(Español) Spanish – (አማርኛ) Amharic
Thank you for your interest in the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Program. The P-EBT Program has now ended, and DHS is unable to make any further changes to P-EBT cards. If you need a replacement P-EBT card, please call FIS as outlined in the Activating or Replacing a P-EBT Card section below.
P-EBT was created by federal law in March 2020 to supplement school meals that eligible children missed while schools were closed or operating at reduced schedules due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) and was expanded in October 2020 to include eligible children in childcare. P-EBT benefit amounts and eligibility requirements have varied over time due to changes in federal law as outlined in the chart below.
The District of Columbia (“District” or “DC”) Department of Human Services (DHS), together with the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), administered the program every year between School Year (SY) 2019-2020 and 2022-2023. See P-EBT Eligibility & Payments below for more information on coverage and benefit amounts.
The P-EBT program provided food benefits on a Capital Access Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. P-EBT benefits can be used to purchase food at stores that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or online at participating merchants, including Amazon and Aldi.
P-EBT Eligibility & Payments
The District issued P-EBT benefits to eligible school students each year between SY 2019-2020 and 2022-2023. To be eligible for P-EBT, a child must have been approved for Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARM) at a school that participated in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). For a list of schools and eligibility requirements by school year, see the School List. Coverage and benefit amounts for each school year are listed below.
P-EBT Benefits for School Students
|
School Year |
Eligible Students |
Benefit Amounts |
|
SY 2022-2023 |
Approved for FARM at a NSLP school at the end of SY 2022-2023 |
$120.00 for Summer 2023 |
|
SY 2021-2022 |
Approved for FARM at a NSLP school at the end of SY 2021-2022 |
$391.00 for Summer 2022 |
|
SY 2020-2021 |
Approved for FARM at a NSLP school for the month of payment coverage during the school year and at the end of SY 2020-2021 for the summer payment |
$122.76 per month (reduced if school was not fully remote for that month) during the school year (October 2020 to June 2021), plus $375.00 for Summer 2021 |
|
SY 2019-2020 |
Approved for FARM at a NSLP school |
$387.60 for March 2019 to the end of the school year, with benefits prorated if student was approved after March 2019 |
P-EBT Benefits for Child Care Participants
Starting in October 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorized DHS to provide P-EBT benefits to children who were under age six (6) as of October 1 at the start of each school year and who were part of a household receiving SNAP benefits for the month of payment coverage. Coverage and benefit amounts for each school year are listed below.
|
School Year |
Eligible Children |
Benefit Amounts |
|
SY 2022-2023 |
Under age six (6) on October 1, 2022 and part of a household receiving SNAP benefits for the month of payment coverage |
$50.36 per month during the school year when the PHE was in effect (August 2022 to May 11, 2023) |
|
SY 2021-2022 |
Under age six (6) on October 1, 2021 and part of a household receiving SNAP benefits for the month of payment coverage |
$60.20 per month during the school year (August 2021 to May 2022), plus $391.00 for Summer 2022 |
|
SY 2020-2021 |
Under age six (6) on October 1, 2020 and part of a household receiving SNAP benefits for the month of payment coverage |
$122.76 per month during the school year (October 2020 to June 2021), plus $375.00 for Summer 2021 |
P-EBT Card Information & Assistance
Eligible families who are currently receiving SNAP benefits or who received a P-EBT card previously were issued benefits on their existing EBT card. Students who were new to the P-EBT program, as well as students who previously received P-EBT on their family’s existing SNAP EBT card but were no longer receiving those benefits, were mailed a new EBT card when benefits for the child were issued. All new P-EBT cards were issued in the name of the child, while older cards may have been in the name of either the child or the parent/guardian on the record.
You can also visit ebtEDGE.com or download the ebtEDGE mobile app from the Apple or Google Play stores to see transaction history and account balances, or to find retailers that accept the P-EBT card.
Activating or Replacing a P-EBT Card
If you need a replacement P-EBT card, please call FIS, the District’s EBT vendor, at (888) 304-9167. Please note that FIS cannot update the address they have on record.
Instructions on activating your EBT card can be found here.
Additional District Food Resources and Public Benefits
More information about food resources available in the District can be found in this guide and here.
Families that may be eligible to participate in SNAP or other benefit programs offered by DHS can find information about how to apply here or can call the DHS Economic Security Administration (ESA) Public Benefits Call Center at (202)727-5355. For TTY, please call (202)727-5355 or 711. For TDD, please call (800) 537-7699.
