Alabama households who qualify for Pandemic EBT can expect to see additional benefits loaded onto their EBT cards within the next week.
In June the Alabama Human Resources Department issued P-EBT benefits to nearly 470,000 children who missed free or reduced-price school meals because of the pandemic. Those benefits omitted from covered meals August to December 2020. Now, eligible children will get the benefit from January to May 2021.
The upcoming P-EBT benefits will be added electronically to the EBT cards that eligible households have already received in June and July. Recipients should keep their cards as additional benefits may be added in the future.
Children in Pre-K and K-12 qualify for P-EBT if they lose access to food National School Lunch Program During the 2020-21 school year because their schools closed or in response to the pandemic switched to virtual and hybrid learning models. Children who learn in person from January to May are not eligible for these benefits because they were present at school to receive their meals through the National School Lunch Program. Eligibility is based on data from the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE).
DHR oversees the distribution of P-EBT with the assistance of ALSDE. The US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service administers the program at the federal level.
Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said, “As our children grow up and reflect on the challenges of the pandemic, our hope is that they will not be burdened with painful memories of childhood hunger. The P-EBT program has certainly helped Alabama provide more food to children during this difficult period in history. ”
There is no application for P-EBT; ALSDE provides the DHR with the names of children enrolled in the National School Lunch Program, which qualifies a child for P-EBT.
A toll-free customer service hotline (1-800-410-5827) is available for questions related to P-EBT. Support specialists are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Due to the high volume of calls, callers are encouraged to remain on the line if they experience wait times.
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