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Summer P-EBT Coming Soon to Louisiana K-12 Students

More than 500,000 Children Received Benefits for 2020-21 School Year So Far

BATON ROUGE, LA, July 27, 2021 - The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) received federal approval to expand the state's Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program to cover the summer months.

To date, DCFS, in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education, has issued approximately $192.2 million in P-EBT benefits for 515,624 students who receive federal free or reduced-price meals but attended school between August 2020 and May 2021 on a hybrid or virtual learning schedule because of the pandemic. The third P-EBT payment, covering February-May 2021, is scheduled to begin loading onto cards on August 4.

Benefits for the Summer P-EBT program are expected to be issued in August and September.

P-EBT, or Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, is food assistance for families of school children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP), but are not receiving those meals due to campus closures and/or reduced in-person class schedules related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Click here for more information.

For Summer P-EBT, each eligible child will receive a one-time payment of $375 to cover both June and July. The program differs from the 2020-21 School Year P-EBT program in that students who attended school in-person, as well as on a hybrid or virtual schedule, would be eligible if they receive free or reduced-price meals and were in school in May 2021.

It includes those eligible for free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) and those in a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school, where all children receive free meals regardless of family income, as of May 2021.

Students who were not previously approved for free or reduced-price school meals, but who apply by July 30, 2021, and are later approved, will also be eligible to receive Summer P-EBT. While Summer P-EBT benefits will be issued to those who have applied for free or reduced-price school meals by July 30, there may be a delay in the issuance of benefits.

There is no action required for students who already received free or reduced-price school meals or attended a CEP school. DCFS will work with school districts to gather eligibility information.

Important information about benefits:

  • Children who received P-EBT benefits for the 2020-21 school year will receive their Summer P-EBT payment on the same EBT card where their P-EBT benefits were issued.
  • Children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals but didn't receive P-EBT for the 2020-21 school year because they attended school in-person will receive a P-EBT card by mail pre-loaded with their Summer P-EBT benefits.

More information about the P-EBT program can be found at www.pebt-la.org.

DCFS is also working with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service on a plan for children aged 0-5 who are in SNAP households but did not receive P-EBT benefits through the school year P-EBT program. More information on that program will be announced later.

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SNAP Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

  1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
  2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
  3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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