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The original item was published from 2/11/2021 8:54:00 AM to 2/11/2021 8:56:02 AM.

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Social Services

Posted on: February 11, 2021

[ARCHIVED] Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Information

Oranges

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is a temporary food benefit available to Minnesota families with children who would have received free or reduced-price meals if schools were open. During the 2019-2020 school year and the following summer, more than 265,000 Minnesota children received P-EBT benefits. On February 8 2021 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved Minnesota to operate a P-EBT program for the 2020-2021 school year.  Due to changes in federal law, the 2020-2021 school year P-EBT program includes significant changes from the 2019-2020 P-EBT program. These changes include:

  • Eligibility will be determined automatically based on enrollment in SNAP, MFIP, Tribal TANF, or free and reduced-price school meals. There will be no separate P-EBT application.
  • At this time, benefits are only available to children in grades kindergarten through 12.
  • Each child will receive a customized benefit amount based on a calculation of how many distance or hybrid-learning days their school used in a given month:
    • Eligible students who spent the majority of the month in distance learning will receive $130 in P-EBT benefits for that month.  
    • Eligible students who spent the majority of the month in a hybrid learning format will receive $75 in P-EBT benefits for that month.
    • Eligible students who spent the majority of the month doing in-person learning will not receive P-EBT benefits for that month.
  • Each eligible child with qualifying out-of-school learning days will receive a P-EBT card in the mail regardless of any existing P-EBT or Minnesota EBT cards already present in the household.
  • For families who receive SNAP, MFIP, or Tribal TANF or who have been approved for free and reduced-price school meals by February 28, 2021, the Minnesota Department of Human Services will begin issuing P-EBT cards in late March, 2021.  Issuance will be staggered and will depend on when their school submits data to the Minnesota Department of Education.
  • Families who are approved for free and reduced-price school meals after February 28. 2021 will receive their card once their eligibility has been processed. 
  • All families will receive benefits retroactive to September. These retroactive benefits will be spread out over future benefits issuances according to an issuance schedule available on the P-EBT website. Future months of benefits will go on the same P-EBT card.

Additional Information:

  • No action is needed from eligibility workers at Morrison County Social Services.
  • If clients are not receiving SNAP, MFIP or tribal TANF, they should submit an application for free or reduced-price school meals before February 28, 2021. They should contact their school to find out if they need to submit an application even if they are already receiving no-cost school meals.
  • Clients should also make sure all the schools that their children attend have their current address information.
  • A P-EBT Hotline for the 2020-2021 school year program will be available in early March, 2021.
  •  More information about how to prepare to receive these benefits is available on the DHS public facing website.


Department of Human Services Pandemic EBT
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