U.S. Department of Agriculture expands P-EBT through Summer

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer or P-EBT in order to feed low-income children over the summer months.  Summer months are difficult for low-income children because they lack access to school meals that fill a nutrition gap during the school year.  When school is out of session, summer feeding programs, considered a lifeline for some families, reach just a small fraction, typically less than 20%, of the number served during the school year, according to the USDA.  This summer, USDA will offer P-EBT benefits to all low-income children of all ages, helping families put food on the table during the COVID-19 pandemic.  P-EBT was established in March 2020 to provide food dollars to families to make up for meals missed when schools have closed due to COVID-19.  The program was set to expire on September 30, 2021, but through the American Rescue Plan Act, benefits are now available for the duration of the pandemic, including during the summer months.  Children are eligible for this temporary nutrition benefit, loaded onto an EBT card that can then be used to purchase food, if they are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year or if they are under age six and live in a SNAP household.  Families of eligible children typically receive $6.82 per child, per weekday, or roughly $375 per child over the summer months.