P-EBT information for MN families
Update: The P-EBT program has ended. All benefits have been issued for the last school year (2022-23) and for Summer 2023. There is no P-EBT for the 2023-24 school year.
If you have questions about your particular case, contact the P-EBT Hotline. You can reach them by calling 651-431-4608 or 800-657-3698 or fill out the P-EBT help form here: https://pebthelp.state.mn.us. The P-EBT hotline is open Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For the latest information, check the DHS P-EBT webpage or check back here for updated information.
If you have lost your white P-EBT card and need to order a replacement, call EBT Customer Service at 888-997-2227. There is a $2 charge for replacement cards.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR P-EBT BENEFITS?
School-aged students, Homeschooled students and students attending virtual school and Children 5 and younger are eligible for P-EBT. There are separate eligibility requirements for each.
School-aged student (K-12 Grade)
A student may be eligible if they:
- Attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or the Seamless Summer Option; AND
- Submitted an Application for Educational Benefits to their school and are eligible for free or reduced-price meals; AND
- Experienced reduced access to school meals due to COVID-19 circumstances.
They must also meet the following criteria:
- Their school closed or shifted to remote learning or had reduced hours or attendance for five consecutive days due to a COVID-19 impact; OR
- A parent or guardian reported to the school that the student’s absence was due to a COVID-19 impact and the school accepted the COVID-19 impact; AND
- The school submitted the information to the Minnesota Department of Education by the deadline.
WHAT DOES A COVID IMPACT MEAN?
There are two ways an absence can be because of a COVID impact:
- Any absence where the school tells students to stay home for a COVID-19-related reason.
- This would include a school-ordered quarantine of a student, a group of students, a classroom, or an entire school.
- Any absence reported by the parent that school officials accept as COVID-19 related and enter into the state’s P-EBT Portal.
Homeschooled or attending virtual school
In compliance with USDA rules, a limited number of homeschooled students and students attending a virtual school may be eligible for benefits if they meet the following criteria:
- Attended a school participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) at some point after the start of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, or were enrolled in kindergarten as a virtual or homeschooled student in school year 2020-2021 or later, and
- Not attending an NSLP-participating school due to concerns about COVID-19, and
- Would have been eligible for free or reduced-price meals at their NSLP school if not for their virtual or homeschool status.
Applications will be reviewed by the school district the student originally attended to confirm eligibility.
Children 5 and younger
A child who was not enrolled in school during the 2022-2023 school year may be eligible if they:
- Were born on or after Sept. 1, 2017; AND
- Received SNAP, MFIP or Tribal TANF benefits between Sept. 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023; AND
- Did not receive P-EBT school enrollment benefits.
IF I AM ELIGIBLE, WHEN WILL I RECEIVE BENEFITS?
School-aged students
The first round of benefits will start in May 2023. Benefits will be issued for eligible days from September 2022 through March 2023.
In July, benefits will be issued for eligible days from April 2023 through the end of the federal public health emergency on May 11, 2023. Catch-up payments will also be issued to students who were eligible from September 2022 through March 2023 but did not receive benefits in May.
Homeschooled and Virtual school students
Benefits will be issued in July 2023 for instructional days missed from September 2022 through the end of the federal public health emergency on May 11, 2023.
Children 5 and younger
Starting May 2023, benefits will be issued for September through December 2022.
A second round of benefits will begin in July for January 2023 through the end of the federal public health emergency on May 11, 2023.
NOTE: Benefits for children 5 and younger will automatically be loaded onto the household’s SNAP-EBT card.
HOW MUCH WILL I GET?
You will receive $8.18 per day in food benefits for each school day missed due to a COVID-19 impact.
WILL I GET A NEW P-EBT CARD?
For most families, benefits will be added to your existing card from the previous school year. Newly eligible students will receive new cards in the mail.
WHAT IF I LOST MY CARD?
To order a new card, you will need to call EBT Customer Service at 888-997-2227. When it asks for your card number, press 2 to speak to a representative.
What about Summer P-EBT Benefits?
You may be eligible if you:
- Attended in-person schooling the last month of the school year at a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or the Seamless Summer Option; AND
- Submitted an Application for Educational Benefits to their school by the school deadline and are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
NOTE: Children age 5 and younger and students who attended virtual school or who were homeschooled during the 2022-2023 school year are NOT eligible for Summer P-EBT benefits.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE BENEFITS?
There will be a one-time payment of $120 for each eligible child in July 2023. If you did not receive benefits in July, expect a payment in August.
Have questions or need more help with food?
If you qualify for P-EBT benefits, you might also be eligible for SNAP (also known as food stamps).
Use this SNAP Screener to find out if you are eligible and how much SNAP/EBT benefits you could receive. You can also reach out to the MN Food HelpLine by texting or calling 888-771-1151 or fill out this form to contact us.