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P-EBT Summer 2022
Updates and Announcements
September 6, 2022 -- DCFS issued $34.7 million in Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (PEBT) benefits for the 2021-22 school year and expects to issue approximately $160.8 million in benefits for Summer ‘22, as schools and school districts continue to submit student eligibility information to DCFS.
Summer PEBT benefits will be issued on Louisiana Purchase EBT cards in each eligible student’s name. Benefits will be issued on the same card that was received for the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school year. Continued
P-EBT Summer 2022 Update
NO APPLICATION NEEDED!
Louisiana received federal approval to issue Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits (P-EBT) for the Summer of 2022 to families of children who:
- Qualified for free or reduced-price school meals under the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program in May 2022, OR
- Attended a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school, where all children receive free meals regardless of family income, in May 2022.
Eligible students will receive $391 to cover both June and July 2022. the payment will be broken into two installments.
- $195 for June
- $196 for July
Schools will provide DCFS with a list of eligible students, and DCFS will then issue the benefits.
PLEASE NOTE: Families who applied for free/reduced-price school meals on or before july 29, 2022, and were later approved, will receive Summer P-EBT benefits. However, the issuance of those benefits may be delayed.
Summer P-EBT Benefits Issuance
Summer P-EBT benefits will be issued on Louisiana Purchase EBT cards in each eligible student's name.
New P-EBT Recipients
- Students who did not receive P-EBT for this or last school year (e.g., because they attended school in-person all year) will be mailed a card with Summer P-EBT benefits already loaded into it.
- Parents should allow up to 30 days from receiving the 2022 Summer P-EBT flyer to receive their child's card in the mail.
- For security purposes, the card will arrive in a plain white envelope.
Returning P-EBT Recipients
- Benefits may have already been distributed to students who have previously received a card.
- Balances can be checked in the P-EBT Parent Portal.
Activating P-EBT Cards
Local Student ID Number Needed
You will need your child's local Student ID number to enter in place of their Social Security Number when activating their P-EBT card.
If you do not know your child's local student ID number, some places where it is commonly found include:
- Student Report Card
- Grades Portal
- Student ID Card
- School Computer Login
- School Library Card
- School Medical Records Portal
- IEP Record
If you cannot find your child's local student ID number, please contact your child's school district for assistance.
PINs Must Meet Requirements
When selecting a PIN for your child's P-EBT card, please note that the following patterns are not allowed.
- Identical digits (111, 2222, 33233, etc.)
- Consecutive digits (1234, 2345, 3456, etc.)
- Numbers that start with one or more zeros (0657, 0051, 0001, etc.)
- Last four digits of the child's Student ID number
- Cardholder's birthdate
Activation Troubleshooting Tips Available
Additional troubleshooting tips for P-EBT card activation can be found at http://www.pebt-la.org.
Using EBT Cards
What Can I Buy With My P-EBT Card?
P-EBT cards can be used to purchase most food items at any store that accepts SNAP EBT cards. The cards cannot be used to purchase:
- "Hot foods" (those prepared to eat at the store).
- Alcohol.
- Tobacco.
- Non-food items such as:
- Vitamins.
- Medicines.
- Soap and other hygiene items.
- Paper goods.
- Household supplies.
- Pet food.
How Long Can I Use My Benefits?
Under new federal rules, federal food assistance benefits will be expunged, or removed, from a client’s EBT card nine months after the benefits were issued, unless the card has been used to make a purchase within the last nine months. If the card has been used, the benefits will remain on the card for nine months from the date of last purchase. Benefits are removed only if:
- It has been nine months since the benefits were issued; AND
- It has been nine months since you last used your EBT card.
Once benefits have been removed, they cannot be added back to your card.
Benefit Expungement
Under new federal rules, federal food assistance benefits will be expunged, or removed, from a client’s EBT card nine months after the benefits were issued, unless the card has been used to make a purchase within the last nine months. If the card has been used, the benefits will remain on the card for nine months from the date of last purchase. Benefits are expunged only if:
- It has been nine months since the benefits were issued; AND
- It has been nine months since you last used your EBT card.
Once benefits have been expunged, they cannot be added back to your card.