Delaware News

Delaware’s Pandemic EBT Program Expands to Include Children Younger Than 6 Whose Families Receive SNAP Benefits

Delaware Health and Social Services | News | Date Posted: Monday, May 3, 2021


headline graphic

Eligible SNAP Households Will Receive Additional Food Assistance for Those Children

NEW CASTLE (May 3, 2021) – Delaware families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits will get additional food assistance through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program for children younger than 6 who live in SNAP households.

The federal P-EBT program was established in March 2020 to provide food dollars to families to make up for meals missed on days when schools were closed or operated with reduced in-person attendance due to COVID-19. Federal legislation signed in December 2020 expanded P-EBT benefits to eligible SNAP households with children younger than 6, effective retroactively from Oct. 1, 2020.

The first round of benefits covering the 2020-2021 school year will be issued May 6. A child younger than 6 is eligible for P-EBT benefits if two conditions are met:

The child is a member of a household that received SNAP food benefits at any time since Oct. 1, 2020.
The child lives in an area where one or more schools are closed or are operating with reduced attendance or hours because of COVID-19.

For each child younger than 6, the SNAP household will receive $6.82 per day multiplied by the average number of remote school days per month reported for the public schools located in the county where the household lives. The P-EBT benefit amount equals the federal reimbursement rate for breakfast, lunch, and a snack per child per school day. The average number of remote school days per month can change, so P-EBT benefit amounts may change each month.

Benefits will be issued according to the following schedule:

P-EBT Schedule for Children Younger Than Age 6

P-EBT Benefit Month

Date Benefits will be Loaded to SNAP EBT Cards
(benefits will be available to use the next day)
October 2020 & November 2020 May 6, 2021
December 2020 & January 2021 May 20, 2021
February 2021 & March 2021 June 3, 2021
April 2021 & May 2021 June 24, 2021
June 2021 July 8, 2021

 

SNAP households will receive P-EBT benefits on their existing SNAP EBT cards and can use their P-EBT benefits just like SNAP food benefits to buy eligible food items at stores and farmer’s markets that accept SNAP EBT. Households will receive monthly P-EBT benefits for all children in their home who are younger than 6. Households will only receive P-EBT benefits for children younger than 6 for the months that the household received SNAP food benefits during the P-EBT period.

“The P-EBT program has provided a lifeline to financially vulnerable families who struggle to put food on the table,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik. “This additional assistance covering SNAP households with children younger than 6 is another step toward achieving an equitable recovery from the pandemic for all Delawareans.”

SNAP households that include school-age children who are eligible for P-EBT will continue to receive P-EBT benefits for those children on a separate date. Check Delaware’s P-EBT website for details.

The state estimates that it will issue $2.1 million in P-EBT benefits per month to approximately 17,770 children younger than 6 in SNAP households.

Eligible SNAP households will receive written notification in the mail regarding P-EBT benefits. Households do not need to take any action to receive P-EBT benefits.

Please contact the Division of Social Services at 1-866-843-7212 if you have questions about Delaware’s P-EBT Program. More information about the program can be found at:

https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dss/pebt.html

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.

Delaware’s Pandemic EBT Program Expands to Include Children Younger Than 6 Whose Families Receive SNAP Benefits

Delaware Health and Social Services | News | Date Posted: Monday, May 3, 2021


headline graphic

Eligible SNAP Households Will Receive Additional Food Assistance for Those Children

NEW CASTLE (May 3, 2021) – Delaware families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits will get additional food assistance through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program for children younger than 6 who live in SNAP households.

The federal P-EBT program was established in March 2020 to provide food dollars to families to make up for meals missed on days when schools were closed or operated with reduced in-person attendance due to COVID-19. Federal legislation signed in December 2020 expanded P-EBT benefits to eligible SNAP households with children younger than 6, effective retroactively from Oct. 1, 2020.

The first round of benefits covering the 2020-2021 school year will be issued May 6. A child younger than 6 is eligible for P-EBT benefits if two conditions are met:

The child is a member of a household that received SNAP food benefits at any time since Oct. 1, 2020.
The child lives in an area where one or more schools are closed or are operating with reduced attendance or hours because of COVID-19.

For each child younger than 6, the SNAP household will receive $6.82 per day multiplied by the average number of remote school days per month reported for the public schools located in the county where the household lives. The P-EBT benefit amount equals the federal reimbursement rate for breakfast, lunch, and a snack per child per school day. The average number of remote school days per month can change, so P-EBT benefit amounts may change each month.

Benefits will be issued according to the following schedule:

P-EBT Schedule for Children Younger Than Age 6

P-EBT Benefit Month

Date Benefits will be Loaded to SNAP EBT Cards
(benefits will be available to use the next day)
October 2020 & November 2020 May 6, 2021
December 2020 & January 2021 May 20, 2021
February 2021 & March 2021 June 3, 2021
April 2021 & May 2021 June 24, 2021
June 2021 July 8, 2021

 

SNAP households will receive P-EBT benefits on their existing SNAP EBT cards and can use their P-EBT benefits just like SNAP food benefits to buy eligible food items at stores and farmer’s markets that accept SNAP EBT. Households will receive monthly P-EBT benefits for all children in their home who are younger than 6. Households will only receive P-EBT benefits for children younger than 6 for the months that the household received SNAP food benefits during the P-EBT period.

“The P-EBT program has provided a lifeline to financially vulnerable families who struggle to put food on the table,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik. “This additional assistance covering SNAP households with children younger than 6 is another step toward achieving an equitable recovery from the pandemic for all Delawareans.”

SNAP households that include school-age children who are eligible for P-EBT will continue to receive P-EBT benefits for those children on a separate date. Check Delaware’s P-EBT website for details.

The state estimates that it will issue $2.1 million in P-EBT benefits per month to approximately 17,770 children younger than 6 in SNAP households.

Eligible SNAP households will receive written notification in the mail regarding P-EBT benefits. Households do not need to take any action to receive P-EBT benefits.

Please contact the Division of Social Services at 1-866-843-7212 if you have questions about Delaware’s P-EBT Program. More information about the program can be found at:

https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dss/pebt.html

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.