Families with children on free or reduced-price meals at school to get 'Pandemic-EBT' benefits, DCF says

Some Florida families are about to get more coronavirus relief from the state.

The Florida Department of Children and Families says a new supplemental benefit called Pandemic-EBT, or P-EBT, will provide additional funds for households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to the pandemic-related school closures.

Families with children who get free or reduced-price school meals under the National School Lunch Program are eligible to receive P-EBT funds. Those benefits will be issued automatically during the month of June.

If a child was receiving free or reduced-price school meals prior to the school closures on March 16, the family will receive a one-time benefit of $5.70 per day, per child, for 55 days, for a total of $313.50. If the child was eligible for the program after March 16, the family will receive a pro-rated amount based on the month of eligibility.

Existing SNAP (food assistance) recipients with a child who receives those meals will have the P-EBT benefit automatically added to their current EBT cards, while Medicaid or TANF (cash assistance) recipients will have the benefits sent to the address on their files.

All others with children who qualify will receive a new P-EBT card that will be mailed to the address on file with their child's school district.

The benefits expire in one year, DCF said.

LINK: For more information, visit DCF's website or review their Pandemic-EBT FAQs.