Q.
Who is eligible for P-EBT for school year 2022-2023?
A.
The state of Virginia has been approved to issue P-EBT benefits for
eligible children under age 6 in SNAP-recipient households for the
2022-2023 school year.
The eligibility requirements for SNAP-recipient children under 6 years of age are:
Virginia will not be issuing P-EBT benefits to school-aged children for the 2022-2023 school year.
The eligibility requirements for SNAP-recipient children under 6 years of age are:
-
Child must have been enrolled in the SNAP program during the months of
September 2022 through May 2023.
*Note - The child did not have to be enrolled in SNAP continuously from September through May in order to qualify, however, P-EBT benefits will only be calculated for the months that the child was enrolled in SNAP. - Child must be under the age of 6 as of September 1, 2022.
Virginia will not be issuing P-EBT benefits to school-aged children for the 2022-2023 school year.
Q.
Will my school-aged child receive P-EBT benefits for school year
2022-2023?
A.
No, Virginia is not approved to issue P-EBT benefits to school-aged
children for the 2022-2023 school year.
Q.
How much money will eligible children receive?
A.
SNAP-recipient children under age 6 will receive $26.94 for each eligible
month for the time frame of September - December 2022. The amount of
backdated benefits for the months of January 2023 through May 2023 have
not yet been determined.
Once the May 2023 monthly rate is determined, the May 2023 issuance will be pro-rated based on 9 eligible school days (due to ending of the Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023).
Once the May 2023 monthly rate is determined, the May 2023 issuance will be pro-rated based on 9 eligible school days (due to ending of the Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023).
Q.
When will P-EBT for School Year 2022-2023 benefits be issued?
A.
Funds will be added to your child’s existing SNAP EBT card or a
newly issued P-EBT card, if applicable, on the following dates:
*The May issuance will be pro-rated based on 9 eligible school days due to
ending of the Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023.
| Eligibility Period | Issuance Date | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 2022 – Nov 2022 | March 18, 2023 | $26.94 per eligible month |
| Dec 2022 | April 22, 2023 | $26.94 per eligible month |
| Jan 2023 – Mar 2023 | May 20, 2023 | $24.29 per eligible month |
| Apr 2023 – May 2023* | June 17, 2023 | $12.15 per eligible month |
Q.
How will benefits be distributed for SNAP Households?
A.
For eligible SNAP-recipient households with children under 6 years of age:
- If your SNAP case is active, benefits will be loaded onto your existing EBT account.
- If your SNAP case has not been active for 60 days or more, the P-EBT benefits will be loaded onto a new EBT card that will be mailed to your address on file.
Q.
When will the P-EBT program end?
A.
- For SNAP-recipient children under age 6, while the P-EBT program will officially end on May 11, 2023 when the federal Public Health Emergency ends, the USDA’s approval of P-EBT for School Year 2022-2023 allows for Virginia to still issue backdated P-EBT benefits to eligible households through June 2023. This will be the last issuance of P-EBT payments for SNAP-recipient children under 6.
- K-12/school-aged children, the P-EBT program will end with the Summer 2023 issuance.
Q.
Why are K-12/school-aged children excluded from P-EBT for School Year
2022-2023?
A.
The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program was first
established by the 2020 Families First Coronavirus Response Act to provide
food benefits to children who were missing opportunities to receive free
or reduced-price school meals due to COVID-related school closures.
Now that schools are physically open again, students who are eligible for no or low-cost meals through the USDA School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program have access to those resources and all students at Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) public schools are receiving breakfast and lunch at no cost.
Additionally, most Virginia schools are no longer tracking COVID-related absences and overall absences are down compared to the previous two years.
Now that schools are physically open again, students who are eligible for no or low-cost meals through the USDA School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program have access to those resources and all students at Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) public schools are receiving breakfast and lunch at no cost.
Additionally, most Virginia schools are no longer tracking COVID-related absences and overall absences are down compared to the previous two years.
Q.
If I have a question about my eligibility for P-EBT, who do I
contact?
A.
Please direct questions to the P-EBT Call Center at 866-513-1414 or
804-294-1633 Monday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Saturday
from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Summer 2023 P-EBT for K-12 Students:
Q.
Will there be Summer 2023 P-EBT Benefits?
A.
Yes. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service approved Virginia’s plan
to issue Summer 2023 P-EBT benefits to eligible school-aged children.
Please note that because the Public Health Emergency will end on May 11, 2023, SNAP-recipient children under age 6 are not eligible for summer 2023 benefits.
Please note that because the Public Health Emergency will end on May 11, 2023, SNAP-recipient children under age 6 are not eligible for summer 2023 benefits.
Q.
For Summer 2023 P-EBT, how much money will eligible students
receive?
A.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service approved a single benefit payment of
$120 for eligible school-aged children which will be distributed beginning July 22, 2023.
Q.
Who determines eligibility for Summer 2023 P-EBT for K-12
students?
A.
Local schools determine individual eligibility for the Summer 2023 P-EBT
for K-12 students.
Questions regarding your K-12 child’s eligibility for summer 2023 should be directed to the P-EBT Call Center at 866-513-1414 or 804-294-1633 Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. social services with P-EBT questions.
Questions regarding your K-12 child’s eligibility for summer 2023 should be directed to the P-EBT Call Center at 866-513-1414 or 804-294-1633 Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. social services with P-EBT questions.
Q.
When will the P-EBT program end?
A.
For SNAP households with children under 6, eligibility
for the P-EBT program ends on May 11, 2023 due to the ending of the
Public Health Emergency. The last payment for the eligibility months of
April and May will go out in June 2023 as a backdated payment from the
school year.
For K-12 school-aged children, the P-EBT program will end with the summer 2023 issuance.
For K-12 school-aged children, the P-EBT program will end with the summer 2023 issuance.
Q.
If I have a question about my eligibility for P-EBT, who do I
contact?
A.
Please direct questions to the P-EBT Call Center at 866-513-1414 or
804-294-1633 Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9
a.m. - 2 p.m.
