Texas Health and Human Services is partnering with the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas Education Agency to provide school year 2021-2022 Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits to eligible children.
However, P-EBT benefits are much narrower in scope than last year. This school year’s P-EBT is for families with children (K-12) who are certified for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and who temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals during the school year due to COVID-19. This applies to students who were out because they were sick this school year due to COVID-19 or because their whole school was shut down due to the virus.
P-EBT benefits can be used the same way as SNAP benefits.
P-EBT benefits for school year 2021-2022 vary for each child because benefits are based on the number of days a child did not receive free or reduced-price meals due to COVID-related absences, virtual attendance, or days that schools were closed due to COVID-19. The daily benefit amount of $7.10 will be issued for each day a child is eligible for P-EBT. For example, if a child was absent for seven days because they stayed home after testing positive for COVID-19 and a school closed due to COVID-19 for three days, they would receive a P-EBT benefit of $71.00 (10 days x $7.10).
P-EBT eligibility
If your child is eligible to receive P-EBT benefits, a notice will be mailed to you. If this is your first time receiving P-EBT benefits, the notice will have information on how to claim your benefits and get a P-EBT card mailed to you. If your household currently receives SNAP or you previously received P-EBT, your benefits will be put on your existing Lone Star Card or P-EBT card if the information provided by schools/districts matches the information the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has. If the information is different, HHSC will send a new P-EBT card in the mail. If you no longer have your card, call the Lone Star Help Desk at 877-541-7905.
P-EBT benefits for the first semester (August 2021–December 2021) should be issued in late April 2022. The second semester (January 2022–June 2022) benefits will be issued in July 2022. You might receive benefits for both semesters in July.
To learn more about eligibility, applying and getting your P-EBT benefits, visit hhs.texas.gov/pebt, or call the P-EBT Call Center at 833-442-1255, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Central time.
