Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York offers offers important information for families with school-aged children

Regional Food Bank logoThe Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 has authorized the payment of Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) to households with children who would have received free and reduced price school meals, were it not for the March to June school closures.

 All children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals will receive Pandemic-EBT benefits.  Pandemic-EBT does not replace or affect eligibility for other nutrition programs; families will continue receiving emergency meals distributed by schools, SNAP, WIC, summer meals and/or meals in childcare in addition to Pandemic-EBT.

Eligible families will receive a set amount of funds on an EBT card to purchase groceries at retailers that accept EBT Benefits. Visit fns.usda.gov/snap for more information on participating retailers and eligible food items.

Benefit amounts will be $5.70 per child, for each day that school is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic—equivalent to USDA’s daily reimbursement for free breakfast and lunch, for a maximum of $420 per child in a household for the March to June period.

Families do not need to apply to receive Pandemic-EBT. Benefits will be issued automatically on existing EBT cards for households already receiving SNAP, Public Assistance or Medicaid. New cards will be mailed to all other eligible households who currently do not have an EBT card.

Families are due to receive benefits in two payments during the month of June.
 
For additional information, visit:  https://otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/Frequently-Asked-Questions-Pandemic-EBT.asp