P-EBT available to help feed kids
The information below is for the first round of P-EBT benefits issued in summer 2020.
More information about the new round of P-EBT benefits can be found at this updated web page.
Download and print P-EBT information in
When schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of Minnesota’s students lost access to school breakfast and lunch. For students who receive free & reduced price school meals, this has been a big gap in their access to food.
The USDA recently approved the state of Minnesota’s application for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) to help families replace the meals their children lost because schools are closed.
Who is eligible for P-EBT?
A lot of Minnesota’s students are eligible.
Families with children ages 5-18 as of Sept. 1, 2019, are eligible for P-EBT benefits if their child’s school is closed due to COVID-19 and:
They were receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) benefits as of March 18, 2020;
or
Their child was receiving free or reduced-price school meals during the 2019-2020 school year;
or
Their child is enrolled in a school that offers free school meals to all students regardless of the family’s income.
Your child may be eligible if they attended a school district-run pre-K program and received free or reduced-price meals. If your child attended another type of pre-K program, such as Head Start, they would not be eligible for the $325 P-EBT benefit. This benefit is new, so families should apply even if they were told in the past that pre-K students did not qualify.
What do you get?
P-EBT is a one-time payment of $325 per student now, plus an additional $100 per student added sometime in August.
When do I find out if I’m approved?
If you received a confirmation number when you applied for P-EBT in June or July and have not already received your P-EBT card, the state is continuing to work on determining eligibility for your application. Some applications take longer than others to process for a variety of reasons. A delay in processing does not mean you have been denied at this time. We appreciate your patience. There is no need to contact MDE directly or to provide verification of your Free or Reduced School Lunch status. Most eligible applicants will receive their P-EBT card by August 29. The state is working on a way to notify you if you are determined ineligible, but again, no denials have occurred at this time.
Due to a high volume of applications, some P-EBT applications are taking longer than 30 days for a card to be issued. Not having received a card within 30 days does not mean that your application has been denied or will be denied.
If you applied online and do not qualify for P-EBT, you will receive an email to notify you that you have been denied after your application has been processed.
We recommend submitting questions through the web form, and hotline staff will follow up with you.
How do you get P-EBT?
P-EBT is being issued two ways:
Families who are already on SNAP or MFIP have already had the $325 per child loaded on their EBT card. If you have not seen the deposit made and are on SNAP or MFIP call 651-431-4050 or 800-657-3698 for help. If you have lost your EBT card contact the EBT service canter at 888-997-2227 or visit www.ebtEDGE.com.
or
Families who were receiving free or reduced-price meals or attending a school that offers free meals to all students need to apply for P-EBT between June 8 and July 31, 2020. Once approved, you will be mailed a black and white EBT card that is loaded with $325 per student.
The additional $100 in P-EBT will be added to EBT cards sometime in August.
What can I use P-EBT to buy?
You can use P-EBT to buy the same things you can use regular SNAP benefits to buy. So most food items are eligible:
Fruits and vegetables; meat, poultry, and fish; dairy products; breads and cereals; snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages; and, seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat.
The benefits “expire” 365 days after they are issued.
I missed the July 31 deadline. What can I do?
We’re sorry to hear that you missed the application window, but there is nothing that we can do at this time. Watch this page for updates if there is another round of P-EBT this fall or if the application re-opens.
I still have questions. Where do I go for help?
You can send questions through the DHS website. More information is posted on https://mn.gov/dhs/p-ebt/
If you have questions about P-EBT or other food resources, you can call the Minnesota Food HelpLine 888-711-1151.