Federal approval was given to The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to broaden the state’s Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program to cover the summer months.
At this moment, DCFS, in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education, has issued approximately $192.2 million in P-EBT benefits. Those are for 515,624 students who earn federal free or subtracted-price meals but are present in the school between August 2020 and May 2021 on a hybrid or virtual learning schedule. The third P-EBT payment, covering February-May 2021, is anticipated to start loading onto cards around August 4. Perks for the Summer P-EBT program are also expected to be issued in August.
For Summer P-EBT, each qualified child will accept a one-time subsidy of $375 to cover June and July. The program contrast with the 2020-21 School Year P-EBT program where students who attended school in-person, as well as on a hybrid or virtual schedule, would be suitable if they receive free or subtracted-price meals and were in school in May 2021.
Since May 2021, all children get free meals, disregard the family earning. It includes those qualified for chargeless or subtracted-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) and those in a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school.
For students who formerly were not accepted for chargeless or subtracted-price school meals, but those who apply by July 30, 2021, and later are approved also will be qualified to receive Summer P-EBT. While the Summer P-EBT benefit will be announced to those who have applied for chargeless or subtract-price school meals, there may be a postponement in the sending out of perks.
No doing is required for students who already accept chargeless or subtracted-price school meals or showed up at CEP school. DCFS will do an effort with school districts to collect qualifications data.
Essential information about benefits:
Children who earned P-EBT benefits for the 2020-21 school year will gain their Summer P-EBT fee on the same EBT card where their P-EBT perks were issued.
Children who qualify for chargeless or subtracted-price school meals but didn’t obtain P-EBT for the 2020-21 school year due to attending school in-person will accept a P-EBT card by mail pre-loaded with their Summer P-EBT benefits.
You can find further information about the P-EBT program at http://www.dcfs.la.gov/page/pebt-louisiana