please visit:

• The Affordable Connectivity Program provides discounts toward residential internet costs for households receiving SNAP or Medicaid.
• The Lifeline program helps certain households stay connected with discounts on monthly telephone bills.
• The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can help eligible New Yorkers heat and cool their homes.

Where do I go if I have more questions about P-EBT food benefits?

If you have questions, you may call the P-EBT food benefits Helpline: 1-833-452-0096 or visit:  P-EBT Information Form to submit a question in writing. Please note the P-EBT Information Form is not an application for P-EBT food benefits.

Last updated: September 6, 2023

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