Texas Children To Receive $391 In Pandemic Food Benefits This December

Selected children from Texas will receive $391 worth of Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) food benefits this December. These benefits can be used similarly to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), says Texas Border Business.

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer in Texas

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorized the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to distribute more than $1.4 billion in benefits. These benefits will provide for roughly 3.5 million eligible children who were temporarily deprived of the summer meal programs funded by the federal government due to COVID-19.

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is a combined effort of HHSC, the Texas Department of Agriculture, and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). To date, HHSC has distributed roughly $6.32 billion worth of P-EBT food benefits to families in Texas, as reported by Texas Border Business.

Who is eligible for these benefits?

According to Norton, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) must have certified the student for free or discounted meals during the school year 2021-2022 or the summer period from June to August 2022. At the end of the school year 2021-2022, the student must have also been enrolled at an NSLP campus. Those children who did not receive the P-EBT benefits from the school year 2021–2022 due to absences related to COVID-19-related are also included.

Children who grew up in childcare, who were born on or after August 1, 2015, and who have been provided with SNAP food benefits between June and August 2022, will automatically receive P-EBT benefits in their Lone Star Card this December. Eligible students who have not been provided with SNAP and P-EBT benefits before will receive a notice via mail with a claim code this November. Head over to YourTexasBenefits.com or call the P-EBT Call Center at 833-442-1255P-EBT to claim the benefits using this code. The benefits can be claimed 90 days from the date the notice was sent.