Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Program

P-EBT Card Issues Form: English – (Español) Spanish – (አማርኛ) Amharic.

Payments for School Year 2021-2022 and Summer 2022 have been issued for children who were under age 6 as of September 30, 2021. Payment amounts vary based on the number of months a child was eligible. ONLY children who were under age 6 on September 30, 2021, and were part of a household that received SNAP during the school year were eligible for this payment. Summer 2022 benefits for all other eligible children are scheduled to be issued by the end of September 2022.

The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program provides food benefits on an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. The benefits are provided to District families with eligible children who would normally receive free or reduced-price meals at school or child care without restrictions limiting in-person learning due to the public health emergency. Families cannot apply to receive P-EBT. Benefits are paid automatically to those who meet eligibility criteria.

P-EBT benefits may be used to purchase food at stores that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP -- formerly known as food stamps) or online at Amazon or Aldi. Families can visit ebtEDGE.com or download the ebtEDGE mobile app from the Apple or Google Play stores to see their transition history, and account balances, or find retailers that accept the EBT card.

P-EBT Benefits for Summer 2022

In July 2022, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approved Summer 2022 benefits for the District of Columbia. The District will issue benefits to eligible families by the end of September 2022. Eligible children will receive the federally approved flat rate of $391 per child for the Summer.

P-EBT Eligibility for Summer 2022

DC children are eligible for Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits under the following circumstances:

To qualify for Summer P-EBT, a child should be, for SY2021- 2022, either:
- Enrolled in a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) School (meaning all enrolled students are eligible, regardless of household’s FARM or SNAP status)

Enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program AND:
- applied for Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARM) before August 29, 2022 (and become approved)
  OR
- are categorically approved for FARM by their school, which includes students who are receiving SNAP and TANF

If neither A nor B applies to your child, but your child was under the age of 6 on September 30, 2021, please see the section “P-EBT Benefits for Children under the age of 6 (SY 2021-2022)” below, as they may still be eligible.

This school list offers an overview of eligibility by school and year.

If a child over the age of 6 was not eligible in June, but their family experiences a change in income, their families can apply for Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARM) for Summer 2022 before August 29. If their child’s school approves the application, they will receive summer P-EBT before October.
To qualify for Summer P-EBT, a child under the age of 6 on September 30, 2021, would have to be part of a household that received a SNAP benefit between August 30, 2021, and August 20, 2022.

P-EBT Benefits for Children under the age of 6 (SY 2021-2022)

The District received approval in July 2022 to begin implementing the P-EBT for SY 2021-2022 Childcare Plan. Children who were under 6 on September 30, 2021, and were part of a household participating in SNAP will receive a monthly benefit of $60.20 per month they were enrolled in SNAP or $602.02 for the year. These children will also receive a flat benefit of $391 for the summer.

P-EBT Card Issuance

Eligible families that are currently receiving SNAP benefits or received P-EBT benefits previously will be issued benefits onto their existing EBT cards. Families that are new to the P-EBT program will receive new EBT cards when benefits for their child or children are issued. Therefore, it is important for families to have an up-to-date address on file with their school or for their SNAP case at the DHS.

P-EBT Call Center Assistance with Card Issues

Families can report a lost or destroyed EBT card, or get assistance with problems activating an EBT card by contacting FIS, the District’s EBT partner 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at their hotline (888) 304-9167. FIS cannot update an address. If your address has changed and you need a replacement card, you will need to ensure the correct address is on file with DHS before requesting a replacement.

General Information about EBT Cards

General information about P-EBT and EBT card activation, use, management, and balances is available at https://dhs.dc.gov/page/ebt-card-updates.

Additional District Food Resources and Public Benefits

More information about food resources available in the District during the COVID-19 public health emergency is at coronavirus.dc.gov/food or the DHS food resources information page.

Families that may be eligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can find information about how to apply at https://dhs.dc.gov/service/apply-benefits.

Further Assistance

Families can also call the ESA Public Benefits Call Center at 202-727-5355 to obtain more program information. They can not assist with individualized case issues. If you think your benefit was incorrect or need to change your address on file, you will need to submit a web form with your case information, here: PEBT Card Issues Form English – Spanish (Español) – Amharic (አማርኛ).