UPDATE

The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program ended nationally on September 30, 2023.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) will be leaving the P-EBT Support Center open for family P-EBT inquiries through November 2023. Should you have any questions about your child's P-EBT benefits for any year, you should contact the DHS Support Center no later than November 30, 2023.  The Support Center will CLOSE on December 1, 2023. 

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT)

Assistance for Children

2022-2023 School Year

P-EBT Benefit for the 2022-2023 School Year

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has received approval to issue Summer 2023 P-EBT to school aged children.  The benefit will be issued between July 31, 2023 and August 11, 2023.  Eligible children will receive a letter from DHS with important information about the P-EBT benefit.

Are all students eligible the 2022-2023 P-EBT Benefit?

For Summer 2023 P-EBT, your child qualifies if they were enrolled in school on or after May 1, 2023 and were eligible for Free or Reduced-Price meals through the NSLP.  In addition, if your child was enrolled through the end of the 2022-2023 school year and was still enrolled in the same school that participates in the NSLP and your child was determined eligible for NSLP by June 30, 2023, they also qualify for the Summer 2023 P-EBT. Any child that was not receiving NSLP at the end of the school year whose family applies for NSLP on or after July 1, 2023 will not be eligible for P-EBT.

For Summer 2023 P-EBT, all eligible children will receive one issuance of $120.

Please note, your child does NOT qualify for P-EBT if they:

• Do not fall into one of the above categories.
• Are home schooled.
• Attend a cyber charter school.
• Are enrolled in a school that does not participate in the NSLP.
  • This includes virtual academies that school districts had in place prior to the pandemic.

Eligibility Notification and P-EBT Card Distribution

Around the same time that an eligible student will receive the benefit, they will receive information in the form of a flyer from DHS.  The envelope for this flyer will be addressed from Pennsylvania.

If your child previously received P-EBT benefits, additional P-EBT benefits will be issued on the existing EBT or P-EBT card, if possible.

If your child has NOT previously received P-EBT benefits, or if it is not possible to issue benefits to a previously issued EBT or P-EBT card, a new P-EBT card in your child's name will be mailed to your household based on the mailing address provided by the school.  The card will arrive in a plain envelope addressed to your household with a return address from Texas.  If your household has multiple children receiving P-EBT benefits, your household will receive a separate card for each child.  Once you have used the benefits on the card, keep the card available because it will be re-used if your child qualifies for additional benefits. 

P-EBT Inquires

1. Call the Department of Human Servcies (DHS) P-EBT Family Support Center at 1-877-343-0179.
2. Complete the Pennsylvania P-EBT Inquiry Form at https://www.pennebt.com/en/.
3. Go to the DHS Family Portal at  https://www.compass.state.pa.us/Compass.Web/Public/pebtsearch.

 For more informatoin, please visit the to Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website at https://www.dhs.pa.gov/coronavirus/Pages/P-EBT-Guide.aspx or visit the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) website at https://frac.org/pebt.

P-EBT Parent FAQs